Downtown San Jose's best-known park has a new name: Plaza de San José. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 27, to retire the name Plaza de César Chávez, KQED and KTVU reported.
Why the name changed
San Jose began the renaming process after allegations against the late labor leader surfaced in March. KTVU reported that San Jose found nine city-owned buildings and public spaces bearing Chávez's name and has already removed or covered those references. The engraved name on the plaza itself was filled in with concrete earlier this year.
How the council chose
- Community meetings and surveys produced more than 600 name suggestions, KQED reported. The city then put five finalists to a ranked-choice survey.
- Plaza de San José won, with more than 10,500 responses. According to city reports cited by KQED, it drew more first-choice votes than the second- and third-place options combined.
- The runners-up, in order, were Farmworkers Plaza, Plaza del Pueblo, Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl.
Earlier this month the city's Parks and Recreation Commission had recommended a hybrid, Plaza del Pueblo de San José. Commissioner Daisy Barocio said the plain version felt "very plain and safe." The council stuck with the survey winner. Several speakers at Tuesday's meeting asked instead for Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza.
"By a fairly resounding margin, the community has made it clear that Plaza de San José is their preferred choice," said Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents downtown. Mayor Matt Mahan told KTVU that "all of us on the council felt it was really important to get this right."
What's next
City staff said the work to change the park's signage will go out to bid later this year, with a contract expected to be finished in the spring, KQED reported. The plaza was named for Chávez in 1983. Its role as a civic gathering space goes back to the 1800s, and it served as the site of California's first state capitol in 1849.
Background: our preview of the Oct. 27 vote.