The San Jose City Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday, Oct. 27, on a new name for Plaza de César Chávez, the downtown park that has been a gathering place for nearly 250 years.
The city's Parks and Recreation Commission recommended "Plaza del Pueblo de San José," ABC7 reported. San Jose is one of several cities renaming public spaces after sexual abuse allegations surfaced against the late labor leader.
How the name was chosen
The city received 610 suggestions in a first survey, according to San José Spotlight. After removing 178 that didn't meet naming rules, it consolidated the rest into 88 categories. A second, ranked-choice survey drew 10,506 responses, and "Plaza de San José" received the highest weighted score.
At an Oct. 7 meeting, Commissioner Daisy Barocio proposed combining that with another theme. "It honors the people who wanted the Plaza de San Jose," she said. "And San Jose started as a pueblo." The city was founded in 1777 as the Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe.
Some speakers had urged "Plaza de Quetzalcoatl," another finalist tied to the "Plumed Serpent" statue in the plaza. The council can choose the commission's name or another option.
The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall and online.