Downtown San Jose's oldest public gathering space has a new name. On Tuesday, Oct. 27, the City Council voted unanimously to call the 3.4-acre plaza Plaza de San José.
Why it changed
Earlier this year the council voted to start removing César Chávez's name from city-owned sites. That followed a New York Times report in March on allegations that the late labor leader sexually abused women and girls. KQED notes that cities up and down California have been considering similar changes.
How the name was picked
San José Spotlight reports that a first survey produced 610 suggestions. Staff narrowed them to five finalists: Plaza de San José, Farmworkers Plaza, Plaza Park, Plaza del Pueblo and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. A second, ranked-choice survey drew 10,506 responses. Plaza de San José won 4,116 first-choice votes, Farmworkers Plaza got 2,240 and Plaza Park got 1,804. About 86% of respondents came from San Jose ZIP codes.
On Oct. 7 the Parks and Recreation Commission had recommended a combined name, Plaza del Pueblo de San Jose. Some commissioners felt Plaza de San José was too generic. Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents downtown, said Plaza de San José "received more first-choice rankings than the second-place and third-place options combined."
A historic site
Tordillos told the council the name reflects the plaza's role in civic history. He called it the oldest public space in Northern California and the site of California's first State Capitol and of an early city hall. Mayor Matt Mahan called the result a "positive outcome."