Phoenix to ceremonially add Martin Luther King Jr.’s name to Broadway Road
Dec 18, 2014, 6:27 PM | Updated: 6:37 pm
PHOENIX — A Phoenix city street is about to get a new name.
It will still officially be called Broadway Road, but the city is now giving it the ceremonial name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
“I’m proud to say that 2014 will be the last year that Phoenix will be the largest city without a boulevard recognizing Dr. King,” said Phoenix city councilwoman Kate Gallego.
It all happens next month.
“On Dr. King’s birthday, Jan. 15th, we’ll be installing the first sign along Broadway, and all of the major intersections (along Broadway) will have signs recognizing Dr. King,” Gallego said.
Gallego and city councilman Michael Nowakowski said they came up with the idea while walking in the 2014 MLK march in Phoenix. The city council approved it yesterday.
Gallego says the city is now exploring whether to completely change the name of Broadway road to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
“We have to get a majority of the property owners (along Broadway) to agree that they support this,” said Gallego. “It will be a conversation one door at a time along Broadway.
“If the community supports an official name change, then we can take that next step.”
Gallego did not say how much the new signs are costing, but she does say that they are being paid for by private donations and no taxpayer money is being used.