The city of Austin has estimated that renaming Cesar Chavez Street could cost as much as $1.2 million. This figure encompasses expenses for new street and highway signs as well as the public engagement process. However, it does not cover the financial impact on local businesses, which will need to manage their own costs associated with the name change.
Cesar Chavez Street runs from MoPac through downtown and extends to U.S. 183, serving as a thoroughfare for hundreds of businesses and residences that would be impacted by the proposed renaming.
The push to rename the street arose after allegations surfaced from women claiming that Chavez had sexually assaulted and abused them as minors, highlighted by a New York Times investigation in March. In response, Austin City Council members expressed their desire to change the street’s name.
Before any renaming can take place, the city is required to conduct community input meetings. There are mixed feelings among residents regarding the proposed name change.
During a recent work session, city staff announced plans to hold three public meetings—one of which will be virtual—scheduled for July and August. Jessica King, director of the city’s communications and engagement department, indicated that suggestions for a new name have already been received. The top three candidates include East First Street, Dolores Huerta Street, and Jorge “George” Pastore Street, the latter being a senior police officer who lost his life in the line of duty in 2023.
Huerta herself has expressed that she does not want her name to replace Chavez’s, advocating instead for the naming of landmarks and public spaces after other figures associated with the farm worker movement. Council Member Mike Siegel noted public objections to reverting to another individual from that movement, citing Huerta’s foundation’s request that any new name honor farm workers more broadly.
King mentioned that a survey for additional street name suggestions has not yet been developed, but the city intends to pursue that process. Cesar Chavez Street has been named in honor of Chavez since 1993, recognizing his contributions to the United Farm Workers, a labor union that fought for the rights of farm workers, migrants, and working-class Latinos.
Following the public input sessions, city staff will compile their findings and present them to the council in September.
