City of Charlotte issued the following announcement on Aug. 20.
The City of Charlotte announced Druid Hills Way as the replacement street name for Jefferson Davis Street at the Great Neighborhoods Committee meeting Wednesday. A public unveiling of the new Druid Hills Way street signs is planned for Sept. 25.
Jefferson Davis Street was the first of nine streets to be renamed following the Charlotte City Council's February 2021 approval to adopt Legacy Commission recommendations to rename streets named after leaders of the Confederacy and white supremacists. The other streets include:
- Phifer Avenue
- Jackson Avenue
- Zebulon Avenue
- Aycock Lane
- W. Hill Street
- Morrison Avenue
- Barringer Drive
- Stonewall Street
City staff began community engagement efforts with residents in June, including inviting them to provide feedback and new name recommendations in a replacement name suggestion survey. There were 17 suggested names that met the new criteria recommended by the Legacy Commission.
A new name selection survey followed, allowing residents and property owners to rank their top three choices from the group of names. Druid Hills Way was the overwhelming first choice for 55% of the respondents, compared to 9% for the next highest choice.
"Today we celebrate the new street renaming process and city staff's collaboration with residents as they selected Druid Hills Way as their new street name," said Mayor Vi Lyles. "The residents in this neighborhood are continuing the journey the Legacy Commission started over a year ago in reshaping the city's landscape, representative of the dynamic and diverse city Charlotte has become."
Phifer Avenue to Become Montford Point Street
Phifer Avenue will become Montford Point Street, honoring the legacy of the first African Americans that enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942. Some Charlotteans were among the early Black recruits who trained at Camp Montford Point near Jacksonville, North Carolina and contributed to the Allied victory in World War II.
Originally, Phifer Avenue was to be renamed with a similar survey process as Jefferson Davis Street, but unique circumstances regarding Phifer Avenue led to a change in the renaming method. Currently, there are no residences or businesses on Phifer Avenue and the street is expected to be closed for an estimated five years due to redevelopment. City staff had previously been contacted by members of the community regarding recognizing Montford Point Marines in new street names. Renaming Phifer Avenue in their honor was the perfect opportunity to do so.
Next Steps
The engagement process for renaming Aycock Lane, Jackson Avenue and Zebulon Avenue has begun with the same process as Jefferson Davis Street. The name suggestion survey is now open to residents, property owners and businesses in surrounding neighborhoods through Sept. 19. Replacement name voting will take place from Sept. 21 through Oct. 11. A public unveiling of these three new street names is expected to take place on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
Community engagement for Hill Street and Morrison Avenue will begin in late October.
Residents and property owners who live on any of the nine streets that will be renamed may locate resources at charlottenc.gov/legacy, by calling 311 or emailing legacy@charlottenc.gov for assistance.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Charlotte
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