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Aug 5, 2008 9:54 pm US/Central
History Could Be Lost In Ross Renaming, Some Say
Debate Also Brewing Over 'Cesar Chavez' Street Location
Carol Cavazos & Jay Gormley
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
The City of Dallas took a major step toward changing the fate of two well-known streets. A council committee voted to change the name of Industrial Boulevard to Riverfront Boulevard and Ross Avenue to Cesar Chavez Boulevard.
It was once home to mansions of the rich and powerful.
"It was called the 5th Avenue of Dallas," explained Retired SMU professor Darwin Payne. "Between 1885 and 1925, it was 'the' address."
Ross Avenue dates back to the early 1860s and has seen its share of famous Texans.
Lady Bird Johnson lived on the far end of Ross Avenue while she attended St. Mary's College, he said, adding Tom Clark, who was an associate justice of the Supreme Court, was born on Ross."
Only two mansions remain on the busy downtown street. The most recognizable, the Belo Mansion, sits among the city's towering skyscrapers.
The proposed name change has Payne scratching his head.
"It's like cutting history off in the middle. It should be preserved."
Supporters of the name change will first have to convince business owners along Ross.
Opposition could come from the Dallas Bar Association, which calls the Belo Mansion its home. The city's Arts District, currently under-going millions of dollars in development, also could pose a problem.
"I think the committee did a great job today of coming together and showing some unity on this issue. It could have turned into something different, but it was a positive outcome," said Alberto Ruiz with the Cesar Chavez Task Force.
Others disagree and feel the Ross Avenue selection is second best.
"This is a discriminatory act since it's very clear we [Hispanics] represent 42 percent of the city," proclaimed Hispanic Leadership Forum Chairman Michael A. Gonzales. "The next point is when you have discrimination of this caliber it reinforces that we [Hispanics] are inferior."
The name change will involve a lengthy process including at least two public hearings and a vote by the city's plan commission and the full Dallas City Council.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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