On Thursday, the San Antonio City Council voted 11-0 to restore the historic name of a five‑mile stretch of roadway that runs from Southwest 36th Street to South Hackberry Street. The thoroughfare, known for decades as Durango Boulevard, had been renamed in 2011 for labor leader Cesar Chavez. Council members agreed to revert the name to Durango, reflecting the wishes of the majority of local residents.
Resident input drives decision
The council’s action follows a citywide survey and two public listening sessions held in April. More than 18,000 people responded to the survey, with 64% favoring the Durango name overall and 79% of respondents who live along the corridor supporting the change. During the listening sessions, participants suggested alternative names honoring the United Farm Workers movement and other local civil‑rights leaders, but Councilwoman Teri Castillo (District 5) emphasized that the people directly affected made their preference clear.
“The majority of residents who live on Cesar Chavez and now propose Durango made it crystal clear that they want a key historical thoroughfare to reflect the name and a piece of history that they could be proud of,” Castillo said.
Historical and cultural context
Durango Boulevard has long been part of the West Side’s cultural landscape, linking the area to nearby streets named for Mexican cities such as Tampico and Monterrey. Councilwoman Castillo noted that the Durango name underscores the community’s connection to Mexico and its heritage.
Implementation and costs
Development Services Director Amin Tohmaz informed the council that updating signage will cost approximately $375,000, funded from the city’s fiscal year 2026 General Fund. The project requires replacing more than 100 signs, including 58 ground‑mounted signs, 31 overhead signs attached to streetlights, and 15 highway signs. Public Works estimates a two‑month timeline for designing and installing city‑owned signs, while the Texas Department of Transportation indicated that highway signage could take six months to a year.
Residents and businesses along the corridor will need to update their addresses with banks, government agencies, and other institutions. When the renaming process was launched, Councilwoman Castillo asked the city to explore waiving application and notification fees and to consider using funds previously allocated for the canceled Cesar Chavez March to help offset address‑change costs. Final city documents allocate money for new signage but do not specify direct assistance to affected parties.
Assurances for voters
City officials assured residents that the name change will not affect voting in the upcoming November elections. Tohmaz cited written confirmation from Bexar County, which oversees elections, that the renaming will have no impact on voter registration or ballot access.
Community reaction
Several council members praised the decision, noting that many longtime residents continued to refer to the corridor as Durango. Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (District 3) said, “They are very pleased, and that’s the majority of what I heard from the residents. We still call it that — just change it back or rename it to that.”
The vote marks the conclusion of a months‑long process that began after sexual‑abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez became public, prompting the city to cancel its annual Cesar Chavez march and launch the renaming survey.
Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.
