KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One week after an election that spurred debate about how to best honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Kansas City, Mayor Quinton Lucas said Tuesday that the city will seek input from the public as it begins to look at other ideas.
“While many people of good heart believed renaming The Paseo Boulevard was a fitting honor, many others of good heart felt that other approaches were more appropriate,” Lucas said in a news release. “What we heard more clearly from the election, however, was that most voters were frustrated by the process used to craft the original name change.”
In last week's election, Kansas City, Missouri, voters overwhelmingly rejected the City Council's decision to rename The Paseo for the slain civil rights leader. Many opposed to the new name said they supported having a street named after King but did not agree with the city’s process or the decision to rename The Paseo, which has historical significance in Kansas City.
Lucas said Tuesday he has directed the Parks and Recreation Board of Commissioners to gather public input on how to honor King's legacy moving forward. Residents will have the chance to submit their ideas during a 90-day public comment period.
“The Parks Board looks forward to reviewing community input to determine the best way to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Parks and Recreation Board President Jack Holland said in the release.
After the 90-day public comment period, the parks board will hold a series of public meetings to evaluate ideas.
“Our board is fully committed to working in a transparent manner and providing regular updates to the community as these discussions continue,” Holland said.
Anyone with suggestions should email them to MLKTribute@kcmo.org or by mail to: Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, c/o MLK Tribute, 4600 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, MO 64130.
