Detroit's Historic Washington Blvd. Renamed John Conyers Blvd.

**SWMAP** · February-14-12, 11:47 AM

Is this in the works/ I have read it. To celebrate his 50 years in Congress. Would this be a permanent rename?

I thought all this was over now that monica went to jail. She was the champion of renaming Jefferson or the Tunnel or something, as I recall.

**Eric_c** · February-14-12, 11:54 AM

Ha! Let's rename a street for a congressman when it's already named for a president! Whatever!

**Detroitnerd** · February-14-12, 12:33 PM

I expect this to be one of those honorary designations. The green and white sign will remain, with a brown and white sign below it bearing the honorary designation. It's too much of a burden on the residents and businesses on a street to expect them to change all letterhead, mailpieces, ads, etc.

**poobert** · February-14-12, 01:23 PM

I love how Grand Boulevard was named General Motors Boulevard...in honor of the company that flattened the neighborhood there...and Berry Gordy Boulevard...in honor of the guy who moved his business to LA...it was fine as JUST Grand Boulevard, thank you.

When does Lonnie Bates get a Boulevard?

**eno** · February-14-12, 01:31 PM

Isn't Dexter or Davison, or some other street around there, named after Elijah Muhammed?

**Detroitnerd** · February-14-12, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

I love how Grand Boulevard was named General Motors Boulevard...in honor of the company that flattened the neighborhood there...and Berry Gordy Boulevard...in honor of the guy who moved his business to LA...it was fine as JUST Grand Boulevard, thank you.

I don't think General Motors flattened New Center. It was all built new in, like, 1910-1920, when New Center was pretty much empty, right?

**Eric_c** · February-14-12, 01:46 PM

Grand Boulevard at that time was a mixture of apartments and large homes. If you ever get a chance, pop into the Fisher Building lobby and look in the dispaly cases that show the history of the building. They show what was on the sites of the current office buildings.

**poobert** · February-14-12, 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

I don't think General Motors flattened New Center. It was all built new in, like, 1910-1920, when New Center was pretty much empty, right?

Yeah, I meant Poletown, which is straddled by EGB. I don't really know, or care, where "General Motors Boulevard" and "Berry Gordy Boulevard" begin and end either.

Didn't we used to reserve this shit for dead people, not just those dead from the neck up?

I have done much for this city and believe there should be a Poobert Boulevard.

[[disclaimer: I am a Democrat but Mr. Conyers doesn't appear to be high-functioning anymore)

**Detroitnerd** · February-14-12, 01:57 PM

I got you. Yeah, well, history is written by the victors. Sigh ...

**Jason** · February-14-12, 02:03 PM

This is really dumb. Who would want to live or work on "John Conyers Boulevard"? Who even wants to see the signs on the posts while walking around? Even if a person thinks he should be honored, I can't imagine anyone wanting Washington Boulevard to be renamed.

I think it's fine to name a road after him somewhere but it shouldn't be one of the most prominent streets downtown, it should be a smaller street, and ideally it should somehow connect to something he's accomplished.

**hhockey** · February-14-12, 02:05 PM

Poobert you made my day.

**Detroitnerd** · February-14-12, 02:19 PM

Besides, I thought we were supposed to name everything after Ronald Reagan now.

**Wheels** · February-14-12, 02:22 PM

Would it becombe Conyers Ally instead of Boulevard?

**firstandten** · February-14-12, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

When does Lonnie Bates get a Boulevard?

He already has a school named after him its one of the few jewels that DPS has. But thats it, I don't want anything else named after him and if they renamed the school as well I would be ok with that.

**firstandten** · February-14-12, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by eno

Isn't Dexter or Davison, or some other street around there, named after Elijah Muhammed?

Linwood up by Central High

**Danny** · February-14-12, 03:07 PM

What John Conyers Bvld! after Washington Blvd, I don't think so! When black folks took over Detroit city services after 1975, they want to name the streets ans public places after famous black leaders.

1. George Custer Elementary is Thurgood Marshall Elementary because Custer is a racist!

2. Myrtle Street is Martin Luther King Blvd.

3. 12th. Street is Rosa Parks

4. Linwood from Clairmount to W. Grand Blvd is Elijah Mohammed Bvld.

5. W Grand Blvd. from Rosa Parks to John C. Lodge FWY is Berry Gordy Bvld.

6. There's Mae C. Jemison Academy.

7. Malcolm X Academy

8. Rosa Parks Transit Center

9. Coleman A. Young Municipal Building

10. R. Phillip Randolph Vocational Technical Center.

11. East High School is Martin Luther King High School

12.Burroughs Elementary School is George Crockett Academy.

What's next Cobo Hall to Bing Hall.

**Detroitnerd** · February-14-12, 03:22 PM

I challenge anybody to produce any official act naming Detroit City Airport as Coleman A Young Airport. I think that was a fast one somebody pulled at some point.

**Hypestyles** · February-14-12, 04:48 PM

i want functional government/services.. street names are of tertiary concern..

**JBMcB** · February-14-12, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

i want functional government/services.. street names are of tertiary concern..

Crap like this is cheap and makes it look like the government is doing something. Do you have any idea how many official days of recognition, history weeks, and commemorative streets, parks, and monuments are registered?

One day when I was attending WSU, I was feeling particularly masochistic so I strolled through the law library and started reading the congressional register. I swear every other act was naming something after someone. It must eat up half of the scant time they work cooking up naming legislation.

**Zulu Warrior** · February-15-12, 09:30 AM

Perhaps everyone would like the banality of attending school at PS362 or living at the corner of D and 99th street.

Such designations, while seemingly meaningless, add to the history and culture of a place, and provide perspective from whence we come. Think of 12th street in Detroit that became Rosa Parks Blvd after the rebellion of 1967.

Besides these are the things that keep historians, cartographers, and urban planners employed...who would want to truncate these industries.

btw...CAY airport was enacted by the Detroit City Council. Record to be found in the City Clerks office...and Conyers Blvd will be a blue-signed designation

**Wheels** · February-15-12, 09:48 AM

Rosa Parks was named to cover the embarrassment of 12th street.
Martin Luther King has a street in nearly every city.
The rest are just political fluff.

There is no good reason to change Washington Blvd!

**1953** · February-15-12, 11:19 AM

What with all the white people moving back into downtown and midtown, shouldn't the street names start changing to honor white folks?

**SWMAP** · February-15-12, 11:23 AM

Isn't there an historic message in the several hundred year old tradition in this city that Washington, Jefferson and Lafayette streets meet. isn't a great plan? Now Conyers thinks he's in that class?

detroitjim · February-15-12, 12:12 PM

We otta name the new jail they buildin sommen like "Khwammy's Crib" or "House of Killpatrk"

**jcole** · February-15-12, 12:37 PM

Washington meets Jefferson and Washington meets Lafayette, but the three don't end up meeting together. And as far as I can tell, Lafayette doesn't meet Jefferson