Councilman Jimmy Peluso says the name change was requested by the Downtown Ecumenical Services Coalition, which will soon be located in the area.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Part of Confederate St. in the Springfield neighborhood will now be renamed “Rose Arbor Way,” affecting the portion of the road between Market and Liberty streets.
Patricia McBride takes her dog to the dog park that’s on Confederate and Market streets a few times a week. She says it’s well past time to change the name.
“Anything is an improvement that signifies everybody getting together, and that’s where we’re at today,” said McBride.
The Jacksonville City Council approved the name change in an 11-8 vote on Monday night. Councilman Jimmy Peluso, who championed the legislation, says the change is “a long time coming.”
“I campaigned on it,” said Peluso. “I wanna see it.”
Despite several opponents to the name change, Peluso says changing the street’s name has nothing to do with erasing history.
“History is history,” said Peluso. “You can’t erase it. Everyone knows about the Civil War. Not a single person, probably in this whole country, isn’t aware that it happened.”
Peluso says the name change was actually a request from the Downtown Ecumenical Services Coalition, an organization that provides free services to people in need of assistance.
The DESC is said to be moving into a location on Liberty and Confederate streets, and Peluso says the organization had some reservations about the street name.
“We have a new tenant who was basically saying, ‘Hey, this is gonna be our street,'” said Peluso. “‘We’re gonna have neighbors, clients, individuals come in here, and this doesn’t make sense to us. Can we name it something else?'”
In a statement sent to First Coast News, the DECS says that “as we move into the construction phase of our new facility, this moment is especially meaningful. The space will welcome thousands of people each year, and it’s important that it reflects dignity and belonging for everyone who visits.”