Atlanta dedicates park and announces street naming for Mayor Emeritus Shirley Clark Franklin

City officials, community members and Shirley Clark Franklin gathered in Atlanta’s District 9 for a dedication ceremony that announced the renaming of Westside Park and a stretch of Central Avenue in honor of the city’s mayor emeritus.

Speakers at the event described the renaming as a tribute to Franklin’s decades of civic leadership. “We are here today for a celebration,” said Speaker 1. Organizers announced that Westside Park will be known as Shirley Clark Franklin Park and that Central Avenue will carry the name Shirley C. Franklin Boulevard.

The gathering recalled Franklin’s long record of public service and local initiatives. One speaker said, “You never get over being mayor of Atlanta,” praising the continued influence of Franklin’s civic work. Another speaker described how, 24 years earlier, Franklin convened a study group on homelessness that helped shape later efforts to address the issue.

On March 18, 2024, the Atlanta City Council unanimously adopted a resolution to create a commission to determine an appropriate manner to honor Mayor Shirley Clark Franklin; event speakers referenced that earlier action as the step that led to the current dedication. The transcript of the ceremony did not record a new formal vote to change street or park names during the event.

Shirley Clark Franklin, who was identified in remarks as mayor emeritus, addressed the audience near the end of the program. “It’s really kind of overwhelming. This park is a great addition to Atlanta’s landscape,” Franklin said, adding that seeing the street name would make her smile.

Speakers urged that the park and renamed boulevard serve as sites where memories of community events and civic life will be made and recalled. Several speakers emphasized collaboration across the city and expressed gratitude for Franklin’s mentorship and leadership.

The ceremony was framed as a public recognition rather than a detailed policy discussion; speakers focused on celebration and remembrance rather than legislative procedures. The earlier March 18, 2024 council resolution that created the commission was cited as the formal step that initiated the process of determining how Franklin should be honored.

Officials did not provide details in the recorded remarks about the legal or administrative steps remaining (if any) to formalize the street-name change in municipal records, nor did they provide a timeline for signage, mapping updates, or related administrative actions.