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Springfield council approves honorary renaming of Prospect Street for Bishop Leonard Naylor
Summary
The Springfield City Council unanimously approved an honorary street sign renaming Prospect Street to honor Bishop Leonard Naylor after members and family spoke at a special hearings meeting May 19.
The Springfield City Council unanimously approved an honorary street sign renaming Prospect Street to Archbishop Leonard Naylor Way following remarks from city officials, community members and Bishop Leonard Naylor on Monday, May 19.
Supporters told the council the honor recognizes decades of ministry and community service in Springfield’s North End. Bishop Leonard Naylor, his family and church supporters attended the special hearings meeting at Springfield City Hall, where councilors called the roll and voted to approve the honorary sign.
The request was introduced at the start of the meeting as "the honorary street sign for Bishop Leonard Naylor." Elder Willie James Naylor and other family members spoke in favor; Councilor Klick Bruce and several other councilors described Naylor’s longtime work in neighborhood ministry, food distribution, youth programs and transitional housing. Bishop Leonard Naylor addressed the chamber and thanked the council and the city, saying, "I thank God. I am so humbled." He spoke about his decades of ministry and praised his family and congregation for their support.
Councilors repeatedly described the naming as deserved and appropriate. Councilor Klick Bruce told the chamber he helped advance the application and asked the family to keep the council informed about the date of the formal renaming event. Multiple councilors offered brief endorsements from the dais before the roll-call vote.
Madam Clerk called the roll for approval; every councilor present voted yes and the clerk announced the street naming was "unanimously approved." The council did not attach additional conditions to the honorary sign; details about manufacture, installation date and any associated ceremony were discussed informally and will be coordinated between the applicant and council staff.
The authorization approved at the meeting creates an honorary street sign. It does not change official addressing or legal street-name records unless and until separate administrative steps are filed and approved by the appropriate city departments.
