Planning Commission recommends renaming Edmond Boulevard to Lena Smith Boulevard after extensive public input

The Minneapolis Planning Commission on Aug. 4 voted to recommend that City Council approve a petition to rename Edmond Boulevard as Lena Smith Boulevard, forwarding the councilmember‑sponsored petition for consideration by the council’s Business, Housing and Zoning Committee and the full City Council.

The petition and staff recommendation

Andrew France of the City’s Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) staff presented a joint recommendation from CPED and Public Works that the petition meet the city’s renaming criteria. France said Edmond Boulevard is a curved street that parallels the Mississippi River Gorge and has frontage for 110 parcels; 107 addresses currently use Edmond Boulevard, of which 103 are single‑family homes and three are duplexes. The current name honors developer Edmond Walton, who in the early 20th century introduced racially restrictive property covenants in Minnesota; staff said concerns about honoring Walton had prompted Ward 12 engagement and the renaming petition submitted by Ward 12 Council Member Aureen Chowdhury.

Councilmember applicant and community campaign

Aureen Chowdhury — who noted she would recuse from the commission vote because she is the applicant — said neighbors and community groups worked for years to build support for a change and to raise public awareness about Walton’s historical role. “By renaming the street to Lena Smith Boulevard, we not only reject the actions of a painful past, but we uplift the stories that have been erased or…