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 dismissed,” Chowdhury said during the hearing.

Speakers for and against the renaming

The commission heard a large public turnout: staff recorded dozens of speakers and petition materials showing neighborhood outreach. Supporters included members of Reclaim Edmond and Mapping Prejudice, historians and long‑time Minneapolis residents, community groups such as the Longfellow Community Council, and representatives of the Minneapolis Area Realtors Association. Mapping Prejudice co‑founders and local historians described archival evidence that Edmond Walton pioneered racially restrictive covenants beginning around 1910 and urged the commission to remove his honorific street name.

Speakers highlighted Lena Olive Smith’s biography: she was the first Black woman licensed to practice law in Minnesota and represented families facing housing discrimination, including the 1931 Arthur and Edith Lee case. Supporters described extensive outreach: organizers said they conducted door‑to‑door outreach, community meetings and a survey with 599 responses; they reported 69% support among Edmond residents and 86% support among Ward 12 respondents in their survey and submitted 38 formal written public comments to staff for the record.

Opposition and concerns

Several residents who live on Edmond Boulevard or nearby testified in opposition or urged caution, citing convenience and cost of changing addresses, a sense that the process could have included additional direct outreach to some residents, and a preference by some to “rededicate” rather than rename (for example, reassigning the name to a different historical Edmund). One testifier urged honoring a living local official rather than a posthumous renaming; another signaled the change would cause practical burdens despite staff assurances the city would manage updates and not assess sign costs to residents.

City procedures and staff responses

France and other staff explained the procedural path if the commission recommended approval: the commission’s recommendation would go to the council’s Business, Housing and Zoning Committee, then to the full City Council, the mayor and finally publication. France said the effective date in staff materials — if approved without delay — would be the publication date of Sept. 22, 2025, but that address updates, sign changes and integration with agencies such as the U.S. Postal Service can take months; USPS will continue to deliver to both addresses for a transition period (staff noted up to 18 months in some cases).

Commission discussion and vote

Several commissioners thanked the volunteers and community members involved with the petition and referenced the historical record presented by Mapping Prejudice and local historians. Commissioner Shepherd moved to recommend approval of the petition; the commission voted 7–0 in favor with Council Member Aureen Chowdhury recused. The clerk recorded ayes from Commissioners Baxley, Conley, Jones, Shepherd, Thompson, Wagner and Chair Meyer; the item was adopted and will advance to the council process.

Support and implementation commitments

Staff and the applicant said the city would coordinate implementation tasks including updating GIS and internal emergency‑service databases, notifying utility companies and the U.S. Postal Service, and producing street signs without assessable costs to property owners. Council Member Chowdhury and community volunteers said they would provide neighborhood assistance to residents who need help updating their addresses with licenses, utilities and mail.

Clarifying details from the hearing

• Parcels and uses: 110 parcels front Edmond Boulevard; 107 addresses currently use Edmond Boulevard (103 single‑family homes, 3 duplexes). • Public input: organizers cited a survey of 599 respondents with 69% of Edmond residents and 86% of Ward 12 respondents in favor of a name change; staff had received 38 formal written comments attached to the agenda packet. • Timing: staff said, if all approvals proceed without delay, the official renaming would be effective upon publication (staff cited Sept. 22, 2025 as the likely publication date), while practical address and sign changes could take months and involve outreach to USPS, Hennepin County and utilities.

What the commission’s action does

The Planning Commission’s vote is a formal recommendation; the final legal renaming requires action by the City Council and publication to take effect. The commission’s recommendation sends the petition to that next stage with staff findings and public testimony attached for council consideration.