Goodbye Stapleton, hello Central Park! After years of controversy surrounding the name of Denver's largest urban infill development, the neighbors have voted to oust the Stapleton moniker in favor of a more inclusive name. With the full support of the City and County of Denver, the Stapleton United Neighbors association (known as SUN) began the democratic process of renaming their beloved neighborhood this summer, proudly announcing the new namewhich honors their signature park, on August 1st.
Why RemovetheStapleton Name?
Since the sixties, activists have been vocal about removing the Stapleton name from places around Denver due to the namesake and former mayor's deep involvement with the KKK. Despite those efforts, when the Stapleton airport was closed and rezoned for residential development in 1995, the name stuck.
Benjamin Stapleton wasn't just a prominent Klansman, he was also instrumental in placing other KKK members into positions of power, appointing several to his ownadministration and eventually leading to Klan influence and de jure discrimination throughout the state.
Efforts to scrub the Stapleton name and what it stands for have resurfaced and gained traction over the years, but were not successful until racial tensions following the George Floyd case tipped the scales, creating urgent motivation for the neighborhood to distance itself from its racist namesake and sending the message that the neighborhood does not tolerate bigotry.
The Process of Adopting a New Name for Stapleton
Once it was decided that the name had to go, SUN stepped up to devise a plan that included its residents at the heart of the process. First, name suggestions were collected from residents, totaling 331 clever and meaningful proposed names ranging from several aviation related ideas tonew namesakes honoring more respectable Colorado figures, to geographical terms, and even some humorous suggestions.
Next, two unofficial straw polls were conducted to help inform the thoughtfully appointed advisory board which included representation from minority groups, business owners, residents, and students. The board then whittled the list down to nine names. Finally, three rounds of official voting determined the winner and the neighborhood formerly known as Stapleton will forever more be called Central Park.
Making it Official
Now that Central Park is the official new name for Stapleton, the arduous process of making it official can begin, from updating deeds and road signs to changing the name of the neighborhood association and beyond. Business minded volunteers have stepped up to help local businesses change their name if they choose to and local graphic designer Eric Wedum has even offeredlogo redesigns free of charge!
Changing a neighborhood name is no small feat, but in some cases it'sworth the effort to detach from a marred namesake and move forward with pride. The neighborhood has declared that they are "unified in the goal of making sure thecommunity is safe and welcoming to all who live and visit. Changing the name is just the start.
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