City of Dubuque seeks suggestions for renaming park

The park located at 16th Street and Kerper Boulevard was named for Dubuque’s former sister city Pyatigorsk, Russia.

In July, the Sister City Committee of Travel Dubuque agreed to suspend the sister city status with Pyatigorsk, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and in August, City Council members agreed to remove any signage relating to Pyatigorsk and directed city staff to determine a process for renaming the park.

A press release noted that, per city policy, the park’s new name “should generally fall within one of the following categories:

• Historic events, people and places.
• Individuals (living or nonliving) or groups who have provided exceptional service to the City of Dubuque’s park system, recreation facilities or the city as a whole.
• Major donations, including land or other contributions for the improvement and/or expansion of the park or trails system.
• Geographic location, such as naming in relationship to an adjacent street.”

Suggestions can be submitted at www.cityofdubuque.org/parks or dropped off or mailed to Leisure Services Department, ATTN: Marie Ware, 1157 Central Ave., Dubuque, IA 52001.

“The submission must contain at minimum the proposed name and reasons for the proposed name,” states a press release. “In addition, proposals may be accompanied by documentation attesting to community support for the proposed name, including signed letters or petitions as well as other supporting materials the nominator feels will assist in the review.”

Those proposals will be considered by city Parks and Recreation Commission members, including during their March 10 meeting. That board then will make a naming recommendation to the City Council.