Highlights
- Phoenix's Parks and Recreation Board voted Wednesday to rename the former César Chávez Park and Community Center in Laveen to Águila Park and Águila Community Center.
- The renaming follows a March city council decision to strip the labor activist's name from all city properties after sexual assault accusations.
- A resident survey launched in May drew six candidate names; Águila, honoring the area's history and culture, won decisively when the survey closed June 15.
- Crews will next remove existing signage and install new markers with the updated name.
The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board voted Wednesday to rename the former César Chávez Park and Community Center in Laveen to Águila Park and Águila Community Center, closing a months-long process that began with a Phoenix City Council directive in March.
The council's March decision ordered the renaming of all city properties honoring the labor rights activist, who was accused of sexual assault. The parks and recreation department followed by launching a resident survey in May that offered six candidate names tied to the area's history and culture: Laveen, Águila, Holstein Heritage, Arizona Sunset, Desert Oasis and Farmworkers. The survey closed June 15, and the department said Águila was the clear favorite.
Parks Department Director Martin Whitfield credited resident participation for the outcome. "We are grateful for the community's engagement throughout this process," Whitfield said. "Our parks and facilities belong to the people we serve, and community input is essential in ensuring they continue to reflect the identity and values of Phoenix residents."
The renaming was corroborated by KTAR and confirmed in a city of Phoenix news release detailing implementation of the council's direction.
Crews are scheduled to remove existing signage at the park and install new markers bearing the Águila name.
Sources
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- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 21/08/2026 01:55
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 21/08/2026 01:55. Every claim traces to a source.
