City Council Votes To Rename Lake Shore Drive After DuSable
CHICAGO (CBS)-- After months of back and forth and one wild meeting Wednesday, aldermen voted to rename Lake Shore Drive after the noted founder of Chicago.
After 5:00 p.m. Friday, the City Council voted 33-15 in favor of renaming the roadway after Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the Haitian founder of the city of Chicago.
It will now be called Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive. It was Ald. David Moore (17th) who introduced the compromise.
CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reports the council meeting began with a plea for cooperation.
"Madame Mayor, I hope and pray that you follow the rules and regulations of this body," said 34th Ward Ald. Carrie Austin. "We disrespected one another. We used words that we normally wouldn't use. That's not what we do in this body."
The debate to rename Lake Shore Drive took about 20 minutes. While it was approved, the compromise came with some objections.
"What we choose to celebrate or not celebrate tells a story," said 4th Ward Ald. Sophia King. "And helps to shape our conscience."
"I just want us to do the right thing here. And I ask my colleagues to vote yes on this measure," said Ald. Moore.
"I know that there are passionate views on both sides of the issue," said 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly. "My experience from my constituents is they prefer to keep the name Lake Shore Drive. And a recent citywide survey suggests that a lot of folks feel that way, regardless of where they live in the city."
"Properly honoring Jean Baptiste Point du Sable is a small but important step in addressing racial injustice," added 35th Ward Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa.
After a month of delays, it was expected Wednesday would be the day, but that meeting went off the rails.
Chaos erupted after several members moved to stall the confirmation of Celia Meza as the city's top lawyer.
But City Council ultimately approved to confirm Meza.
Several Chicago aldermen are painting a very different picture than Mayor Lori Lightfoot about the chaos that unfolded at Wednesday's City Council meeting.
The mayor said several members of the City Council derailed Wednesday's meeting, but some are disputing that.
Nearly two dozen aldermen said they wanted to stay and do the public's work before the meeting was abruptly adjourned.
This would apply to the 17 miles of outer Lake Shore Drive from Hollywood to 67th Street.
The name change would be an homage to the city's Black Haitian founder, who many supporters of the name change say hasn't received his fair share of credit.
The next City Council meeting is set for Wednesday July 21.
