San José’s downtown park and plaza, previously named for Cesar Chavez, will now be known as Plaza de San José. The City Council made this decision with a unanimous vote on Tuesday afternoon, concluding a more than six-month process.
The new name, Plaza de San José, was the top choice in a ranked-choice survey presented to residents during the summer. Over 10,500 people responded to the survey, and Plaza de San José received more first-choice votes than the second and third-place options combined, according to city reports.
Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who represents the downtown area, commented during the meeting that the community's preference for Plaza de San José was clear "by a fairly resounding margin." Tordillos noted that the name reflects the park's central role in the city's civic history as the oldest public space in Northern California. He also highlighted its past as the site of California's first State Capitol and an early city hall, and its connection to the Spanish and Mexican heritage in San José's history.
Mayor Matt Mahan called the outcome a "positive result" and thanked city staff for skillfully managing what he described as an "unexpected and sensitive situation" that proved difficult for residents.
This decision marks the end of a months-long public engagement effort that included community meetings, listening sessions, surveys, and voting. The renaming process began following allegations of sexual abuse against Cesar Chavez, a figure long recognized for his work in labor rights. A New York Times report in March detailed these alleged abuses, including against Dolores Huerta, with whom Chavez co-founded the United Farm Workers union. These revelations led cities and districts across the state to re-evaluate streets, parks, schools, and other landmarks named in his honor.
While the City Council ultimately chose Plaza de San José based on widespread community support, some residents and Parks and Recreation commissioners had advocated for alternative names. Earlier this month, the Parks and Recreation commission, after reviewing community input, suggested Plaza del Pueblo de San José, a combination of two options from public surveys. Commissioner Daisy Barocio expressed that Plaza de San José lacked "richness" and felt "very plain and safe."
Misrayn Mendoza from the community group Amigos de Guadalupe, along with others, called into Tuesday’s council meeting to propose Plaza de los Inmigrantes, or Immigrants Plaza, citing that immigrants make up over 40% of the city’s population. Mendoza argued that the city should not "take the easy way out and name it just the Plaza of San José."
Earlier community meetings and surveys gathered more than 600 potential name suggestions from residents and local organizations. City staff then narrowed these down to five options, based on frequency of suggestion and adherence to existing city criteria for park names. These five options were then presented in the ranked-choice voting survey.
Following Plaza de San José as the top choice, the survey results showed Farmworkers Plaza as the second preferred choice, Plaza del Pueblo as third, followed by Plaza Park and Plaza de Quetzalcoatl. City staff indicated that the park renaming work will be put out to bid later this year, with a contract expected to be finalized in the spring.
Councilmember Tordillos expressed that the broad community support for Plaza de San José "will really set up this next era for the plaza well" and help the city begin this new chapter on a positive note. He added that the new name will reinforce that the park "belongs to the people of San José and where everyone in our community is welcome."
