City's Identity Crisis May Force Hundreds Of Residents To Change Their Addresses
ELK GROVE (CBS13) — The city of Elk Grove is going through an identity crisis. For months they've struggled to rebrand their new community center complex. They have held multiple public meetings, but the city council could not agree, until now.
"It is being created as a gathering place," said public works director, Bob Murdoch.
The 56 acres of city-owned land had been known as the Civic Center, and that's also the name of the main street. But because there are no longer plans to put government offices there, city leaders say it needs a new name.
"We are renaming and re-branding it as district 56," said Murdoch.
So what is district 56? "It's a shorthand version of trying to identify all of the aquatic center, community center, the commons area, the large new park nature area that is going to be at this location," Murdoch said.
"District 56? [I] don't like it," said one neighbor, Stephanie Hodorowski.
"No, that sounds like a prison," said another neighbor, Nkosi Kimber.
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These two residents live in the apartments right across the street. If the city renames Civic Center Drive, more than 200 addresses will also need to change.
"I would have to change my credit cards, driver's license, registration," said Kimber.
"No, thumbs down all the way," said Hodorowski.
Murdoch acknowledged neighbors would be affected by the change.
"It would be an impact and I think that is something the City Council will want to consider," said Murdoch.
It's an effort to attach a catchy brand to the city's new cultural amenities.
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"It is going to be an important destination in Elk Grove and hopefully the region," said Murdoch.
But some say the new name will be a nuisance.
"Leave Civic Center Drive as it is, please," said Hodorowski.
The city essentially has three options: rename the street, rename part of the street, leaving out the apartment complex, or keep Civic Center Drive.
Either way, a vote is scheduled for Wednesday at city hall.