After hearing from more than 2,600 community members, City staff are recommending that Cesar Chavez Plaza be renamed Union Plaza — the top choice identified through a citywide public engagement process.
The Parks & Community Enrichment Commission will consider the recommendation during its Oct. 1 meeting. If approved, the recommendation will advance to the Sacramento City Council, which will make the final decision on the proposed name.
“Renaming a public space with this much history deserves a thoughtful and transparent process,” said Mayor Kevin McCarty. “This park has long stood as an emblem of the laborers and organizers who built Sacramento. Union Plaza recognizes the park as a place where Sacramentans have come together for generations and will gather for years to come.”
The recommendation follows a community-informed process conducted by the Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment (YPCE) Department under the City’s Facility Naming Policy.
“This recommendation reflects what we heard from thousands of community members throughout this process,” said Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes. “Neighbors shared thoughtful feedback about the park’s history, its role as Sacramento’s gathering place and the values they want reflected in its future. This recommendation is the result of listening to our community and bringing that input forward for public consideration.”
The community engagement process launched in June and included an online survey, park signage, social media outreach, community organizations and stakeholder engagement. More than 2,600 people participated, submitting more than 350 unique name suggestions for consideration.
Following the close of the survey, staff reviewed the results with a Mayor-appointed Council subcommittee comprised of Vice Mayor Talamantes, Mayor Pro Tem Guerra and Councilmember Pluckebaum. The subcommittee evaluated the community feedback alongside the City’s Facility Naming Policy before recommending Union Plaza for Commission and City Council consideration.
Union Plaza received the highest level of community support with 450 responses — nearly twice as many as the next-highest suggestion, Dolores Huerta Park. Other frequently suggested names included Farmworker Plaza, People Plaza, Plaza Park and Nisenan Plaza.
“Whatever name ultimately moves forward, we have a responsibility to recognize the people who have worked and are caretakers of the land, from the original native people to laborers, and farm workers who have built the Sacramento Region,” said Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra.
Beyond selecting a preferred name, residents also shared what they wanted the future name to represent. The strongest themes centered on labor and worker-rights history, the farmworker movement and agricultural heritage, Indigenous history and stewardship, and the plaza’s role as one of Sacramento’s most important civic gathering places.
Staff determined that Union Plaza best reflected both the community’s preferred name and the themes expressed throughout the engagement process. The recommendation also recognizes the plaza’s long history as a place where Sacramento residents gather for community events, cultural celebrations, civic activities and public demonstrations.
“For more than a century, this plaza has been one of Sacramento’s central gathering places,” said Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, who represents the area. “Union Plaza speaks to that enduring role — a shared downtown space where people come together for events, celebrations, civic life and everyday activities.”
Originally established as part of Sacramento’s 1849 city plan, the downtown plaza has served as one of the City’s oldest and most recognizable public spaces for more than 175 years. Historically known as City Plaza and Plaza Park, the site has long functioned as Sacramento’s civic “front yard,” hosting markets, performances, celebrations and public gatherings.
Community members can attend the Parks and Community Enrichment Commission meeting on Oct. 1 or follow the item as it moves through the public review process. If the Commission supports the recommendation, the Sacramento City Council will consider the proposed name at a future meeting and make the final decision.
