Public Works Committee to take up park renaming for late Council member

The Public Works Committee will take up a resolution tomorrow (Wednesday, July 15^th) proposing to name a small city park in honor of the late Alderwoman Marlene E. Johnson-Odom.

Alderwoman Johnson-Odom, who passed in 2017, served as the 6^th District alderperson from 1980 to 2004.

Council file #191668 would assign the park name “Marlene Johnson-Odom Children’s Park” to a currently unnamed neighborhood park located at 2470-2478 N. 1st St., in the 6th Aldermanic District. The Public Works Committee will hold its virtual meeting at City Hall starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

An application was submitted on behalf of the Historic First Street Ad Hoc Committee on February 5, 2020, seeking the naming, and the Citizen Advisory Committee on the Naming of Public Buildings, Facilities and Streets voted on July 8 to recommend approval of the naming.

Alderwoman Johnson-Odom was elected 6^th District Alderwoman in 1980 and was re-elected in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000. She served on the Common Council longer than any other woman in city history and also was the longest serving African American member of the Council. She was an admirer of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and led efforts at City Hall to recognize Dr. King by renaming N. 3^rd St. “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.”

Current 6^th District Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs said she strongly supports the proposed resolution to honor the former alderwoman.

“Alderwoman Johnson-Odom served the 6^th District with dedication and distinction, and it is appropriate to honor her legacy by naming a public green space in the district that can be enjoyed by families and children for decades,” Alderwoman Coggs said.

Tomorrow’s virtual meeting will be televised live on the City Channel (channel 25 on Spectrum Cable and channel 99 on AT&T U-Verse in the City of Milwaukee) and via streaming video on the city website at city.milwaukee.gov/Channel25.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.