Proposal aims to rename Columbus Drive after former President Barack Obama

Chicago’s downtown throughway Columbus Drive could be renamed in honor of former President Barack Obama under a new proposed ordinance.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the ordinance was introduced Wednesday by Alderman Lamont Robinson of the city’s 4th ward. Robinson stated that the decision to honor Obama, a former resident of the 4th ward, would further Chicago’s status as a tourism destination for Black history.

“This is our opportunity as a city to give [the former president] his flowers while he’s still alive and recognize his journey that has inspired millions, including myself, to believe that anything is possible,” Robinson said in a statement to the city council.

Commemorative roadways and statues honoring Christopher Columbus have come under fire in recent years due to backlash over the explorer’s history of colonialism. In 2020, the city removed the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park following protests.

Several other major roadways in Chicago have been renamed to honor the historical contributions of Black Americans in recent years. In 2018 Congress Parkway was renamed to Ida B. Wells Drive in honor of the civil rights activist. Lake Shore Drive had its title expanded to John Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive in 2021 in honor of the Haitian-American explorer known for being the first non-indigenous settler of Chicago. 

If approved, the renaming of Columbus Drive would closely coincide with the opening of the new Obama Presidential Center in Hyde Park, which is expected to be completed by mid-2026. The ordinance will require approval from the Transportation Committee and a full vote of approval by City Council.