Minneapolis Approves 'Prince Rogers Nelson Way' Commemorative Street Sign Outside First Avenue
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minneapolis City Council announced Thursday that it has unanimously approved the commemorative street name, Prince Rogers Nelson Way, for the block next to First Avenue nightclub.
According to the city council, a renaming celebration is scheduled for June 7, which would have been Prince's 64th birthday.
"As a timeless icon of Minneapolis, Prince's music can be heard from Target Field to backyard BBQs and everywhere in between. It's only right for his name to be memorialized outside the legendary First Ave, which he helped put on the map for music appreciators nationwide," Mayor Jacob Frey said. "Prince will forever be part of Minneapolis history and now that legacy has one more important piece for generations to visit and enjoy."
The sign will be featured between Seventh and Eighth streets.
"I'm thrilled that Prince is being immortalized on concrete with ink. Right across from his musical home that is First Avenue," City Council President Andrea Jenkins said. "Prince's independent spirit, commitment to social justice, and his love for the Timberwolves makes this the perfect space for his image to live."
City officials say organizers of Crown Our Prince Mural, Sharon Smith-Akinsanya and Joan Vorderbruggen, partnered on the application process along with the mpls downtown council for the commemorative street name.
"It was important for Sharon and me to honor Prince in a way that would last for years to come," said Vorderbruggen, a public art consultant. "When we started on our journey to create the mural it just made sense for us to add the street naming, it truly is the icing on top."
A 100-foot Prince mural on Ramp A in downtown Minneapolis is also set to be unveiled June 2.
