Petition to Rename Chicago Street Near Tower Tops 22,000 Signatures

A petition calling for the renaming of Wabash Avenue in Chicago has collected more than 22,000 signatures as of June 16. The proposal would change the address of the building at 401 N. Wabash Avenue to Barack Hussein Obama Avenue. Organizers say the change would reflect values of inclusivity and resilience.

The petition was created on May 4 and references recent immigration enforcement actions and gas price increases. It states that the street renaming would send a message about city values. The building at the site features lettering spelling its name that stands 20 feet tall and has drawn protests in prior years.

Any street renaming would require City Council approval.

Honorary names for living people are not permitted under current city policy. Previous petitions targeting the same address did not gain comparable support. The Obama Presidential Center, scheduled to open June 19, is located several miles away on the South Side.