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Stony Island Renaming for Bishop Brazier Still 'Under Discussion'

By Ted Cox | October 16, 2013 11:08am
 Ald. Willie Cochran (20th), seen with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, says the renaming of Stony Island Avenue for Bishop Arthur Brazier is "under discussion."
Ald. Willie Cochran (20th), seen with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, says the renaming of Stony Island Avenue for Bishop Arthur Brazier is "under discussion."
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DNAinfo/Erica Demarest

CITY HALL — South Side aldermen confirmed Wednesday that renaming Stony Island Avenue for Bishop Arthur Brazier is still under consideration and insisted the proposal is not dead.

"Stony Island's under discussion," said Ald. Willie Cochran (20th).

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposal to rename the main South Side artery for the longtime leader of the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn was dropped from the Transportation Committee's schedule last week before Wednesday's City Council meeting. Many businesses had complained about the hidden cost of changing signage and addresses.

"Some people say that," Cochran said. "A lot of other people are not saying that. And so we want to take some time to evaluate what the concerns are, how they can be addressed, and move forward from there."

"There's a lot of moving pieces, certainly with the businesses in the community," added Ald. Michelle Harris (8th). "Everybody wants to weigh in and have a voice."

Cochran said that certainly meant no disrespect to the religious leader, and that much of the criticism had been overblown.

"I wouldn't have expected much pushback on it," he said. "We have not had much pushback on it."

Cochran said "a few errors were made" in rushing the renaming, adding, "This is one of the lessons all of us have learned."

"I'm certainly in support of Bishop Brazier and his memory," Harris said. "We'll just see where it goes."

Cochran said he was unfamiliar with any proposal to rename a stretch of 63rd Street for the bishop instead. "That conversation has not been brought to me," he said.