LC City Council approves “Plaza de Las Cruces” name for new Downtown plaza

City Council voted Tuesday to name the long-awaited plaza Downtown the “Plaza de Las Cruces.”

The vote was 5-2, with District 3 Councilor Olga Pedroza and Mayor Ken Miyagishima voting against it. The mayor said he preferred “Amistad Plaza.”

“I think some people put some very serious thought into this, but I would go with Plaza de Las Cruces. I think it’s simple, it’s appropriate to our history,” said District 2 Councilor Greg Smith.

Earlier this Summer, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department collected more than a hundred submissions to name the space. The top choice was “Downtown Plaza.”

When that result came out, some councilors felt the name was too generic and lacked a certain uniqueness. “What has been envisioned, planned, and now nearly completed is at testament to inspiration and should be named for that much-needed force in our city so I put forward Inspiration Plaza or “Plaza Inspiracion,” said Jack Eakman, District 4 Councilor.

“I don’t propose we name it Las Cruces Plaza, but I would like to name it Plaza de Las Cruces and that would define us,” said Dolores Archuleta, a Las Cruces resident, said at the time.

Construction is wrapping up. The plaza cost taxpayers just under $6 million and will have a 1,200 square foot stage and a 20 foot splash pad. It’ll be able to hold roughly 1,500 people.

The grand opening and dedication will be September 17, 2016, the mayor said.