The latest rendering from BRS Architecture of the Central Denver Recreation Center. (Provided by city of Denver)
Former Denver Councilwoman Carla Madison, who died of cancer in 2011. (Handout photo)
Late Denver City Councilwoman Carla Madison deserves the honor of serving as the namesake for the planned Central Denver Recreation Center, says a group of supporters that includes Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Another group is collecting petition signatures in support of another option: Ernestine McClain Smith, an entertainer who also was a 40-year employee of Denver Parks and Recreation as well as the co-author of books on Denver’s African-American history.
A groundbreaking for the recreation center is planned for next month at Colfax Avenue and Josephine Street, near City Park and East High School. The will construction Denver’s first multi-story, urban-style recreation center.
The push to name the rec center after Madison is being led by Paul Weiss, her husband. The District 8 councilwoman and former City Park West neighborhood advocate .
Weiss wrote in a news release that the effort has already met the 500-signature threshold from Denver residents ahead of an Aug. 18 deadline set by Parks and Rec for naming nominations.
He also supplied this quote from former Mayor Hickenlooper, among other community backers: “One of the greatest joys working for the city of Denver was spending time with Carla Madison. She was eclectic in the most wonderful sense of the word and embraced a broad variety of passions. From expanding access to health care to promoting historic preservation, Carla was propelled by a relentless curiosity that knew no boundaries.”
The nomination effort for Smith is being spearheaded by the Black American West Museum’s Daphne Rice-Allen, Renee Cousins-King, Charleszine Nelson and Althea Redd, according to Parks and Rec.
Smith, a dancer, performed with her sister Josephine as the McClain Twins. She later worked for the parks department and was a leader in the city’s black community. She died in 2001.
A timeline for the naming process says the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will review the nominations in September before the department’s director makes a recommendation to the City Council late that month. The recommendation could be for a namesake or another option, including a more generic name such as “Central Denver Recreation Center.”
The council could decide on a naming ordinance in October or November after a public hearing.
