Renaming of Kings Canyon Road to Cesar Chavez Boulevard in southeast Fresno completed

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A 30-year project to rename Kings Canyon Boulevard in southeast and southwest Fresno is now complete.

On Friday, the grandson of the late civil rights leader Cesar Chavez joined several city Council members for the unveiling of the last brand-new street sign.

This renaming project has been controversial over the past year.

The renaming was approved by a majority of the Fresno City Council in March of 2023.

Some neighbors claim they were only notified about the renaming after it was approved. Which led to local businesses and residents filing a lawsuit against the City of Fresno over the renaming.

That lawsuit was then denied by a Fresno County Judge roughly a year after the approval of the renaming.

Brian Leighton, the lawyer representing those opposed to the new name, argued that those streets are historic and affect free speech.

He said changing the name takes away the identity of the people who live and work there.