PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Less than a week after Portland lost an icon, there is a push to name a street in her honor.
At least four city commissioners are backing the move to have NW Davis Street renamed NW Darcelle XV Street in honor of the legendary Portland drag performer, who died March 23.
KOIN 6 News reported in the days following the death of Walter Cole, who played Darcelle XV for more than 50 years, that a temporary street sign had been put up, covering the NW Davis Street sign at the intersection with 3rd Avenue which is the location of the Darcelle XV Showplace.
At the time the sign went up, Portland Bureau of Transportation officials said that the move didn’t indicate an official name change from the city.
That process takes time. And, it looks like that process might be moving forward.
As first reported by Willamette Week, commissioner Mingus Mapps, who oversees PBOT, commissioner Carmen Rubio and Mayor Ted Wheeler are all in favor of making the change.
“I support leaving it (the temporary sign) up for now,” Mapps said in a statement to KOIN 6. “We are working with PBOT on a new process for street renaming.”
But, the process has a bit of a catch. Under current PBOT rules, anyone honored by a street name in Portland must have been dead for five years. Mapps’ office says that the section of the code with that requirement can be improved.
“I look forward to the day when we can see Darcelle’s name on the street sign,” Mapps added.
As for Mayor Wheeler, his office responded to a KOIN 6 News inquiry about the temporary sign saying that the Mayor hopes the temporary sign stays and if a proposal to officially change the street name were brought forward to the council, Wheeler would help “see it through.”
When asked about the possibility of renaming NW Davis in Darcelle’s honor, commissioner Rubio told KOIN 6 News in a statement, “I love this idea. Darcelle deserves recognition in our city so that future Portlanders know her impact.”
That sentiment was echoed in the statement from commissioner Dan Ryan who said, “Darcelle XV, born Walter Cole, is an inspiration to us all, and their impact on our city and the LGBTQ+ community cannot be overstated.
“By renaming 3rd Street to Darcelle XV, we would pay tribute to their incredible legacy and ensure their story will be remembered for generations to come.”
Commissioner Rene Gonzalez told KOIN 6 through a statement from his media team that he is open to exploring the many ways we can honor Darcelle, who is a local legend. But, Gonzalez’s office said there have been no formal discussions about renaming the street and he didn’t specifically say whether he would support such a move.