The City of Austin estimates it could cost up to $1.2 million to rename Cesar Chavez Street.

The cost includes paying for new street and highways signs, and the public engagement process. It does not include helping businesses deal with the name change. Businesses would be responsible for those costs once the change happens.

Cesar Chavez Street stretches from MoPac through downtown and to U.S. 183. The road is home to hundreds of businesses and homes that would be affected by the change.

In March, Austin City Council members said they wanted to rename the street after a New York Times investigation included allegations from women that Chavez sexually assaulted and abused them as young girls.

Before the city can change the name, it must hold community input meetings. Some Austinites have said they have conflicted feelings about renaming the road.

During a City Council work session this week, city staff said they plan to host three public meetings, one of which will be virtual, throughout July and August.

Jessica King, director for the city’s communications and engagement department, said the city has already received suggestions for a new name. She said the top three contenders are East First Street, Dolores Huerta Street and Jorge “George” Pastore Street. Pastore was a senior police officer who died in the line of duty in 2023.

Huerta has publicly said she doesn’t want her name to be used as a replacement. She said she prefers landmarks and public spaces be named after other people associated with the farm worker movement.

“There has been some public objections to reverting to another individual from the farm workers movement,” Council Member Mike Siegel said. “Huerta’s foundation asked that if we are going to rename it in that spirit it be of honor in of farmer workers generally.”

King said the survey has not been developed yet, and the city still plans to go through that process for other street name suggestions.

The street has borne Chavez’s name since 1993 to honor the work he did with the United Farm Workers, a labor union that helped win rights for farm workers, migrants and working-class Latinos

Following the public input sessions, city staff will present their findings to council in September.