For 42 years, an error has plagued the name of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in official records: the "Jr." has been missing.
Yes, the signs you see up and down the boulevard may be correct, but in the city's official record, the street's name -- meant to honor one of the most important, influential figures in U.S. history -- is simply wrong.
The city now wants to fix its mistake, but it isn't easy.
Official street name changes can't be made without a formal process and a City Council vote -- and that takes a long time.
The city only makes three to five street re-designations and corrections every decade, according to Department of Transportation and Infrastructure spokesperson Vanessa Lacayo.
"This process includes working with the United States Postal Service and property owners to formally update their address," she said. "This change is important, and it is important we do it right."
So, DOTI sent a letter to residents on September 12, telling them about the mistake and how the agency plans to correct it.
"We also explained that there wouldn't be any significant changes to them since many items still have the JR. in the address/street titles. Also, no signage will be changing since they all still have the JR. in the signs. Residents had until Sept. 26 to object - none did. Our department will now prepare a request for a new ordinance, which will then make its way to City Council."
Assuming City Council approves the fix and gets it right this time without introducing new errors, DOTI will update every address along that route and coordinate with the postal service.
There are around 200 residents whose official addresses will change, though most probably won't notice.
So how did this happen?
Back in 1980, Denver City Council decided to change the name of 32nd Avenue, between Downing Street and Syracuse Street, to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a tribute to the civil rights leader.
The bill had three sponsors. Elvin Caldwell was the first African American to be elected to a City Council west of the Mississippi River, in 1955. He served for 28 years, and in his seven terms, he was president of Council through five of them, including during the name change. William Roberts, whom the Denver Post described as the "father of the Denver International Airport," backed the new name. And so did Cathy Donohue, who was the second woman to be elected to Council -- the same year Cathy Reynolds became the first, simply because she didn't have a run-off election.
City Council voted in favor of the bill. Mayor William McNichols signed it. And the Clerk and Recorder approved the measure. Nobody caught the error on the page.
"The ordinance inaccurately labeled the street as Martin Luther King - the 'Jr' was omitted," Lacayo explained. "Unfortunately, while not often, these errors do happen. All the street signs were printed correctly. It wasn't until much later that City staff discovered this error and decided to correct the official record on file."
Why are so few streets renamed?
Denver street names are based on a pattern, to help people locate homes and businesses. City rules give the City Engineer the power to name and rename streets and assign addresses, according to Lacayo.
When a street is renamed, it creates a ton of work. Everything from stationary and monthly bills and signs have to change. So do City maps, 911 systems, and occasionally highway signs.
"Depending on the situation, the cost can range from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands of dollars," Lacayo said.
She did offer some good news: "This is not the case for MLK Jr. Blvd. since all the signage is correct."
