Costly name change considered to alter Commerce City's image

Mar 04, 2007 09:03:10

By Charley Able, Rocky Mountain News COMMERCE CITY - There's a push on to give this town a tonier name, but change won't come cheap. Street signs, park signs, lettering on police cars and other city vehicles, the official government letterhead and stationery and who knows what else would require overhauling. According to a memo compiled for the city council, the cost, including changing the city's logo, would be at least $926,000. Residents will go to the polls April 3 to decide whether the city's 45-year-old name should be changed to reflect what supporters of the proposal say is the new city - one of new homes in upscale developments, parks, schools and modern shopping areas. But much of the city remains industrial, with modest homes from the 1950s and 1960s nestled in aging neighborhoods near gritty used tire shops, car wrecking yards and manufacturing and warehouse facilities. If voters decide change is needed, a second vote next fall will determine which of three names - to be nominated after a series of community meetings - to go with.