Municipal Building Renaming

Following a City Council recommendation, the City of Boulder has started the proposal process to rename the Municipal Building, located at 1777 Broadway, in honor of Penfield Tate II, Boulder’s first and only African American mayor, to celebrate his contributions to the Boulder community.

In 1971, Tate became the first African American elected to Boulder City Council. Tate served on council from 1972 to 1976, and in 1974, council members elected him Boulder’s mayor. Tate is celebrated as a strong and involved leader who stood up for the rights and protections of minority groups, including the LGBTQ+ community, at a time when few people would.

Staff have discussed the renaming project with Tate’s living relatives in the area who have responded in support of the effort. His son, Penfield Tate III, lives in Denver and has participated in Boulder housing events discussing the role of racism in the city’s housing challenges. Tate’s two daughters, Paula Tate and Gail Tate, live in Boulder.

Pursuant to the city’s Policy on Commemorative Naming of City Facilities, the renaming process will involve the following steps:

1. Completion and submission of an application describing the proposed change, a history of Penfield Tate II, and stakeholder feedback on the proposed renaming of the municipal building;
2. Review of the application by the city’s naming committee and development of a recommendation;
3. A preliminary decision by the city manager, and;
4. An opportunity for the city council to affirm or revisit the city manager’s decision.