MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis and Shelby County Land Use Control Board has rejected a request to rename a South Memphis street after Southern Heritage Classic founder Fred Jones.
Daryl Lewis, who submitted the request on Jones’ behalf, asked the board to rename St. Paul Avenue as Fred Jones Way between Lauderdale and Walnut Streets.
The board rejected the request because they felt it would violate street renaming rules and would have an adverse effect on residents along the street and the St. Paul Ave. Historic District.
Since the board rejected this renaming request, the Memphis City Council is not expected to vote on it unless an appeal is filed.
There’s no word yet on whether Lewis will file an appeal — but in an email to WREG, he expressed doubts about one of the board’s reasons for rejecting the request — namely the violation of street renaming rules.
The rules state that a street cannot be renamed after a living person. However, Lewis pointed out that part of Wellington Street in South Memphis was renamed Willie Mitchell Boulevard in 2004 — nearly six years before Mitchell’s death in 2010.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Fred Jones requested the street name himself. Daryl Lewis was the one who filed it — on Jones’ behalf. We apologize for the error.