The 0.53 acre park located at the intersection of West Reed Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue will likely have a new name after tonight.
Last year, the City asked for public feedback on two possible names for the park, Unity Park and Shirley Tyler Park.
The proposal for the Unity Park name referenced the 1970 murder of Robin Gibson at a 7-Eleven near the park. The murder sparked racial tension at the time. The word unity would foster “a place of connection, recreation, and fun for all of the people that live in the neighborhoods surrounding it. It would also serve as a reminder of where we have come from and where we are going. In addition, the name also speaks to the fact that it sits between several neighborhoods and recognizes all the work the residents of the various surrounding neighborhoods put into the original park construction,” according to the proposal.
Shirley Tyler was a community leader in Alexandria for over 40 years. She and her family were also the first African American homeowners in their Arlandria neighborhood. She served as part of the Arlandria Civic Association, the Alexandria School Board and as teacher and headmistress of Grace Episcopal School.
The name Shirley Tyler was favored by 82 percent of respondents to the park naming survey. On Dec. 15, 2020 the City Council Naming Committee voted to name the park Shirley Tyler Park but after the meeting, Tyler’s son and daughter proposed naming the park the Shirley Tyler Unity Park instead.
City Council will consider naming the park the Shirley Tyler Unity Park at tonight’s meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. The cost to rename the park is estimated to be $5,500 for the creation of signage.