Prince To Get Commemorative Street Name In Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MN —The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday approved a commemorative street name honoring the late musician and Minneapolis icon Prince.

At 1st Avenue North between 7th Street and 8th Street — across the street from the Target Center— a sign will indicate the stretch of road is "Prince Rogers Nelson Way." The location was chosen because it is the site of the First Avenue nightclub, 701 N 1st Ave, where Prince played regularly in the 1980s. The club also was a filming location for Prince's 1984 movie "Purple Rain."

According to the city of Minneapolis, Sharon Smith-Akinsanya and Joan Vorderbruggen, from the Crown Our Prince organization that also is behind the creation of a nearby Prince mural, partnered with the mpls downtown council on the commemorative street application process.

A renaming celebration is planned for June 7, which would have been Prince's 64th birthday.

"As a timeless icon of Minneapolis, Prince's music can be heard from Target Field to backyard BBQs and everywhere in between. It's only right for his name to be memorialized outside the legendary First Ave, which he helped put on the map for music appreciators nationwide," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. "Prince will forever be part of Minneapolis history and now that legacy has one more important piece for generations to visit and enjoy."

In addition to the commemorative street name, the 97-foot mural depicting Prince during different phases of his life currently is being created on the Ramp A parking garage at N. 1st Avenue and N. 8th Street, according to the Star Tribune.

Florida-based muralist Hiero Veiga was chosen to create the mural by the Crown Our Prince group.

The unveiling and dedication of the mural is scheduled for June 2, and it will take place during a Purple Block Party, which will feature DJs and a purple light show. The party is free and open to the public.

"I'm thrilled that Prince is being immortalized on concrete with ink, right across from his musical home that is First Avenue," Minneapolis City Council President Andrea Jenkins said. "Prince's independent spirit, commitment to social justice and his love for the Timberwolves make this the perfect space for his image to live."