Scores of SLC’s 900 South property owners, residents oppose renaming street for Charlie Kirk

Davis County Republican Rep. Trevor Lee wants to remove Harvey Milk’s name from the Salt Lake City road and instead honor Kirk.

More than 140 business and property owners and residents along Salt Lake City’s Harvey Milk Boulevard have signed a petition urging the Legislature not to rename the stretch of 900 South after slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The move comes in response to HB196, sponsored by Republican firebrand Rep. Trevor Lee, that would remove cities’ “sole jurisdiction” over naming municipal roads and specifically designate 900 South as Charlie Kirk Boulevard.

Salt Lake City formally renamed 900 South in 2016 to honor Milk — an early champion of LGBTQ+ rights and member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who was murdered in 1978. The city has made similar designations of segments of roads to honor civil rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez.

The recognition of Kirk, who was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University last September, would be the first such instance of the Legislature imposing the name of a road on a city.

The city would then have to remove its designation and coordinate with the Utah Department of Transportation to install new signage. If passed, the law would also dictate that the city could not give the road a different or additional designation.

In addition to the local business and property owners along the vibrant corridor, some 3,000 people from across the state have joined in signing the petition.

“Over the years, Harvey Milk Boulevard has also become part of our neighborhood’s identity,” the petition reads. “Businesses have built their brands, community spaces, and sense of place around this name, and changing it would disrupt both the economic vitality and character of our corridor.”

Will Terry, the organizing director for Equality Utah, which spearheaded the petition, said in talking to business owners along 900 South, many chose to be on the street because of the values and the feel of the thoroughfare.

One of those 900 South property owners is Kathia Dang, who owns the recently redeveloped Milk Block that will be home to the new Wasatch Food Co-op opening in March, as well as restaurants and a day spa.

Dang said she chose the name because of a speech Milk gave that referenced building communities one block at a time and felt it was a fitting tribute. Now she is perplexed as to why anyone would want to change the name of the street.

“For me, it’s just so straightforward,” Dang said in an interview. “I don’t understand why someone feels the need to edit history that has already been written and read to make it more palatable to one’s current supporters. … It has no purpose. What does it prove, other than to provide further division?”

If people want to honor Kirk, she said, other streets can be given the name.

In an interview last week, Lee, who represents parts of Davis County, characterized his bill as a simple change and was unfazed that local merchants weren’t happy.

“Nope. They’re not,” Lee said about neighborhood opposition to his proposal. “But it is what it is.”

Previously, Lee said in an interview with KUTV in September that he wanted to rename the street because Milk had no connection to Utah and the street was named after him based on a group of activists pushing an agenda.

Last year, Lee sponsored legislation banning Pride flags from government buildings, and in 2022, before he was in the Legislature, referred to Pride month as “satanic” in a social media post.

Equality Utah’s executive director, Troy Williams, said the street has become beloved by the community

“This truly is an act of provocation,” Williams said. “Trevor appears to have a serious X addiction and his love language is generating outrage.”

Dang said that, regardless of what the Legislature decides to do, her development will remain the Milk Block, and she is hopeful that others along the corridor will maintain the feeling of community they have built.