BOISE, Idaho — Boise Mayor Lauren McLean announced Friday the park under construction at 11th and Bannock will be named after Cherie Buckner-Webb.
Buckner-Webb served in the House from 2010 to 2012 and then three terms in the Idaho Senate, with her final term ending in 2020. She was the first Black woman elected to the Idaho Legislature, according to a news release from the City of Boise.
“Naming this park for Cherie Buckner Webb honors this trailblazing Boisean who, while making our community a better place has inspired and empowered generations of Boiseans,” said Mayor McLean. “Now everyone who visits this beautiful downtown park will hear her name and have the opportunity to learn about her legacy of service to Boise and the state of Idaho.”
“Boise afforded opportunities that were denied elsewhere. For 115 years my family has purposefully and proudly chosen to make Boise our home,” said Cherie Buckner-Webb. “I am humbled and honored by the naming of this park. It stands as a testament to the foundation of contribution to community laid by my family across generations.”
Related: City of Boise looking for name suggestions for downtown park
Inspiration for the park name came from citizen submissions gathered during a public engagement process. A group of stakeholders went through the more than 1,200 name ideas, and identified the submission and supported the mayor's decision to name the park in Buckner-Webb's honor.
Before the park name is final, it will be considered by the Boise Parks and Recreation Commission and Boise City Council for approval. This process is expected to be finished in the coming weeks.
The park will include amenities and street improvements including a large, tree-lined green space, public art, shaded seating, a pedestrian alley, public restrooms and bike storage. The park will be officially dedicated later this summer once construction is complete.
