By Gus Saltonstall
The Marlene Meyerson Jewish Community Center of Manhattan wants to co-name the Upper West Side street it is nearest to after itself.
The JCC, at 334 Amsterdam Avenue, is looking to co-name West 76th Street, signified by a new street sign at the corner of 76th and Amsterdam, as “JCC Way,” in honor of the community center’s 25th anniversary in its Upper West Side home.
“Help us make history on the Upper West Side,” the JCC wrote earlier in September on Instagram. “For 25 years, the corner of 76th & Amsterdam has been home. Home to first steps in our nursery school, home to milestone celebrations, home to community when we needed it most.”
“Now we want to make it official: help us co-name 76th Street ‘JCC Way,'” the message added.
But what about the technical steps the Marlene Meyerson JCC has to take to get the street co-naming approved?
First, the UWS JCC is looking to collect at least 300 physical signatures from residents and business owners within a two-block radius of West 76th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. The JCC will then submit those signatures to the Upper West Side Community Board 7 by September 28 and will have team members collecting signatures both inside and outside of its building until that date.
Once the signatures of support are sent to CB7, a committee within the community board must vote in support of the co-naming following a presentation from the JCC, and the full board will vote on the matter.
If CB7 votes in support of ‘JCC Way,’ it will then be sent to the New York City Councilmember who represents the street. In this case, that is Councilmember Gale Brewer. The City Council passes street co-naming legislation twice a year, which must be voted on and approved by the Council before being sent to the Mayor’s Office to be signed into law.
Once that happens, the New York City Department of Transportation installs the new street sign.
A street co-naming does not change anybody’s address, but simply adds a second street sign alongside the official one.
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