What’s in a name? Rebrand weighed for Georgia Street

One of the city's original streets, right there on the 1821 Alexander Ralston “Plat of the Town of Indianapolis," could get a new name. Community and business leaders are considering whether to change the name of a three-block portion of Georgia Street as part of a $12 million streetscape overhaul. The idea is to create a fresh brand for a unique destination in the city, said Julia Watson, a vice president at Indianapolis Downtown Inc. who is heading up the search for a new name. “We know it’s not Georgia,” she said. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to refer to it that way.” But not everyone is on board, including urban affairs analyst Aaron M. Renn, who writes the Urbanophile blog. “There’s a historic tradition of streets downtown named after states, based on the Ralston plan. It’s surprising they want to get rid of it without a firm idea in mind for a new one.” Georgia Street is home to the city’s oldest hotel, the Omni Severin (98 years), and its oldest Catholic church, St. John the Evangelist (140 years). Check out the full story, including details on what approvals would be required to change the name, here (subscription required). Does the change make sense? Ideas?