A petition to rename a section of Wabash Avenue in Downtown Chicago after former President Barack Obama has gained momentum online, according to a June 1 announcement. The proposal would change the address of Trump Tower to 401 Barack Hussein Obama Ave.
The Change.org petition was started by Bryce Jones about three weeks ago and has garnered more than 800 signatures, trending on the site as of Thursday. Attempts to reach Jones were unsuccessful, but the petition describes the renaming as both an honor for Obama and a symbolic rebuke of President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration, economics, and global affairs.
“We propose a tribute to a figure who stands for hope and change,” the petition reads. “By renaming Wabash Ave in Chicago to Barack Hussein Obama Ave, we would honor him at the time of his presidential center’s opening. This move resonates with hope and progress, uniting us in the pursuit of a brighter tomorrow.” The petition continues: “This would send a small message about the values we uphold as a city, those of inclusivity, resilience, and forward-thinking change, and fighting back in any way possible.”
This is not the first attempt by supporters to name streets after Obama or associate his name with properties owned by Trump. In 2019, more than 200,000 people signed a similar petition seeking to rename part of New York City’s street that includes Trump Tower after Obama; however, it was unsuccessful due to local regulations requiring honorees be deceased for at least two years and opposition from local officials.
Chicago offers two methods for renaming streets: honorary naming—where brown signs are installed but legal names remain unchanged—and full legal street name changes requiring City Council approval. According to city law, living individuals are not eligible for honorary street names. In 2024, an ordinance introduced by Alderman Lamont Robinson sought to rename Columbus Drive after Obama but did not advance. Recent years have seen successful efforts honoring historic figures such as Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive (2021) and Ida B. Wells Drive (2019), both commemorating individuals long deceased.
Although previous attempts have faced challenges due to regulations regarding living honorees or lack of political support, streets undergoing full legal name changes can be named after living people.
