Say goodbye to Christopher Columbus Park and hello to Danny Lopez Park. The Tucson City Council voted on the change Wednesday. The park is located on N. Silverbell road just north of the Pima Animal Care Center on the Westside. Former University of Arizona student Azul Navarrete-Valera spearheaded the renaming effort of Christopher Columbus Park beginning in 2020, saying it was time to re-indigenize that land by having it named after Danny Lopez, a Tohono O’odham educator and mentor.

Navarrete-Valera said it took her whole college career to help make this happen, including getting hundreds of signatures for the petition, but she wouldn't change a thing. “It was a dream come true. You know this has been going on for five years so to finally have this park renamed and have it unanimously renamed as well, it was such a beautiful moment. I did get teary eyed. I noticed the family did,” said Navarrete-Valera.