The City of Gainesville is asking the public how to honor rock legend Tom Petty.
The city announced Thursday it is considering six options to memorialize Petty, a singer and songwriter from Gainesville who died Oct. 2. Steve Phillips, director of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, said after Petty’s death, the general policy committee, made up of all the city commissioners, began to discuss ways the city could honor Petty’s life.
“He’s one of our local heroes,” Phillips said.
The six options include renaming a city street, renaming a city park or facility, adding a statue to a city park or facility, hosting an annual concert or music festival, proclaiming Petty’s Oct. 20 birthday as Tom Petty day or dedicating the month of October to his musical legacy. Participants also have the option to write in suggestions as well, Phillips said.
All the recommendations on the survey were suggested by the public. The six options on the survey that were chosen were thought to be the most feasible by the city to put into action, Phillips said. Suggestions like renaming the city to “Pettyville” or renaming the airport in Petty’s honor were not possible.
The public can vote for their favorite options on the online survey at surveymonkey.com/r/TomPettyMemorial.
The survey will close April 16 and results will be evaluated by the general policy committee. A final decision will be made shortly after, Phillips said. The city hopes to have the honor be completed or in the works by October of this year.
Phillips said there are currently no funds allocated toward any of the projects. The cost will vary depending on what is decided. Once the final decision is made, the general policy committee will come up with a way to find funds for the memorial.
Daniel App, a 31-year-old Gainesville resident, said since the day after Petty died, he was already suggesting ways to honor Petty’s life to the city.
App, the lead guitarist and manager of Heavy Petty, a Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers tribute band, said the way Petty is honored should remind people of his legacy and preserve the positive impact he had on many individuals.
App said he thinks that the best way to honor Petty, despite the six options listed, is to create a stage or center in the Depot Park area, similar to what is on Bo Diddley Community Plaza. He said this will allow people to have a place they can go to remember Petty and feel his presence.
That type of landmark is much more meaningful than renaming a street or declaring a Tom Petty day, App said.
“You would go there and feel his legacy, you feel his music, you feel all the positive things he has contributed to humanity,” he said.
The owners of Visionary CrossFit, Carrie Martinez and Jesus Martinez, painted a Tom Petty tribute mural as a gift to Sidney Lanier Center.
