The following were the finalists — as well as the provided descriptions — for the Hercules Bayfront Parks and Streets naming contest that residents voted on this past Saturday at the Hercules Cultural Festival. There were some real creative choices, and I am biased toward a few of them, although I didn’t necessarily vote for all of my submissions. A map view is available at the bottom of this post.

Transit/Civic Plaza

Hercules Plaza A plaza named after the City of Hercules and a reference of civic pride.

Refugio Landing The square/plaza is the landing for people from several modes of transport ‐‐ ferry, train, bus, car, bike, walk ‐‐ and Refugio Landing was the name of the pier off Hercules Point and remains the colloquial name for Hercules Point on tide tables and for fishermen.

Dynamite Square The transit plaza is the heart of our waterfront because of the importance of the train and ferry station and the adjacent community building which could also be thought of as a town hall. Town halls, train stations, or churches have historically defined central town squares. Dynamite is one of the most important words for our area, and it warrants association with the importance of our central transit plaza.

(If Hercules Plaza wins, I am moving my family to Las Vegas, a city with real history.)

Transit Village

The Creekside Park…

• Edgewater Park A park that will be located along the water’s edge.
• Creekside Park The park that lies adjacent to Refugio Creek.
• William Darke Park The park should be named after this long‐time Hercules Powder Company employee who became the first law enforcement officer ‐ and was named sheriff ‐ of Hercules after it was incorporated in 1900.

The Transit Loop will have a “loop” in its name…

• Waterfront Loop This street is located directly across from the Bay.
• Shoreline Loop This is the main drag along the waterfront and the only street where the water isn’t blocked by buildings or the land mass of the Hercules Point.
• Dynamite Loop Dynamite Loop reflects the City of Hercules’ history of the Powder Company and to the street with stunning views of the Bay.

The small inner street parallel to John Muir Parkway…

• Dorothea Lang Dorothea Lange was an influential American documentary photographer / photojournalist, best known for Depression‐era work, who’s lifetime coincided with Muir’s. It would be appropriate to name a street near John Muir Parkway after a famous woman of the same era as a complement to the parkway.
• Mill Street A traditional street name that makes reference to the previous industrial use of the site.
• Yosemite Drive This continues the theme set by John Muir, named for the noted naturalist and environmentalist. John Muir loved Yosemite and was instrumental in making it a national park.

Crescent Heights

The small plaza at the northern end of Railroad Avenue…

• Point Plaza This will be the plaza where you will cross the bridge to access Hercules Point.
• Phoenix Plaza Phoenix Plaza refers to the numerous occasions over the course of Hercules’ history when it had to rise from the ashes following an explosion at the Hercules Powder Company right on this spot. Phoenix also refers to the Latin name of the Canary Island Palm trees, “Phoenix Canariensis,” which grow in the vicinity and date back to the Hercules Powder Company era.
• Powder Works Plaza In recognition of the Hercules Powder Works factory that once existed on the site.

The southernmost street…

• Kings Avenue The street runs along the historic Kings Avenue that was previously on the site.
• Shellhouse Street A name of one of the worker dormitories for the factory that was located on the site.
• Park Street A continuation of “Park Street” crossing “Railroad Avenue.”

The westernmost street…

• Palmera Walk In honor of the Canary Island Palm Trees in the vicinity. These trees have become part of the heritage of Old Hercules and date from the Powder Company days. Their common name in Spanish speaking countries is “Palmera Canaria.”
• Tamalpais Trail The street will provide a great view of Mount Tamalpais across the Bay.
• Gumshan Trail Gold Mountain recognizes the significant contributions of Chinese to California after the Gold Rush and to Hercules where many worked at the Powder Company. “Gold Mountain” was a name given by the Chinese to California. An alternate name, Gumshan, is the English rendition of the Cantonese name “Gum Saan” for Gold Mountain.

The inner street…

• Tamalpais Drive The street will provide a great view of Mount Tamalpais across the Bay.
• Century Drive Honors the incorporation of Hercules as a City in 1900, the turn of the 20th century.
• Shorehaven Drive A street adjacent to the Bay and consistent with the nautical theme of the project.

The last chance to vote is during tomorrow evening’s City Council meeting. The final names will be announced at the following City Council meeting. (Click the map for larger version.)