On numbers alone, Tuesday evening's vigil at Frick Park to commemorate Mac Miller's life demonstrate his impact on the community, so much so that talks of renaming the area in his honor have started to pick up steam. During the vigil attended by the thousands, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto took a moment to address the matter, at the risk of being met with consternation from the crowd.
"I know a lot of people have been saying we should rename the park. There are strict rules on naming of public assets within the city now," he said to the crowd. "I believe it's three years after someone has passed that you can then name something after them. This was basically done in order to not have politicians naming things after themselves while they're still in office."
Peduto otherwise left the decision in the hands of the enveloped community, in stating that he is in no way opposed to making the change, but the exigence should "come from the community itself." Peduto remarked on his personal connection to Miller, referencing the contact they'd had in creating community outreach programs in Pittsburgh in recent years. The rest of Mayor Peduto's heartfelt speech is quoted within this Post-Gazette roundup.
