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De Blasio To Rename NYC Municipal Building For Former Mayor David Dinkins

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Manhattan's Municipal Building will be renamed after former Mayor David Dinkins, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday.

Dinkins was elected in 1989 and served one four-year term. He was the city's first black mayor -- and the most recent Democrat to hold the office until de Blasio was elected in 2013.

The Municipal Building, located at 1 Centre St., sits at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge just a block from City Hall. Dinkins, who turns 88 this month, worked there for many good and happy years as city clerk and Manhattan borough president, 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported.

"I was the city clerk for 10 years from '75 to '85 and city clerk runs the Marriage License Bureau, one of my favorite things to do is perform marriage ceremonies," Dinkins said, adding he was "delighted" when he heard the news.

With his typical modesty and humor, Dinkins told Papa, "I'm delighted to have a lamppost named after me."

De Blasio worked as a staffer in the Dinkins administration.

De Blasio often notes that he met his wife, Chirlane McCray, while they both worked for Dinkins. He frequently touts his former boss' legacy.

"Those of us who were lucky to serve in the Dinkins Administration had the honor of serving a leader who took challenges head on," de Blasio said in a statement. "He's left an indelible impact on this city – and on Chirlane's and my lives. We are so grateful for Mayor Dinkins' decades of public service and everything he's done to ensure a stronger, safer city. I can't think of a more fitting tribute than to rename the Municipal Building, where he spent 14 years of his career, in his honor."

"His legacy is a bright guiding light for me, my family, and countless New Yorkers," McCray said. "Mayor Dinkins helped me understand that service to others is the rent we pay for time on earth. Throughout his career, he led with dignity, generosity and commitment. And by choosing a life of service, Mayor Dinkins helped grow another mayor, a first lady, and two smart, beautiful children."

The building will be formally renamed the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building at a ceremony on Oct. 15.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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