Contractors working for the City of Lenoir are installing more than 50 new wayfinding signs in the City. The signs will direct residents and visitors to public buildings and local amenities.
Wayfinding signs have been a priority for City Council for many years. City staff worked with Destination By Design to create the signs based on the City of Lenoir brand. Council approved the project during a January 2024 Council meeting.
“We’re really excited about the new wayfinding signs,” Mayor Joe Gibbons said. “We’ve been working on this project for a while. The signs will help direct our citizens and our visitors around Lenoir. We’re proud of the way they look and they’ll be a great addition to Lenoir. Thank you to all the City staff who worked on the project and to the company for creating a great design that reflects Lenoir.”
The City is installing 51 wayfinding signs across town. The signs will be on major corridors and on City streets, including Downtown Lenoir.
The destinations and locations were restricted to cultural, historic, art, sport attractions or other destinations like visitor centers. Privately owned businesses are not allowed on wayfinding signs per state NCDOT standards and federal MUTCD standards.
“Alerting travelers to great places in Lenoir and routing them off 321 through our wonderful community is the primary goal,” Planning Director Hannah Williams said. “It’s been a privilege to see the signs created, manufactured, and installed.”
The signs use the City of Lenoir logo at the top of each sign. The City tagline, “Create With Us,” is shown on the sign pole facing the road and on the back of each sign on City streets.
The City also recruited local artists to design embellishments for the top of the signs next to the pole to make each sign unique and representative of Lenoir. The artistic embellishments will be added to the signs later.
“My favorite component is the public art framing the signs,” Director Williams said. “Local artists, many of whom are students, designed these embellishments which make the signs distinctive tributes to our community.”
The total project cost for the signs is $629,500. The project was funded by an American Rescue Plan Act grant, Appalachian Regional Commission grant, and the Lenoir Tourism Development Authority.
Be on the lookout for new signs as they go up in Lenoir. The City also plans to release a “Find the Signs” challenge with prizes for the winners.
Create With Us and Do More In Lenoir!
