Fresh, Fun & Functional Directional Signage Installed Downtown

Downtown Partners is pleased to announce that the wayfinding project in downtown Sioux City, Iowa has begun. The goal of the new wayfinding program is to make navigation easier for residents, commuters, and visitors, connect these users to more destinations within Downtown Sioux City, and turn drivers into pedestrians by encouraging more foot traffic along our pedestrian corridors. The wayfinding signage will help make connections along 4th Street between Historic 4th Street and the Historic Pearl District, to Pearl Street Park and down to the Riverfront. Wayfinding, or directional signage, is simply described as “direction for people in motion”.

A few years ago, Roger Brooks, placemaking expert, visited Sioux City and presented his findings on our community through the eyes of a tourist. In his final assessment report, Brooks targeted our downtown wayfinding system as a ‘must do’ for our community. Since then, Downtown Partners, the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and the City of Sioux City have partnered on moving this project forward. They have funded the project through the analysis, design and documentation phases. Hundreds of community members, groups and businesses have been involved in this design process, led by the team from Corbin Design. With all funding secured earlier this year, and upon receiving a grant from Missouri River Historical Development (MRHD), the final fabrication and installation process is in place and will be completed this year.

Ragen Cote, executive director with Downtown Partners stated, “We are very excited to see this project completed. Visitors and residents in downtown deserve a strong directional signage system to help them easily reach their destination and navigate downtown. Our existing system was incomplete and did not accurately reflect several of our new downtown developments, the opening of 3rd Street or the new entrance points from the interstate reconstruction project. The new signage and maps will provide identification of local destinations and attractions and connect people to entertainment areas, museums, parks, residential living units, city services, the riverfront, and hundreds of downtown small businesses. It was designed in a way where we can easily update the maps as things adjust.”

As you will see on the streets of downtown now, the first pieces are being installed for the pedestrian phase. The pedestrian signs are brightly colored vinyl wraps that are being placed on existing signal cabinets. Each location is wrapped using a historical image of how that intersection looked long ago. On the sidewalk side of each location, there is a map showing where you are and identifying the businesses around you. Pedestrian wraps will be complete in the next few weeks. The second phase of the wayfinding project will be to fabricate and install the vehicular signage. A bid package has been prepared with installation planned for later this year.

Pedestrian signs are located at the following corners: 3^rd & Pearl, 5^th & Pearl, 6^th & Pearl, 5^th & Douglas, 6^th & Douglas, 7^th & Douglas, 3^rd & Pierce, 4^th & Pierce, 5^th & Pierce, 6^th & Pierce, 3^rd & Nebraska, 4^th & Nebraska, 5^th & Nebraska, 6^th & Nebraska, 3^rd & Jackson, Gordon Drive & Virginia, 4^th & Floyd and in the Farmer’s Market area. Design was provided by JDG Creative and installation completed by Siouxland Signs. For more information, please contact Downtown Partners at info@downwtownsiouxcity.com or call (712) 204-4432.