People coming into Lexington can find local attractions and businesses easier now that the Lexington Tourism Authority has installed the first of several wayfinding signs.
Robin Bivens, executive director of the LTA, unveiled the first trailblazing sign on South Main Street on Thursday morning. She said it has been a long time coming, but the project is now nearing completion.
“As you all know this has been a very long process,” Bivens said. “We appreciate the Lexington Tourism Board for their work. We also need to thank the City of Lexington, Uptown Lexington and the (Davidson) County Commissioners who contributed to the funding. This is really exciting. It has been a long, long road, but we finally arrived.”
The wayfinding project is a signage program to assist visitors to find their way into the city. Placed on the main entryways into Lexington, signs direct people to the central core area of the town center and to specific destinations. The Lexington Tourism Authority will oversee installation of a total of 73 signs, including 37 trailblazing signs pointing tourists to into the central core of the city; 20 pedestrian wayfinding signs to direct foot traffic to uptown businesses; three vehicle wayfinding signs to direct people into town; eight gateway signs to notify tourists they are entering the city; and five interstate welcome signs.
The trailblazing sign that was unveiled Thursday included the updated City of Lexington logo, which depicts a skyline of familiar buildings and a wooden post engraved with the word Lexington, which Bivens said was a nod to the furniture heritage of the city. The sign also included detailing that suggests a page being peeled back and a pig logo to incorporate the importance of barbecue.
“We know that as a community we came from those furniture makers,” Bivens said. “Then as we created the design of the sign, we wanted to continue, as the City of Lexington is doing, to move forward. The little pig pays homage to our barbecue heritage. Also just as the City of Lexington’s new logo is curling up that corner, we wanted to show how we are peeling back the layers of all that we are. We think this is a good representation of Lexington.”
A Concord-based design firm, ACSM, created the signs. The total cost for the project was approximately $300,000. The Lexington City Council contributed $75,000, Davidson County Commissioners put up $75,000, Uptown Lexington gave $20,000, and the LTA put forward $130,000, including $30,000 for design research.
Lexington City Council member Jim Myers, who is also on the LTA Board of Directors, said he was pleased with the final result after so many months of work.
“It has been a long process; we started almost two years ago,” Myers said. “We have been through all kinds of prints and pictures, measurements, and finally we got down to the final design. Seeing it now, I hope everyone will be thrilled.”
Davidson County Commissioner Steve Jarvis said he believes signs like these will be a great resource for visitors and will also demonstrate the heritage of the area.
“I first picked up on wayfinding signs when I was at a seminar in Asheville, and these signs pointed you to everything,” Jarvis said. “The same goes for Lexington; we know where everything is. I like they accented the fact that we are furniture. We are branded with furniture, and it is still a part of us, just as much as the barbecue. I think they are unique with the way the page is turning, that is something that you won’t find other places. I’ve never seen that before; it adds that little something.”
Sharon Myers can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 228 or at sharon.myers@the-dispatch.com. Follow Sharon on Twitter: @LexDisptachSM
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