New city signs coming to Ishpeming

New signs will be appearing on U.S. 41 in Ishpeming in an effort to spruce up the city.

In a joint meeting with the Ishpeming City Council and the Downtown Development Authority, concept designs were approved for two new signs, one on each end of the city.

The signs would be made of local stone and commemorate the city’s mining and skiing history.

“Everybody who knows Ishpeming well knows that it’s a town about mining and skiing, so somehow we want to communicate that but also somehow have the sign be simple and somehow nice.  It doesn’t have be extravagant,” Ishpeming City Manager Mark Slown said.

“We want to send a message that we’re a cool town–a neat town–so we have to have something a little bit above ordinary, but we don’t want to be like Las Vegas.  We’re trying for that sweet spot.”

Slown said the signs need to be easy to take care of and be low maintenance.  The signs also have to come in under budget, at around 90 thousand dollars for the pair.

“Another aspect of what we want to do is having something that’s low maintenance, that’s not going to have to be repainted in five years or faded, so we want something that’s durable and has good color distinction and contrast,” Slown said.

“We’re very tight on funding right now in the city, and even the DDA, which has some extra money for some things–they’ll be paying for this particular project–they really only have about $90,000 left to use for this project.  So we’re looking for good quality signs that last a long time, to have all the right attributes, and it’s going to take up a good chunk of that money.”

Slown hopes to have the new signs in place this summer.