STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The City of Sturgeon Bay is wrapping up a wayfinding signage project, which aims to draw more people into town.
“You can see what you can see from the highway and that’s about it,” said Mayor David Ward. “People miss a lot of the assets that we have here, and in the coming year we’re going to have some pretty spectacular additions to the city.”
The wayfinding signage, which is emblazoned with the city’s logo, will begin right at the highway exits – and guide people to the best spots in town.
“The downtown is a remarkable, historic downtown. There are some nice restaurants here, we have museums here,” Ward told WTAQ News. “The wayfinding signage lays out – where is the parking? Where is the downtown? Where is the museum? Where is the walkway? That sort of thing…This makes it a lot easier for people when they don’t know anything about Sturgeon Bay to get around and find all of the important points.”
Ward says especially with the hopes for rising tourism next year, the $600,000 investment could have a considerable impact on a recovering economy.
“Next year looks very, very good for sturgeon bay. We’ve got the west waterfront promenade opening up and the maritime museum will be completed,” Ward said. “If you come to Sturgeon Bay, unlike a lot of other smaller communities, you can spend the whole day here. By people getting familiar with Sturgeon Bay, we think there will be more hotel nights, more restaurants, and more sales in the shops.”
The extensive wayfinding project actually dates all the way back to 2009, but picked up more traction over the past two years as the City of Sturgeon Bay Wayfinding Program was developed in partnership with Destination Sturgeon Bay.
Wayfinding systems are designed to help navigate and provide touchpoints for visitors and residents alike. They also allow for cohesive branding that can make sense out of areas that may be split by natural resources. The city’s East and West Waterfronts, for example, are designated by different sign colorations to make it as much of a visual element as it is readable.
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