New Dayton street signs coming in September

Thursday, August 15, 2013

photo MainStreet Dayton's design committee plans to update the inconsistent lettering on downtown street signs along Market Street in Dayton.

DAYTON, Tenn. - The installation of 65 updated street signs in downtown Dayton will begin by early September, a MainStreet Dayton spokesman said.

"We placed an order for poles and signage," Chairman Kerry Nabors, of the group's design committee, said at the group's monthly meeting this week.

MainStreet Dayton officials have used money from a $1 million Courthouse Revitalization Grant toward downtown improvements. The list of improvements includes decorative light poles, a courthouse plaza, wrought-iron benches, brick pavers in crosswalks, landscaping and parking signs.

The group has discussed plans to update poles and street signs since last year. In June, Nabors proposed that all the signs downtown be made consistent.

Updated changes to street signs would include centered, larger capital letters, along with smaller avenue and street abbreviations on each. The signs would attach to black, fluted poles, replacing the current metal ones that have started to lean, and would convey a historic appearance, officials said.

Nabors said the poles and signs would cost about $32,000. Dayton City officials would buy the updated stop signs, he said.

Executive Director Anna Tromanhauser said the Scopes Festival debut of the 2013 Dayton Christmas ornament, which depicts the First United Methodist Church, was successful. The group had debuted its previous ornaments later in the year.

Officials proposed that county leaders coordinate efforts to help promote the festival.

"It's not a MainStreet event," Tromanhauser said, but countywide cooperation could lead to better attendance.

Representatives from the television series "Antiques Roadshow" and "National Geographic" had visited the courthouse for episodes to air in 2014.

The city is "getting a lot of attention," board member Becky Tucker said.

Earlier this year, the organization's economic restructuring committee developed a residential and merchant survey to highlight potential business and downtown needs.

The submitted surveys revealed that people wanted more musical events and to use Centennial Park more, Tromanhauser said.

Kimberly McMillian is based in Rhea County. Contact her at kdj424@bellsouth.net.