Pictured from left are Suzi Calhoun - Funder, Ann Lowe - graphic designer, Janey Katz – Funder, and Charmeine Wait, executive director of Silver City MainStreet.New street signs and banners are being installed thanks to a grant from Janey and Suzi to Silver City MainStreet. New Mexico MainStreet revitalization specialists worked with Silver City MainStreet, the State Historic Preservation Department, the Town of Silver City and stakeholders to develop a downtown Silver City signage plan. The plan includes directional highway signs, wayfinding signs, welcome signs, and the street signs.

The street signs will be installed in the entire Silver City Historic District and match the four wayfinding signs that were installed last year as part of the same signage plan. 

Pictured is Perry Childs, Town of Silver City Road Department installing street signs. Street signs are a highly effective method of immediately informing the resident or the visitor that they have arrived in a special place. You are someplace different the historic street signs announce. This makes both residents and visitors slow down and look around to see this specially signed area. It also encourages engagement and inquiry to the area. What better way to announce “you are here!” 

Signage is one of the most useful placemaking projects a community can implement. This project is one of the incremental steps that MainStreet has taken over the past 35 years to create a sense of place and connection. All of these projects work together to create repeated opportunities for experience that in turn creates a sense of place. 

Both holiday banners and downtown business banners were also funded through the Janey and Suzi grant. There are four different holiday banners that will go up with the holiday lights this year, making a festive atmosphere downtown. The banners and lights will create a cohesive holiday aesthetic for downtown. 

After the holidays season is over, business banners will go up. These have the same design elements as the street signs and wayfinding signs. They will again help make downtown attractive and engage residents in the downtown shopping district. 

The mission of Silver City MainStreet is "To encourage a vibrant, historic downtown Silver City which is recognized as the heart of our diverse community." Please visit our website, www.silvercitymainstreet.com to learn more.