New signs to help navigate downtown Mount Prospect

Mount Prospect pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers will soon see new signs to help them better navigate the downtown.

The signs are meant to improve the experience of entering the downtown, traveling through it and taking part in its activities, said Joe Lawton of Media Objectives, the firm hired by the village board.

Media Objectives' proposal has signs that direct drivers to parking - including the village garage. Other signs will highlight points of interest, assist people driving through the community and provide direction for bikers and pedestrians through kiosks and trail markers.

"Also, we want to improve the sense of identity and place in downtown Mount Prospect," Lawton said.

Before drawing up the plan, Media Objectives talked with a local steering committee that included downtown merchants.

At Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting, Community Development Director William Cooney said the signage plan will be phased in. The money to pay for it will be drawn for the most part from existing downtown TIF funds, with the possibility of economic development funds being used for areas outside the TIF.

Cooney said $200,000 in TIF funds has been budgeted this year for the project, of which $40,000 has been spent on the first phase of the design. The remainder will most likely be carried over into next year, when the first installation likely occurs.

Although the board expressed its overall satisfaction, some trustees did offer some suggestions. Paul Hoefert said he thinks more emphasis should be given to the area northwest of Northwest Highway and Central Road.

"(The existing sign at Northwest Highway and Central) kind of says this is where downtown starts. And honestly, I disagree," he said, saying that downtown starts by such businesses as Hearth & Home.