Council approves downtown sign program

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Grant provides up to 50% reimbursement for sign costs Image removed.TIFFIN, OHIO – December 4, 2017 – Tiffin City Council approved a new Sign Enhancement Program in a meeting Monday night and set aside $10,000 to fund the program in 2018. The program is designed to assist business owners in downtown Tiffin in displaying effective and consistent signage. Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz said the program is a natural companion to the Façade Enhancement Program introduced in 2014. “Through the Façade Enhancement Program, downtown building and business owners have been able to make drastic changes to the look of their building. To date, the city has invested $350,000 in the program, resulting in $1.4 million in renovations,” he said. “With the sign program, we are able to take the transformation one step further.” The grant is a 50 percent reimbursement of expenses directly related to perpendicular signage on properties within the downtown target area, up to a maximum match of $1,000.  This grant is available on a first come, first served basis from application approval.  Applications will be accepted starting Jan. 1, 2018. For the first 30 days, preference will be given to owners who have successfully completed Façade Enhancement Program projects. Signage was laid out in the Downtown Strategic Plan adopted by Council in 2010. The plan called for consistent standards for downtown signage to improve community character along with the Façade Enhancement Program. Similar programs have been adopted by other Ohio Main Street communities, including the Gateway District in Cleveland, Cambridge Main Street, and Main Street Wooster, to great success. A study of one Gateway District business showed a 20 percent increase in foot traffic after a sign enhancement project. For more information about the program, contact Downtown Manager Amy Reinhart at 419.619.5517 or reinhart@senecacounty.org. About SIEDC Started in 1983, the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC) is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to driving positive economic, downtown, and community development in Tiffin and Seneca County, Ohio, which consistently ranks among the top communities nationally for economic development. Learn more about the great things going on in Tiffin and Seneca County at www.senecasuccess.com.
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