Cutline Stu Wallace, executive director, East Liverpool Community Revitalization Partnership, Lisa Painter, deputy director, LeapHub, Mayor Bobby Smith and Safety Service Director Bill Jones stand with the new wayfinding sign installed at the corner of Fifth and Markets in downtown East Liverpool. Photo by Kristi R. Garabrandt)

EAST LIVERPOOL-As part of the revitalization process for the historic downtown area in East Liverpool, two wayfinding signs have just been installed in the downtown area to help direct people walking through downtown to businesses located in the area.

The wayfinding signs, which have smaller directional signs on them pointing out the locations of multiple business pedestrians, have been installed at the corner of the Fifth and Market streets and Fifth and Washington streets.

The wayfinding signs were installed based on a recommendation of Small Nations, an organization which helps with the revitalization of small-town Main streets, as a way to help make the historic downtown area feel more connected and vibrant and to help build enthusiasm and increase business for downtown Lisa Painter, deputy director of LeapHub said.

She also noted that it seems like there has been more enthusiasm since the signs were put up.

The design for the wayfinding signs was modeled after a recommendation from Small Nations, but the signs were built by students and their former teacher Mark Wiley at the New Castle School of Trades.

Painter noted that with the help of the students the construction of the signs was at no cost and the materials were initially paid for by the East Liverpool Community Partnership for Revitalization (ELCPR) and they were reimbursed by the city’s tourism dollars. The signs were installed by Scott Kreefer with help from the city.

The ELCPR/Leap Hub has recently been approved for another grant which will allow the construction of two more wayfinding signs which will be placed on the Diamond, and one somewhere on Broadway Street, Painter said. These will also be constructed by the students at the New Castle School of Trades in the fall when school resumes.

Businesses can purchase signs to be placed on the wayfinding signs to direct people to their business locations for $75 per sign.

Painter noted business owners have been purchasing anywhere from two to six signs with others purchasing one.

One side of the wayfinding sign located on Fifth and Market has been sold out, but there is still space on the other side of the sign and for the two new ones to be constructed.

Anyone interested in purchasing a directional sign for their business to be placed on the wayfinding signs can contact Lisa Painter by email at Lisa.painter@ourleaphub.com.

The wayfinding signs were a joint venture between the ELCPR, LeapHub and the city.

Painter noted the signs would not have been possible without help from the city.

“We are excited about the positive impact this is going to make in the community,” Stu Wallace, executive director, ELCPR said. “I think it’s going to enhance our downtown because we have one of the most walkable downtowns in Columbiana County. We Just have to utilize that and enhance the experience for those who are coming from near and far. We are excited about the project, and we are looking forward to moving it and getting more posts made.”

Mayor Bobby Smith said the wayfinding signs are a very good program that has long been needed and should help quite a bit in bringing the downtown area to the level they want it to be at. He also expressed his thanks to all the people involved in making the signs happen, including Painter, Wallace, Service Safety Director Bill Jones who helped find the funds for the project and the New Castle School of Trades.

Jones said he appreciates all the leg work that Painter and the ELCPR put into the wayfinding signs, which he noted was a great idea that would not have gotten done without the time and work put into it by the volunteers on the project. He further added that he appreciates all the volunteers that do things around town, and he can’t express his appreciation enough.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com