Visitors to the Grand Old City will likely find it easier than ever to find their way around the community’s landmarks and destinations, thanks to a number of bold and blue signs that sprung up around Dowagiac late last week.

Crews with the Dowagiac Department of Public Works and Valley City Signs got to work early last Thursday morning, installing nearly a dozen 13-foot way-finding signs throughout the city limits. The fixtures are designed to give travelers better directions toward various establishments throughout the city, including the local library, college, museum and other points of interest.

“[The signs] are welcoming to people from out of town, and make it as easy possible for them to get around,” said Mayor Don Lyons.

The new signs, which feature a cobalt background with white lettering, have a number of distinguishing features, most prominent of which is the artwork of the city’s public sculptures at the top of each structure. The mayor is quite pleased with how their designs came out, given the constraints placed on them by the Michigan Department of Transportation, which has strict requirements for any signs placed alongside state highways, Lyons said.

“We worked with MDOT to create a sign that really speaks about Dowagiac,” he said.

Another unique feature are the slots on the backside of each sign, where posters can be placed to promote various events taking place within the community. The city has already created a number of two-sided posters that promote the upcoming Dogwood Fine Arts Festival in early May on one side and the opening of the city’s farmers market on the other.

Approved for purchase by the Dowagiac City Council last winter, the completion of the nearly $45,000 project closes the chapter on a goal that local officials have sought for the last decade, Lyons said. While financial constraints initially made this task fall to the backburner, the city’s healthier revenue streams have allowed them to carve out funds to make this and other similar projects a reality.

The signs are also the first-step in the city’s new initiative to increase the visibility of Dowagiac among tourists; especially in the downtown area, which the mayor said he feels that most communities are judged by.

“We want Dowagiac to be a very welcoming community,” Lyons said. “A number of things go into accomplishing that, including improving the entryways into downtown.”

City council has enacted several changes in recent months to further this goal, including a three-year project to replace street lamps leading into the district and the purchase of several downtown properties that officials plan to turn into green space, Lyons said.

The cornerstone of these efforts is plans for the creation of a citywide trail system that stretches from the campus of Southwestern Michigan College to the grounds of Russom Park. While the city has made several steps toward accomplishing this goal, including the purchase of property on Cass Avenue last year, the actual completion will take years, Lyons said.

With the city taking the helm of these and other tasks to improve the state of the city, Lyons and other officials are doing whatever they can to further their vision of the kinds of things Dowagiac can offer, for both visitors and residents alike.

“People often ask me, ‘where do you see Dowagiac in 20 years,’” Lyons said. “’What will Dowagiac be like in 100 years?’ That’s more a interesting question.”