BANGOR — An effort to promote tourism in Bangor with a lighted sign is receiving pushback from some residents and city councilors.
Bangor Community and Economic Development staff have proposed that the city should place a roughly 5-and-a-half foot high, 21-foot-long, color-changing sign spelling out “Bangor” on the corner of the State and Harlow streets downtown.
The Downtown Bangor Partnership is helping to advocate for the project.
Betsy Lundy, executive director of the nonprofit Downtown Bangor Partnership, said the idea was proposed in 2020, but the project was put on hold during the pandemic.
Earlier this month, Bangor’s Community and Economic Development Director Anne Krieg brought the idea back to Bangor’s city council.
“It’s definitely an area that we want to promote tourism in. And signs like that with big Bangor letters it's the kind of place that people will stop while they’re in town visiting and take a picture, and it will spread with some organic marketing efforts throughout the inter webs and cause more people to pay attention to Bangor,” said Betsy Lundy, executive director of the Downtown Bangor Partnership.
Supporters said the effort will bring in revenue and help to market the city.
“It will be a generator, and I think specifically projects like this even have a greater payback in what you get from attention in marketing,” said Lundy.
Within the project proposal are two potential designs by Burr Signs, one with marquee lighting and one that would have an acrylic face.
According to the project proposal, the cost could range from roughly $25,000 to just over $29,000, depending on which design is chosen.
The proposal states that funding for the project includes a $3,000 donation from High Tide Capital. The remainder of the funding will come from Downtown Tax Increment Financing funds.
“We could use the funds to repair streets in the downtown area and fill potholes” City Councilor Wayne Mallar said, and cited concerns about traffic congestion in the area.
“I’m not really in favor of it,” Mallar said during the City Council’s meeting on Feb. 3. “I don’t think we need to spend the money. It’s going to be a tough year for money, I’m just not ready to expend.”
However, he also stated that he would be open to the idea if the city didn’t use TIF funding.
Additionally, the city has also reportedly received emails from residents who don’t feel the sign fits in with the city’s brand.
Other councilors said they were in favor of the sign.
“I know we all have our distinctive art tastes, obviously,” Bangor City Councilor Joe Leonard said. “But no one can deny the fact that, just like the umbrella sky project, this is something that will just get exposed on social media and this will promote Bangor more.”
Lundy said Bangor’s Commission of Cultural Development has already agreed to support the project.
The proposal will now go before the Historic Preservation Commission on March 13 before coming back to the city council for consideration. The council also wants more public input.
Lundy said she’s hopeful that the project will move forward.
“In the years that I’ve been in this role, I’ve never seen an art project go forward that didn’t receive some sort of public pushback unfortunately. But I think in the end, when the finished product is out there, it’s pretty universally embraced,” said Lundy.
This story was updated with new information at 9:45 a.m. Feb. 20 to reflect the new date of the Historic Preservation meeting.
