HATTIESBURG, MS

Decorative signs are part of Downtown Improvements Action Plan

Neel-Schaffer provided engineering and landscape architecture design services for a project to construct vehicular wayfinding signs that are part of a dynamic, comprehensive improvement plan for downtown Hattiesburg, MS. Also included in the project were nine decorative parking signs, which designate public parking areas around downtown Hattiesburg.

A total of 30 vehicular signs were constructed, directing residents and visitors to various government buildings, community spaces, parks, and other areas of interest in the downtown district. The signs are color coded and include a nod to Hattiesburg’s long-time association as the ‘Hub City,’ with half-circle ‘HUB’ designs on the top and bottom of each sign. The word “DOWNTOWN” is also featured on each sign, emphasizing the area they serve.

Building a dynamic wayfinding signage system was one of the recommendations made by Neel-Schaffer following a study that produced the Downtown Improvements Action Plan. The action plan provided the City of Hattiesburg and the Downtown Hattiesburg Association with a catalog of improvement projects and a cost estimate for each.

Neel-Schaffer was then selected to create a conceptual plan for the signs, including design, verbiage, and location. A committee comprised of artists, architects, City of Hattiesburg employees, and other stakeholders worked with Neel-Schaffer to produce conceptual designs for the signs. After a final design was chosen by the City, Neel-Schaffer was selected to develop construction plans/ specifications and bid documents for the construction of the wayfinding and parking signs.

The final design meets the standards set by the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) for size, visibility, and safety.

Construction on the $80,000 project began in October 2020 and was completed in January 2021.