photo by Steve Block/Albert Lea Tribune

A mural and snappy signs brighten the look of Albert Lea Dental on East William Street in downtown Albert Lea.

Business Monday: Downtown signs to change

November meeting to address signage

Staff

Published Monday, October 13, 2008

Albert Lea Dental on East William Street received a facelift. A new sign and a new mural are getting noticed.

The colorful mural of local scenes and the bright sign on the building’s front are the product of the vision of Dr. Stephen Schwartz.

“Everyone says it had to be my wife’s idea,” Schwartz said.

The transformation of the building over a year’s time is almost complete. Schwartz has been an Albert Lea dentist for 40 years, but last year he decided to alter the look of his building. Vision being one thing and reality something else, Schwartz sought help.

“Once I knew what I wanted, an adviser told me about Imaginality,” Schwartz said. Imaginality is a Minneapolis-based design firm that worked to turn Schwartz’s ideas into the snappy new look that now graces his workplace. Schwartz wanted to bring visibility and call attention to his business.

The mural on the west side of the building is the result of a collaboration between Schwartz and the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce. The photos of local scenes came from chamber photo files and were reproduced as computer-generated images. The images were then transferred onto six vinyl panels and embossed to protect them from sunlight. The panels were then assembled and put onto the west wall of the building, where they are held in place by a metal frame that hangs from the roof.

“I had to tell the workers to place the mural high enough so the postal trucks wouldn’t bump into it,” Schwartz said with a smile. The post office parking lot for mail carrier trucks is adjacent to Schwartz’s building.

Downtown signs will be addressed at a workshop to be held at the Albert Lea City Hall at 7 p.m. Nov. 20. St. Cloud architect Pat Waddick, who worked on the restoration of former Freeborn National Bank building, will bring sketches, drawings and ideas to the workshop.

Albert Lea has great potential for improving the look of its downtown, Waddick said.

“In terms of having a large number of historic buildings, Albert Lea ranks at the top among Minnesota cities,” Waddick said.

Getting local building owners and business people involved is crucial, he said.

“We want to work with downtown leaders on reviewing signage policies,” Waddick said. “We would like to turn ideas into updated ordinances on signage.”

Waddick has done research into the classic buildings and said he would like to boost the historic flavor of downtown Albert Lea.

Waddick is working on an addendum to the Heritage Preservation handbook that would have drawings and graphic images to help explain where downtown signage is heading.

Bob Graham, Albert Lea development director, looks forward to the workshop.

“We want to allow for the expression of ideas and opinions,” Graham. “We don’t want to impose control on developments to the point that they are no longer dynamic.”

Rollout awnings were once a common sight in downtown Albert Lea but were banned by city ordinance in 1976. Currently the signage ordinance allows for 18 inches of signage above downtown buildings, but Graham said that could change. Other area cities are returning to their rollout awnings because they create a historic ambience.

“The change from earlier days is that the awnings could only identify the business, not advertise products,” Graham said.

The Albert Lea Art Center building on Broadway Avenue also has a different look. The bubble shaped awnings that were a longtime feature of the building have been removed. That’s just fine with Grace Skaar, former president of the Art Center’s board of directors. “The awnings were in pretty tough shape,” Skaar said. “I think it looks better without them.”

Art Center Coordinator Stacey Felt agrees.

“I really like the new look,” she said.

Don Johnson is chairman of the Historic Downtown Committee and fondly remembers the rollout awnings of former days.

“I think it adds character to our city’s look,” Johnson said. Downtown signage is a complex issue Johnson said. “The last time the city council addressed the issue it took them months to decide.”

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