New sign regulations along three downtown shopping corridors will increase advertising flexibility for local businesses following changes approved by City Council today.

Based on input from retail tenants and property owners, the Michigan Avenue Special Sign District and the Street Street/Wabash Avenue Special Sign District are being amended to expand the sizes and types of signs allowed within each area.

The amended regulations accommodate new technology and best practices involving retail signage while maintaining the historic character of each shopping corridor, said Ciere Boatright, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), which administers sign guidelines within the City’s zoning code.

“Retailers across the country are facing existential challenges involving brick-and mortar stores, and more flexible sign regulations are a proven way to reach customers and increase sales,” Commissioner Boatright said. “These refinements
reflect a commitment to businesses while also protecting each area’s legacy as a premiere, one-of-a-kind shopping destination.”

The amended Michigan Avenue Special Sign District adjusts corridor advertising regulations between Roosevelt Road and Oak Street. The refinements increase a business’s maximum total sign area from two to three square feet per linear foot of street frontage. They also allow previously prohibited signs, including:

• Banner signs, with maximum dimensions of four feet by 15 feet

• Projecting signs, with maximum dimensions of four feet by three feet.

• Illuminated letters and logos for cabinet signs, with maximum dimensions of three feet by 10 feet.

• And interior dynamic image display signs up to 30% of each window size and up to 64 square feet per lot. Operating hours are limited to between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. with one change per 15 minutes.

Additionally, the Michigan Avenue sign district refinements:

• Increase the maximum size of window signs from 15 to 30% of a window’s area.

• And increase the maximum size of lettering on awning signs from 9 to 12 inches. The updated State Street/Wabash Avenue Special Sign District amends corridor advertising regulations between Wacker Drive and Harrison Street. The refined
regulations allow previously prohibited:

• Projecting signs, with maximum dimensions of four feet by three feet.

• Window signs, up to 30% of a window’s area.

• And interior dynamic image display signs up to 30% of each window size and up to 64 square feet per lot. Operating hours are limited to between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. with one change per 15 minutes.

Additionally, the State/Wabash sign district refinements:

• Eliminate setback requirements for signs located within shop windows, previously set at three feet.

• Allow lettering on awning signs to include content other than a business’s name and address.

• And leave unchanged previous sign area maximums of four square feet per linear foot of street frontage on State, and six square feet per linear square foot of frontage on Wabash.

Both special sign districts include updated regulations for live theaters, allowing dynamic image displays on the endcaps of exterior marquees. Marquee signs do not count towards the maximum sign areas for each lot.

The public-private working group that helped create the changes was formed as a result of Mayor Johnson’s “Cut the Tape” initiative and recommendations from the Urban Land Institute, which recently convened technical assistance panels to restore mixed-use vitality for Michigan and State.

Additional sign district amendments could be considered in the future that address more complex proposals involving contemporary advertising innovations.