Birmingham, Michigan residents sound off on city's new welcome signs

A roughly $702,000 project in Birmingham is drawing attention from residents, with some praising the artistic design and others questioning the cost.

New welcome signs installed at key entry points into Birmingham are part of a broader wayfinding plan that also includes parking identification signs and directional signage throughout the city.

The signs are located along Woodward Avenue near 14 Mile Road and along Big Beaver Road. They feature three spires rising above the words "Birmingham Welcomes You."  The master plan estimates that each large gateway monument costs about $43,000.

The City of Birmingham's Wayfinding and Branding Committee referenced several nearby communities, including Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak, Ferndale and Berkley, while developing the plan.

Residents like Annie Chi say the signs create a welcoming entrance to the city.

"We're an art community, so I thought it was very reflective of our surrounding community. Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham is very artsy oriented. I liked it, it looked almost like thunderbolts."

According to Birmingham's Wayfinding and Signage Master Plan, the welcome sculptures have been in development since 2022. Created by Corbin Design, the signs were inspired by the "Freedom of the Human Spirit" sculpture in Shain Park, the Birmingham 8 theater marquee, a sunburst motif and the city's existing visual identity.

Lead designer Jeff Frank said the design intentionally draws from elements already associated with Birmingham.

"The idea is that those spires are interpreted. Are they rays of sun? Are they the human spirit kind of elevating you and driving you forward? That's what those are supposed to represent."

Not everyone is sold on the project.

"I mean, to me, it's kind of a waste of money. You know what I mean, but it looks good, though. I mean, it is Birmingham, so it is what it is, I guess," said resident Seth Waterbury.

City leaders say the signs are designed to create a stronger first impression for visitors, help people navigate the city and encourage them to spend more time exploring Birmingham's shops, restaurants and attractions.