Chicago City Wire

Sign regulations along three downtown shopping corridors would be refined to increase advertising flexibility for local businesses through changes proposed to City Council today by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

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

The amended regulations would 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.”

Established in 1996, the Michigan Avenue Special Sign District would amend corridor advertising regulations between Roosevelt Road and Oak Street. The refinements would increase a business’s maximum total sign area from two to three square feet per linear foot of street frontage. They would also allow previously prohibited signs.

Additionally, the Michigan Avenue sign district refinements would:

Established in 2004, the updated State Street/Wabash Avenue Special Sign District would amend corridor advertising regulations between Wacker Drive and Harrison Street. The refined regulations would allow previously prohibited signs.

Additionally, the State/Wabash sign district refinements would:

Both special sign districts would update regulations for live theaters, allowing previously prohibited dynamic image displays on the endcaps of exterior marquees. Marquee signs would also not count towards the maximum sign areas for each lot.

The public-private working group that helped create the proposed 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.