Everett places three new greetings for visitors

Published 10:43 pm Thursday, February 11, 2010

EVERETT — If any of the 90,000 people expected to cross the border daily to the Olympics happen to stop here, there won’t be any doubt about where they are.

On Thursday, workers started erecting gigantic 14-foot-wide EVERETT signs at the three key spots.

“We definitely want them to swing in to look at the water view, come in for lunch, lodging and entertainment,” said city spokeswoman Kate Reardon.

The signs greet drivers as they cross into Everett southbound on Highway 529 and as they exit I-5 northbound at 41st Street and I-5 southbound at Everett Avenue.

The signs aren’t just for Olympics tourists.

For several years, the city has wanted to improve its gateways, the main ways people enter Everett.

Right now, a few small population signs are placed at several points along the city boundary. There also are two wooden Everett signs with the city logo, put up in the 1990s.

The aluminum signs cost a total of $23,000.

To put that in perspective, the city spends about $200,000 a year repairing or building various kinds of city signs — mostly for traffic.

As far as city gateways go, Everett’s still are relatively low-key, Reardon said.

Debra Smith: 425-339-3197, dsmith@heraldnet.com.