Signs & Wayfinding Project
This project reflects something Hillyard neighbors and businesses have wanted for years:
better ways to connect people with the places that make the neighborhood special.
Becoming a certified Creative District unlocked new state funding to help make that vision possible. Now, we want the community to help shape what comes next, from what should be highlighted to where signs can make the biggest difference.
PROJECT BRIEF
WHAT
Hillyard is full of history, art, local businesses, and community spaces worth discovering. This project will create a signs and wayfinding system that makes them easier to find while connecting the Children of the Sun Trail directly to North Market Street.
WHY
Good wayfinding strengthens Hillyard’s identity, supports local businesses, and helps first-time visitors become regulars.
HOW
Funded through Washington State’s Creative Districts Capital Project grant, the project is possible because of Hillyard’s designation as a certified Creative District,
earned through years of community organizing.
Before the signs came the sticky notes!
Wayfinding was a big topic at our March community meeting.TEAM & TIMELINE
PROJECT TIMELINE
MID-AUGUST:
Talk with the team
Look for the project team visiting businesses and property owners along North Market Street.
AUGUST 20:
Share Input @ the Third Thursday Art Walk
Add your voice at our interactive wayfinding activity.
AUGUST 29:
Share Input @ the Tacos Y Tequila Festival
Add your voice at our interactive wayfinding activity.
EARLY SEPTEMBER:
Join us for coffee
Come to a casual community roundtable to hear where things are headed and share your perspective. Date and details coming soon!
SEPTEMBER 17:
See what’s taking shape
Stop by Third Thursday to see refined design ideas and weigh in before recommendations are finalized.
FALL:
Watch it all come together!
Prototype testing and design refinement begin as the project moves toward signs on the street.
The Hillyard Creative District is working with SCJ Alliance and Kimley-Horn, Spokane-based teams with experience in community engagement, wayfinding, and placemaking.
They’ll work alongside Hillyard businesses, property owners, and neighbors to shape the project from community input through final design.
Lauren Schubring, AICP / Project Manager, SCJ Alliance
Aren Murcar, AICP / Project Strategy, SCJ Alliance
Talon Smith, AICP / Engagement Strategy, Kimley-Horn
Cassidy Burns / Planner & Public Engagement Specialist, SCJ Alliance
Jay Cordovado / Graphic Designer, SCJ Alliance
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Join the Signs & Wayfinding Advisory Committee
Want to play a bigger role in shaping this project? Join the community group that will work alongside the project team as the signs and wayfinding system takes shape.
Email us to get involved.
Add Your Voice
Stop by our interactive wayfinding activity at August 20 Art Walk and Tacos y Tequila on August 29 to weigh in on what you’d like to see represented.
Talk to the Team
Starting mid-August, you may see the project team visiting businesses and property owners along the corridor. Say hi, share your perspective, and tell us what you’d like us to know.
Join Us For Coffee
In early September, we’ll host a casual community roundtable to share where the project is headed, hear your thoughts, and make sure we’re on the right track. Coffee and pastries are on us.
Still have questions about how to share your input? Reach out! info@hillyardspokane.org
This project is funded through a $50,000 grant from
ArtsWA's Creative Districts Capital Project program,
matched by $25,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act).
The ArtsWA grant is a capital grant, meaning it funds the physical design, fabrication, and installation of the signage system itself. ArtsWA capital funds can't be used for planning, research, or engagement work, which is what the ARPA match is funding: the community and business engagement, research, and design recommendation phase now underway.
ArtsWA also reduces the required match for communities with higher economic need, a category Hillyard qualifies for, which helped make this funding structure feasible for our district.
This competitive grant was provided by ArtsWA, the Washington State Arts Commission.
This project was partially funded through the City of Spokane’s Neighborhood Business Districts Grant, administered by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation.