Imagine it’s twilight on a summer night.
As you cruise down Route 66, the windows are down. Music blares through the radio.As you come up to Main Street, the night is lit up by the vibrant hues of neon signs, advertising businesses of all kinds.
Thiswasacommonsceneamongmany small towns along the Mother Road back in the day. The City of Stroud is currently in the midst of bringing this slice of history back to life.
The city received a Route 66 Revitalization GrantfromtheRoute66Commission of $999,600 to help businesses install neon signs, launching the Stroud Neon Sign Project. So far, about 49 businesses are taking part, and on June 3, Stroud held its first Mini Lighting Ceremony, where they dedicated the first 14 signs.
“The Stroud Neon Sign Project represents a renewed effort to revitalize the city by celebrating its Route 66 heritage. Through the grant, the City of Stroud aims to support local businesses located directly on Route 66, as well as those just one block off the historic highway,” said Leslie Wilbourn, grant administrator and project manager for the City of Stroud.
She added that one of the most important goals of the project was to support the town’s ongoing efforts to rebuild after an EF-3 tornado destroyed Tanger Outlet Mall on May 3, 1999.
“The economic impact of that loss has continued to affect the city ever since,” Wilbourn said.
The City of Stroud technically owns the signs and covers the cost of everything from design to installation. However, the businesses get to have a say in the design. They must also contribute 10 percent, or at least $1,000, which is placed into an escrow account to ensure that the signs are insured for approximately five years.
If a business closes, the City will repurpose the sign as art and display it aroundtownatplacessuchastheRoute66 Pavilion and Putt Putt Kicks on Route 66.
The signs are set on a timer, so that they blaze every day from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Bill Ash of Stroud Drug said at first he wasn’t going to take part in the project.
“I didn’t go to the first couple of meetings because I have a pretty nice sign… but as I found out, more and more businesses... I didn’t want to be the only one that didn’t have one,” he said. “I’m glad I did now.”
Ash said he’s excited for all the signs to be up and running and thinks it’ll be a good tourist attraction for Stroud.
“I think it’ll be pretty neat and kind of add to Route 66 as a tourist picture-taking type thing.While they’re here, they’ll buy gas and eat at restaurants and that sort of thing,” he said. “It probably won’t help my business, but if it helps the City, that helps everyone.”
Sarah Orr works at Fourth & James Coffee & Sub Shop, which is located a block back from Route 66. She said the committee reached out to them to see if they were interested, and they agreed automatically.
“We purchased an old bank building, so we have the marquee already built, and we have the foundation already for it, as well as the electric, minus a few electrical changes,” she said. “But we just had the perfect setup for it, so we just felt like it was a great opportunity.”
The coffee shop’s sign has been up for about three or four weeks, and Orr said they’re already getting some attention.
Orr continued that the whole process has been impressive from the very beginning, when the committee was still trying to figure out a project to apply for the grant.
“And when they finally narrowed it down to the neon signs, just the idea of it was exciting. But now, seeing them be put out and displayed, it’s just been amazing and way beyond anything I could have ever imagined,” she said.
More mini celebrations are planned. A grand lighting ceremony will take place on Nov. 8 alongside Stroud’s Christmas Tree lighting.