Indianapolis Scores

When it was launched with the dry title of the AFL-NFL Championship Game in 1967 (before both leagues merged into the NFL), pro-football executives probably didn’t imagine its championship game would evolve into the Super Bowl, now a major cultural event with more than 100 million U.S. viewers annually.

Now, throngs of reporters and bloggers descend on the host city and scrutinize every press-conference quote and injury rumor as if delineating the Dead Sea Scrolls. And, from banners to building wraps to 3-D, on- and off-premise spectaculars, signs inform, entertain and build brand equity to this affluent, influential crowd.

The next Super Bowl, number 46 (in the NFL’s ascribed Roman numerals, XLVI), will be held in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. Lacking Miami’s beaches or New Orleans’ Bourbon St., local officials understood the need for special-event sign codes that make The Circle City more attractive to area businesses and corporate sponsors.

The Dept. of Code Enforcement (DCE) worked in conjunction with the Office of Corporation Counsel (OCC), a city-government office that aids business development, and officially presented the proposal to the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council, on June 27. Councillor Angel Rivera (R), who joined the Council in January 2010, served as the sponsor.

Adam W. Collins, a DCE administrator who formerly worked for the OCC, said, “We reviewed many cities’ special-event ordinances to craft ours. Often, these types of regulations will include specifics, like a building wrap can’t cover more than 40% of a building surface. We’ve made the language of ours flexible, with the authority to set up specifics on a per-event basis rather than trying to introduce new legislation for every event. I believe this makes us more competitive in bids to host events.”

The proposal was initially passed by the Council’s Public Policy Committee by a 7-1 vote on August 10, and went to a Council vote five days later, where it passed 22-5.

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Here’s a rundown of some sign-related provisions:
• Businesses may file with DCE for a limited-duration license. Per the ordinance, the maximum time frame for any such license is 90 days. Collins said a sign’s typical license duration would be 10 to 14 days total.

• The basic license fee is two-tiered; for applications that would require an inspection, such as signage, it will ordinarily cost $139. The fabricator would be required to post a bond. If he fails to remove the sign in a timely manner, DCE claims the bond to pay for the sign’s removal.

• The license permits inflatables; banners; pennants; projection signage; electronic, changeable-copy message boards, and LED signage.

• Signs secured to a structure under the jurisdiction of the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission must obtain Commission approval for the “manner and method” for its attachment.

• Digital-projection or LED signs must not be disruptive to neighboring hotels or residential buildings.

• Any graphics applied to the surface of a sidewalk, street or alley must be made of slip-resistant material.

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The proposal received solid backing from most quarters of Indianapolis’ business community. Chris Gahl, marketing and communications VP for the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Assn., said, “Feedback from organizations that meet here has been extremely positive.”

Dianna Boyce, director of communications for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, expects the Super Bowl to bring $150 to $400 million to the city. Lucas Oil Stadium will also host this fall’s inaugural Big Ten championship game, which Gahl said will generate approximately $18 million.
 

As with any measure, there were detractors. Norman Pace, who represents the Marion County Assn. of Neighborhood Alliances, said, “We don’t need to be Miami. A lot of people don’t want 40- or 50-ft.-tall building wraps here. I’m afraid this will create an over-the-top atmosphere that will hinder our quality of life.”
Josh Featherstone, who’s on the Libertarian Party of Indiana’s State Central Committee, rails on the party’s website, “Proposal 188 is an all-out attack on property owners, neighbors and the poor.” The Libertarians’ explicit gripes focus on event-zone permits required for ticket sales and parking in residential areas, but the party of malcontents seemingly views regulations amenable to commercial speech and economic vitality as onerous attacks on personal freedom.

No law is perfect, but Indianapolis officials should be commended for a common-sense approach that will help the region portray itself as a world-class economic hub for high-profile events.