New entrance sign to help ease confusion

Muskingum University is in the process of building a new entry sign going into campus right on the corner of High Street and North Layton Dr. by the Presbyterian Church.

This has been a huge mystery among campus since students have returned to campus.

"With the Presbyterian church being on the corner there has just been some things on where does our property start and end," said

Kevin Wagner, Senior Director of Facility and Physical Plant. "The front entry sign has always been a problem in its relation to downtown,"

Wagner, along with Jim Wilson and President Steele have decided to have the corner of High Street and North Layton Dr. by the Presbyterian Church clened up and add a sign to delineate the edge of Muskingum University.

Wagner stated that the sign will be lighted, stone and brick and stand off metal letters.

The sign at the moment will be 20 feet and eight inches wide, and six feet tall once finished according to the architectural design Wagner provided.

"The brick and the stone, it will look like our buildings," said Wagner.

Wagner detailed possible delays in schedule.

"The way the weather's been we tried to jump out in front of it but we had some design changes and didn't like some of the lettering," Wagner said. "They went ahead and put the base in and that's what you can see now. We figure six weeks [to] seven weeks. The plan is we want to go ahead and keep going."

Precautions are being taken to ensure the sign lasts.

"We have built it into the budget to tent it and provide heat to it because you can't let mortar and concrete freeze while it's setting," said Wagner.

The sign should be finished within six or seven weeks based on if the weather corporates.

There are plans for the existing sign.

"The old sign right now is not planned to get rid of-we are still in discussion. It's kind of a long thing. We want to make improvements on it [and] we just haven't decided yet where we want to go," Wagner said.

Wagner hopes for the sign to be done soon to help the university start looking better.

"What we are hoping for is that is gives a better depth up that boulevard to bring them further up the Hill of Muskingum University," said Wagner. "That's what we are doing."