After 12 years of planning and a year of building, Loveland’s welcome sign was unveiled at the northwest corner of U.S. Route 34 (Eisenhower Boulevard) and Hahns Peak Drive on Friday, July 7. The sign boasts the words “Welcome to Loveland” next to the bright red, heart-shaped city logo, with four of the city’s seven international service clubs’ logos beneath it. The bottom line reads “Serving Our Community.”
A Lions Club member admires Loveland’s new welcome sign.
The sign was funded by the four service clubs listed—two Kiwanis Clubs, the Lions Club, three Rotary Clubs and the Sertoma Club—as well as Centerra real estate developer, McWhinney Enterprises. The welcome sign was designed, built and installed by Loveland sign company, Schlosser Signs, and the project was spearheaded by sign committee chairman Jerry Westbrook, a current Loveland Rotarian and former president of the Loveland Rotary Club.
“We couldn’t have found a better location,” Westbrook says. “It’s outside the Loveland city limits, so we didn’t have to go through a difficult permitting process.”
But that’s not the only reason the east Eisenhower location was the perfect spot for a welcome sign. The area is heavily trafficked, with lots of locals and visitors entering the city off I-25. The goal, Westbrook says, is to get more tourists’ attention and entice them to explore everything Loveland has to offer. It’s also meant to show the public that Loveland is home to many international clubs that serve the local community.
Local service clubs will maintain the welcome sign to ensure that it remains a positive reflection of “The Sweetheart City.” The sign committee includes one representative from each of the seven clubs: the Kiwanis Club, Loveland Lions Club, Downtown Lions Club, Loveland Rotary Club, Thompson Valley Rotary Club, Mountain View Rotary Club and the Sertoma Club. Westbrook says flower seeds will also be spread in front of the sign for all to enjoy as they drive by.
