April 18--A new logo St. Charles officials unveiled last month is costing the city $50,000, and it won't replace the original "Pride of the Fox" branding -- just work alongside it.
The logo and its corresponding tagline, "St. Charles -- Discover Your City Side," were presented at a launch party March 24 at the Arcada Theatre. The site was fitting since the landmark is featured in the new logo, a caricature of multicolored silhouettes of iconic buildings, including Hotel Baker and the city's municipal building tower, all peeking from behind the Main Street bridge.
More than 100 residents attended the party, where they were encouraged to jot down the attributes of St. Charles they most liked on post-it notes, according to the party's Facebook page. The party also featured hors d'oeuvres, live music and a professional photo booth.
But officials emphasize the rebrandingwon't replace the city's traditional logo, and instead serve as an alternative one. The original logo, which shows a fox trailing the Fox River with the municipal building tower in the background, will continue to be the emblem of St. Charles as a whole.
The "Discover Your City Side" logo, rather, will cater to just the downtown area.
"The 'Pride of the Fox' to me will always be the symbol of St. Charles," said Mayor Ray Rogina. "It's the logo that identifies our town in total, both St. Charles east and west. It's time-honored, treasured, and it will be there forever."
Rogina described the new logo as more of a downtown "identification," and a means for residents to identify with their "city sides," or the aspects of downtown St. Charles that most call out to them -- whether they're "foodies," shoppers or adventure-seekers.
The purpose of the rebranding, he said, was to indicate to residents living 40 to 50 miles outside Chicago that they can discover their "city sides" in their hometown.
"'Discover Your City Side' has nothing to do with the bigger 'Pride of the Fox,'" he said. "The 'Pride of the Fox' is an endeared term for St. Charles. 'Discover Your City Side' is an indication of what we want our downtown to be."
Vibrant banners already display the new logo and tagline from street lamps along Main Street. Plans for the rebranding first began in 2013, when city officials collaborated with the Downtown St. Charles Partnership to research a new vision for the downtown area.
The total rebranding project has so far cost $85,000, with the city contributing $25,000 and $25,000 more in the coming fiscal year. Lynne Schwartz, the partnership's executive director, said she hopes that by the end of the rollout, the project will equate to a 50-50 funding split between the partnership and the city.
The city didn't provide money for any specific element of the branding but rather pledged two separate $25,000 reimbursement contributions, the first of which has already been paid, according to documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request. The reimbursements were approved by the City Council.
The $50,000 will pay for the research, brand development, rollout plan, action plan, communications and the launch party, Schwartz said in an email.
The partnership hired MindsView Innovation and worked with North Star Destination Strategies, based in Nashville, to develop a marketable image for St. Charles. Their research indicated the new St. Charles brand had to appeal to national trends, such as living healthier lifestyles and in more urban areas, as well as align with the city's comprehensive plan.
For years, city officials and the community have been anxious about the empty, undeveloped space along St. Charles' most iconic stretch -- between First Street and the Fox River, north of Illinois Street. In 2000, the area was identified as ripe for development, and in 2006, the city approved a five-phase project over 7 acres along First Street between Prairie and Main streets. Once the first two phases were completed in 2009, development stalled because of the recession.
As of last month, the project is back on the table and developers have told the City Council that one four-story building could go up this year. Three buildings have been proposed.
Rogina said the empty store fronts are what encouraged aldermen to hop on board with the rebranding project and contribute funding.
"When they rolled out the branding and the logo with 'Discover Your City Side,' I decided in my speech that day I would quote the old song from the '60s called 'Downtown,'" he said. "It says 'When you're lonely, you can always go downtown.'"
In addition to the banners, Schwartz said the rebranding project will hold workshops for downtown businesses to help them understand how to integrate the logo and tagline into their brands. Window decals and other merchandise displaying the logo and tagline are also a possibility down the line.
"With all of these great things coming downtown, the logo really fits where we are and where we're headed," Schwartz said. "We're really just allowing people to have some of that authentic urban experience but closer to home."
meltagouri@tribune.com
