The upcoming Baltimore Street Project will transform Cumberland’s Historic City Center into a major catalyst for economic development and community health and resiliency.
In preparation for the kickoff of this unprecedented project, the Downtown Development Commission is seeking professional designers to create a contemporary logo to represent Cumberland’s Historic City Center as the official “brand mark” of the redesigned historic business district.
The Baltimore Street Redevelopment Design Plan
The City of Cumberland’s approved design plan for the Historic City Center is rooted in the city’s history, identity and pride of place. With sidewalks twenty feet wide, lined with extensive plantings under tall shade trees, the new light-filled downtown streetscape will become the city’s premiere civic, business and cultural gathering place, a day/night hub of activity that is open, welcoming, and organized simply. It represents an ambitious vision to attract opportunity, business growth, social vitality, cultural dynamism and area-wide reinvestment.
Design plan goals include:
Creating a cohesive, flexible live/work/play environment,
Highlighting the city’s magnificent architectural heritage with contemporary urban flair.
Restoring a high quality of light and full visibility throughout to unify the environment and establish public safety,
Restoring a high quality of light and full visibility throughout to unify the environment and establish public safety,
Integrating deep, permanent arteries of green infrastructure and green spaces to filter light, clean air and water, shelter pedestrians and extend the life of historic materials.
To review the full design plan, please visit: https://www.choosecumberland.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Baltimore-Street-Access-ProjectStreetscape-Design-Plan-Final-1.pdf
Goals for the Cumberland Historic City Center Logo
The logo will be used to promote Cumberland’s Historic City Center in every possible way to a target audience of all ages. It should thus be unique, easily identifiable, and appropriate for applications ranging from digital and print media in both color and B&W to wayfinding signs, large-scale murals painted directly onto the walls of historic buildings, and merchandise.
Project leaders are looking for a high level of design and creative excellence and professionalism. Designers should skillfully balance the city’s historic identity with its contemporary vision, unmistakably favoring the latter. Like Cumberland/s architecture, the logo should be elegant, sophisticated and bold. It should represent the city’s remarkable collaborative process of self–renewal and self-transformation.
The logo design will integrate the following words: “Cumberland” (the city name) and “Historic City Center” (the neighborhood name). “Est. 1787” may be included at the designer’s option.
Selection Criteria
Design and creative excellence
Visual strength, elegance and simplicity
Success in meeting stated goals
Strategic thinking
Commercial marketability
General legibility, including when reduced or viewed at a distance
What to Submit
Designers should submit the following as PDF files attached to a single email:
Resume, CV or short biography not to exceed one page
PDF Brief statement of interest and approach to this project; max. one page
Six (6) relevant professional work samples showcasing logo design abilities (images can be in PDF, .jpg or .png format).
Selection Process
Submissions will be reviewed by a panel consisting of visual design professionals including the Baltimore Street Development project designer, as well as City officials and diverse project stakeholders.
Up to three (3) designers will be selected to develop a design concept and to present it to the review panel and Baltimore Street Redevelopment Work Group. Each of the three selected finalists will receive $500 for concept development. The Downtown Development Commission will contract with the winning designer to develop the final logo package. The winning designer will receive a $1500 honorarium, and will be features in project marketing and communications.
The Downtown Development Commission reserves the right to select less than three (3) finalists, to select no finalists at all or to select no winner from the three finalists.
Submissions to the Request for Qualifications should be sent to Sandi Saville, Downtown Development Commission Chair, at sandisaville@gmail.com and received not later than February 5, 2021, at 5:00PM. Late submissions will not be accepted. Questions may be emailed to Julie Westendorff at jwestendorff@alleganyarts.org, or by phone at 301.777.2787.
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