DOWNEY – A plan to install a large gateway sign welcoming visitors to Downtown Downey moved forward Tuesday with the city council agreeing to put the project out to bid.

The sign would span Downey Avenue at Firestone Boulevard and be similar to entry signs in Santa Monica and San Diego’s Little Italy.

A preliminary estimate showed the archway sign could cost about $350,000. The price could be higher if it becomes necessary to reroute underground utilities.

“I do support signage for our Downtown Downey; I think it’s time,” said Mayor Claudia M. Frometa, adding that installation of the sign would coincide with the 150th anniversary of Downey’s founding.

San Diego-based Graphic Solutions provided a rendering of what the archway sign could look like but additional designs would cost $31,000, city officials said, prompting the city council to solicit bids from other companies.

Plans for a gateway sign date back to 2010, when the city council first adopted its Downtown Downey Specific Plan, which recommended signage to guide visitors and brand the downtown.