CONYERS — Olde Town may still be a bit of a hidden gem to some, but residents and, most importantly, visitors will soon have an added reminder of how much downtown Conyers has to offer.

The Downtown Development Authority discussed plans at its monthly meeting Tuesday to put a new welcome sign on one of the city’s busiest highways, directing drivers to Olde Town. Plans are to put the sign at the Ga. Highway 138 and South Main Street intersection.

The sign would cost roughly $21,000, authority board member Marty Jones told the group. The estimate was based on the costs for the welcome sign on West Avenue, Jones said.

DDA Chairman John Fountain said there is no set timeframe to complete the project and the sign will be funded through DDA, the Main Street account or “however we can arrange to get it done.”

Fountain said the sign would be a “good economic move” and a valuable asset to downtown businesses since Ga. Highway 138 has a “huge traffic flow and many of the cars that pass by have no idea about Olde Town.”

“And if you can get a few to wander into Olde Town, maybe they’ll come back again and again,” Fountain said.

It was brought up in discussion that prior approval for the sign would have to come from the Georgia Department of Transportation since the state owns that right of way. GDOT would not allow any advertising on the sign and the group agreed they wanted to have more than just a general welcome sign.

“For what we’re trying to accomplish — getting people off 138 — I like that idea better,” Jones said.

Authority board member Jorge Flores suggested the option of putting the sign at the corner of Pine Log Road and Ga. Highway 138. Also during discussion, authority board member Renee Marrett suggested the sign sit on a berm or some sort of elevation for more visibility from the road.

In other business, DDA approved $1,000 from the Main Street account to go toward the trail committee for this year’s Pave the Path event. Pave the Path is an annual run where part of the proceeds go toward helping to make Conyers a Bicycle Friendly Community. This year’s event is set for May 22.