Roy Blunt Luminary Park: Eating the Elephant One Bite at a Time

By Ann Holliday, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Downtown Council of Kansas City

Another year is coming to an end, and it’s time to take stock of how we spent our time and what was accomplished.  This period of reflection leads me to a question: If I knew how much work it would take to keep the Roy Blunt Luminary Park project moving forward, would I have accepted the challenge? The short answer is yes –  I have spent  3.5 years working on some aspect of the project on an almost daily basis and intend to see the project through.  We achieved a lot of important milestones this year, and 2026 will be even more interesting!

And the “we” is important. I’m just one member of an incredible team, and our organization is also just one of the project partners. The Downtown Council, led by our president Bill Dietrich, has been championing the idea of reconnecting the Central Business District and the Crossroads with a 5-acre destination park covering I-670 since 2017. The concept was highlighted in the Downtown strategic plan “Imagine Downtown KC 2030”, finalized in 2022. A quick search at www.kchistory.org reveals a KC Star article, “Plan for 1-670: Put on a Lid On It,” reminding us that the City of Kansas City, MO, and Downtown Council were developing the concept as far back as 2007.

The longevity prize for project participation might go to Chris Handzel, previously Director of Transportation Planning + Policy for HNTB’s Central States office, who passed away unexpectedly in 2024. At the time, he was the project lead. He initially worked on the South Loop (as it was then called) as a student project in college in 2000; he continued the work as an intern, and eventually, he became the project manager. We miss him to this day. His name and memory come up often as work continues. 

The visionary prize might go to Steve McDowell, BNIM Architects, who brought up the idea at a Downtown Council Visioning Session in 1999 as a plan to heal the Heart of the City. 

The point is that catalytic projects are multi-generational both in implementation and impact. They take time, leadership, commitment and perseverance.  

I’m grateful for the community of people who have come together, sharing their expertise to bring this new park to fruition.  I won’t name them all here – we will save that for a plaque in the park!

Let’s talk about 2025 – what did we accomplish this year in our efforts to move Luminary Park forward?

The past year was critical for the project, marked by significant advancements and strong momentum for this once-in-a-generation endeavor. Key milestones included:

• Project Advancement: The passage of Ordinance No. 250809 was a major highlight, approving the project to proceed to 100% design. This allows for rapid completion of a fully construction-ready design for the tunnel, park, and infrastructure.
• Environmental Approval: Receipt of the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the Federal Highway Administration.
• Construction Management/General Contractor (CM/GC) Onboard: City Council approved the joint venture of Clarkson Construction and JE Dunn as the CM/GC for the project.
• Branding and Identity: The official announcement of the Roy Blunt Luminary Park name and final brand reveal.
• Design Milestones: Successful completion of 60% design and approval to advance to 100% design.
• Funding Milestones: The Missouri Department of Transportation committed a $31.4 million cost-share investment, the City of Kansas City authorized $15 million, and the first phase of the private fundraising campaign was completed, successfully reaching the $29 million target goal.

The Value-Engineering Design Process

As responsible stewards of both public and private investment, the project team is completing a series of targeted value-engineering exercises. This disciplined approach ensures the park delivers an extraordinary experience while adhering to the $315 million target budget. The focus of this refinement process was to strike a balance between successfully activating the park to serve the public and ensuring the long-term financial self-sustainability of the non-profit management organization.

This approach is already yielding tangible results! While park design visuals are still evolving and subject to change, we are confident the project is moving decisively in the right direction and are pleased to offer an exclusive glimpse of the newest features.

Continuing the Momentum: Fundraising Phase II

As 2026 approaches, the fundraising campaign is now entering a critical second phase focused on identifying an additional $21 million in new private funds. Securing this amount is required by the City Council ordinance before the City allocates an additional $65 million to the project.

It is critical to secure the $21 million by the first quarter of 2026 to ensure construction can begin in 2026. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing support of this transformative project and look forward to the anticipated opening in 2029.