Roy Blunt Luminary Park: Ending 2025 with momentum

As the year comes to a close, the Roy Blunt Luminary Park project team is pleased to share exciting progress, new renderings, and a look ahead.

2025: A Pivotal Year of Progress

2025 was a critical year marking great strides for the project. A significant highlight was the passage of Ordinance No. 250809,  authorizing the project to advance to 100% design, allowing rapid progress on the tunnel, park and infrastructure design from partially finished to a fully completed, construction-ready design.

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

New rendering with design modifications show updated aerial view of Roy Blunt Luminary Park.

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.
  • CM/GC Onboard: City Council approved the joint venture of Clarkson Construction and JE Dunn as the Construction Management/General Contractor (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.
New rendering with design modifications show a view of the western block with a large grade from Loews Hotel to street level.
New rendering with design modifications show the eastern block of the park showcasing a large lawn, pavilion, and restaurant space.

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 start in 2026. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing support of this transformative project and look forward to the anticipated start of construction in 2026.

For media inquiries, please contact Sherae Honeycutt, Press Secretary for Kansas City, at Sherae.Honeycutt@kcmo.org or (816) 946-3611.