Kansas City, Missouri – A decades-old vision to build a major public space above Interstate 670 is moving from plans and renderings toward construction after the Kansas City Council approved the funding framework for the first phase of Roy Blunt Luminary Park.
The vote clears the way for work that will cover more than half of the planned tunnel infrastructure while creating the first completed section of the park near the Convention Center. Construction is expected to begin later this year.
The council approved Ordinance No. 260718, combining city, state, federal, civic and philanthropic funding to launch Phase One of the long-planned project over the south loop of I-670.
“For 30 years, Luminary Park has been an aspiration for Kansas City. Reaching approval for this first phase has taken time, not because it is not important, but because it is a difficult project,” City Manager Mario Vasquez said.
“I want to thank the City Council for approving this first phase and recognize the staff and partners who have helped turn this vision into reality.”
Phase One includes full construction of three blocks of tunnel-support infrastructure between Broadway Boulevard and Baltimore Avenue, representing roughly 50% of the tunnel work planned for the project.
The first completed public park area, known as Block One, will stretch from Wyandotte Street to Baltimore Avenue on the western side near the Convention Center. Plans call for walking paths, terraces, picnic areas, nature and woodland spaces, swings, slides, boulder crawls and other adventure play features.
Art installations, performance areas and space for food trucks and community events are also planned, with accessibility and inclusion remaining central to the design.
The work will also include a tunnel systems building designed to support the full project footprint from Broadway Boulevard to Grand Boulevard. Six blocks of I-670 will receive new pavement and drainage improvements along the same corridor.
City officials are pursuing the project in phases so existing funding can be used to begin visible construction while additional money is raised for later sections.
The approval marks a significant shift for a project that has spent years in planning and community discussions. With Phase One funded and moving toward construction, Roy Blunt Luminary Park is now positioned to begin transforming part of the downtown interstate corridor into a new public gathering space.
