The planned Pennway Point entertainment district near the Crossroads and Union Station soon will be awash in the glow of neon history, said Nick Vedros.
“What’s more Kansas City than to have all these great signs that were once part of our city’s historical fabric all in one spot?” said Vedros, teasing the future Lumi Neon Alley, a walkable space within the district set to be lit with dozens of rescued neon throwbacks to Kansas City’s past — as well as the high-profile recreation of the iconic Katz Drug Stores logo.
“The way we’re going to display them will have this wonderful jewel and cluster effect,” he added.
The Lumi Neon Alley — curated by The Lumi Neon Museum, a nonprofit led by Vedros that aims to rescue and restore historic neon signs in Kansas City — will be a pedestrian-friendly attraction situated between TaleGate and Barrel Hall, according to a news release from developer DaVinci KC, as a reminder of where Kansas City has been and a herald of what is to come.
By the time the district opens — as early as 2024 — Vedros expects 40 rescued signs to be lit up in the walkable alley; although that number could eventually double, he said. Community members will be able to stroll through Neon Alley — lined with bricks from Route 66, he’s been told — and read the stories behind each of the signs.
The museum behind the effort was born in 2017 after Vedros — a photographer — rescued the 1946 Crick Camera Shop neon sign and wanted a place to display it where others could also enjoy the nostalgia. To date, the entirely-volunteer-led nonprofit has saved more than 75 signs from the scrap heap and restored 40.
“These are the authentic signs,” Vedros noted. “We have signs from the 1930s, the ’40s, the ’50s, and ’60s. That’s when signs were really cool. I don’t like the direction that I’ve seen happen in the last number of years with most LED. Sometimes you can find somebody who’s done a really cool sign, but it’s few and far between.”
Pennway Point — which will span six acres of the former Carter-Waters industrial site at the intersection of Pershing and Pennway — will be the first home for all of the signs, he said.
“There’ll definitely be a sense of relief,” Vedros explained of finally having a place to display the signs. “I really can’t wait for that day — when enough of them are put on display and I’m completely rested — I can go down there and have a beer, walk through, and then marvel at what we did. I’m really excited about that.”
Recent signs rescued, Vedros detailed, include one for Turner’s Bicycle Shop that was in Mission and the Stan’s Hardware sign in Kansas City, Kansas. These signs, like many in the museum’s care, are donated by family members.
“This is very typical,” he explained. “They will have heard about Lumi. They are clearing out old stuff and they don’t want to throw it out. It means a lot to their family. They like the idea of what Lumi is doing, rescuing these signs and deciding to put them back up for the community to enjoy.”
Among the pieces Vedros is most excited to put on display at Neon Alley is a Katz sign — featuring the iconic cat’s face that once adorned Katz Drug Stores, cans of Katz beer and even the Kansas City Katz amateur baseball club — which Lumi had recreated by Lee’s Summit-based Fossil Forge, a project led by Dave Eames and Ben Wine.
“That one is a 10-foot sign and it’s going to rotate,” he added. “It’ll have a rotation animator and it’ll go around twice a minute. So it’ll be really cool.”
So far, three signs have already been placed in the alley, Vedros noted, including letters from the old Kansas City Downtown Airport sign.
The sign — which dates back 50 years — was donated by Terry Sanchez, owner of Weird Stuff Antiques, and restored by Jason Walker, who is an advisory board member for the Lumi Museum. Greg and Michael Garnett of Gama Neon did the neon tube bending.
“Since the blue plastic covers were broken, we decided to remove them and paint the interior cream colored and use blue neon,” he said. “We love the look of actual neon.”
“We still have great neon benders in this town,” he added. “There are some cities that are down to one neon vendor. But we have multiple.”
The downtown sign — installed by Midwest Sign — was sponsored by Lumi Treasurer Steve Wright.
“We survive purely on donations or sponsorships,” he said. “If they want to sponsor a sign, their name goes on it permanently.”
Vedros also is excited by all the entertainment options that will surround Lumi Neon Alley, he said.
Plans for the Barrel Hall area include a Boulevard Brewery tap room, Würstl, Chef J BBQ, and Bull Creek Distillery, according to DaVinci KC. The TaleGate space will feature Beef and Bottle, Funkhouse. TaleGate Park will have year-round programming like live music, movie nights, game-day experiences, yard games, and winter ice skating.
Plus a giant observation wheel is in the works, offering a bird-eye view of the city.
“When I go down to check out our museum and see how it’s doing, I’ll be able to go play miniature golf or I’ll be able to go sit out in the courtyard and listen to music,” Vedros explained. “It’s gonna be whatever mood I’m in.”
“I’m just thrilled it’s finally happening,” he added.
This story was originally published on Startland News, a fellow member of the KC Media Collective.
