Is that ’3’ on top of the Three Light building in KC permanent? The story behind the sign
Keen observers of Kansas City’s skyline will find it hard to miss the boldface number “3” that recently popped up atop the Three Light luxury apartment building downtown.
The successor to the well-known One Light and Two Light buildings, this glossy new structure has some residents scratching their heads: Is the sign a permanent fixture?
And why use just the number? Why not spell it out, like on the other two buildings?
The sign is indeed permanent, said Nicholle Soendker, marketing director for property developers Cordish Living. It measures nearly 20 feet tall, 12 feet wide and weighs around 2,000 pounds.
“Highlighting the number 3 was a great way to add an unexpected element to our gorgeous Kansas City skyline,” she said. “As I’m sure you can tell by the specs and weight, this is our permanent signage, and we look forward to shining brightly for years to come.”
While it looks like a solid boldface number from a distance, the design actually combines thinner lines into a number “3” that can glow with the help of color-changing LED lights. These lights can be adjusted to match the city’s skyline, Three Light leasing specialist Justin Short said.
He added that the sign’s single-numeral style is a deliberate choice by property developers Cordish Living to avoid matching its predecessors’ signs too closely.
“It was getting a little one fish, two fish, three fish, blue fish,” Short said. “So that’s why they changed it to the number three instead of spelling it out.”
Rent in Three Light ranges from studio apartments starting at $1,350 per month to a two-story penthouse being rented for around $9,000 per month.
According to city property records, all three luxury apartment buildings are owned by LLCs based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Cordish Living is a subsidiary of the Baltimore-based Cordish Companies, a business group specializing in entertainment districts, real estate and other development projects in Maryland, St. Louis, Kansas City and Arlington, Texas.
Do you have more questions about housing or development in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
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