Kansas City strikes deal to relight historic Western Auto sign. Will it be in time?
Kansas City’s historic Western Auto sign — a glimmering, red and white fixture of downtown’s nightscape since 1952, albeit with long periods of inoperability — will not be relit by the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins in KC on June 16.
Dark since July 2025, the 70-foot-tall sign atop the curved Western Auto Lofts, 2107 Grand Blvd., could spark back to life by the end of the soccer tournament, or soon after, if all goes well, through a deal with the city of Kansas City.
.JPG "IMG_Western_Auto_sign_5_1_7IDQEKHQ_L393676599 (1).JPG")
“Four to six weeks is what’s been reported to me. That’s most likely,” said Phinney Sachs, a special advisor to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who has been involved in negotiations with the residents of the Western Auto Lofts to fix the sign. “There’s a chance it’s ready before the end of the World Cup. We’ll just have to see.
“But if it’s not, it’ll be a good opportunity to celebrate something this summer, other than soccer. Either way, we’re excited about it.”
Fixing the Western Auto sign
Devising a plan to relight the sign has had its drama.
In February, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 124 in Kansas City, together with the National Electrical Contractors Association, expressed shock when residents of the lofts turned down the union’s offer to fix the sign for free, with one stipulation.
The union said they would overhaul the sign — a fix they estimated at about $600,000 — and care for it in perpetuity if the loft owners would also allow a smaller, illuminated sign atop the roof giving the union credit.
The loft homeowners’ association turned down the offer saying they did not want another sign to compete with the main attraction.
“We thought we were doing something good,” Bo Moreno, the union leader, said at the time. “We thought it was a win for the city, it was a win for the mayor, it was the win for the HOA. And how we were met was, like, ‘Really?’ It threw us off.”
Terms of the new agreement
Sachs said the current agreement calls for the city to provide $100,000, which is money it had previously earmarked, to repair the sign’s lightbulbs and broken neon tubes, with the money coming from the city Illuminate KC initiative.
In return, he said, the loft homeowners’ association has committed to fund ongoing maintenance and keep the sign lit for 10 years.
City money, Sachs said, is not being used to address the sign’s metal structure, which the electrical union said is in need of extensive repairs. Jessica Best, president of the lofts’ HOA, said their priority has been to light the sign this year.
“Timing of the relighting isn’t set yet, but we are officially ready to start work,” she said in a statement. “We’re just glad the city has stayed committed to our partnership to light the sign this year and are grateful for their contribution.”
Kansas City-based firm will make repairs
Sachs said Kansas City-based Infinity Sign Systems, 4900 Lister Ave., will conduct the repairs.
“Work will start next week,” Sachs said. “Bulbs have already been ordered. They happen to be in Bozeman, Montana. There’s minimal lead time because they’re in the states.”
The mayor’s office sent a statement.
“Kansas City is proud to support the private parties — the homeowners’ association for the Western Auto Lofts and the lighting design firm — in restoring a Kansas City gem.
“While we remain hopeful the team can bring back the historic light display before the end of World Cup matches in Kansas City, we are delighted the sign will shine bright over Kansas City for the next 10 years.”
