Most neon towers on McLean are glowing again. This fix is temporary

Most of the neon light towers at Central, McLean and Meridian are back on – this time in red or blue.

Many of the lights had gone dark, but in the last few weeks the city began working on temporary repairs to the 32-foot towers in time for America’s 250th celebration this summer.

“We’re not done quite yet,” Wichita’s Public Works Director Gary Janzen said. “There are still two lights giving us some trouble and we want to ensure a consistent red/blue pattern.”

Janzen said those repairs should happen in the next couple of weeks.

The towers have shined variations of red, blue, white, or a combination of the three colors since at least 2001.

The 14 towers were built as part of a larger beautification effort along the riverfront and museum district area, which officials at the time said served as a gateway to downtown.

The towers were built and designed by local artist Steve Murillo, who was also behind the neon lights in Old Town Plaza, and by local contractors.

The towers were constructed for about $363,000, according to Eagle reports.

Current repairs to the towers are temporary. The city plans on a full rebuild eventually.

With inflation, a rebuild could cost nearly double at $750,000, according to early estimates.

“That plan has not been fully formulated,” Janzen said about the rebuild.