What’s going on with the neon towers on McLean?

The neon light towers at Central, McLean and Meridian have gone mostly dark.

The 32-foot towers have shined variations of red, blue, white, or a combination of the three colors since at least 2001. But most of the towers now no longer work.

And Wichita residents have pointed out that out on social media.

“This is a high traffic area that all of Wichita uses to traverse,” a recent Facebook post reads. “It should have already been repaired, keep my city beautiful and restore its charm!”

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 local contractors.

Like some other public art projects, residents at the time debated its cost, and its beauty.

“It’s a lot of money, but I think it’s going to be wonderful,” a Wichita resident told The Eagle at the time.

The towers were constructed for about $363,000, according to Eagle reports. Now, with inflation, a rebuild could cost nearly double at $750,000, according to early estimates. It could come from the city’s street light budget.

With America’s 250th celebration on the way this Fourth of July, the city said it’s working on a temporary fix.

“The technology is outdated, which is creating the challenge to make repairs at this point,” Public Works Director Gary Janzen said in an email to The Eagle. No cost estimate was available for the repairs.

After the 250th, the city plans to work on a complete rebuild of the towers.

“Our hope with a rebuild is to provide more vibrant lighting and a full color palette,” Janzen said. No target date has been set yet for the rebuild to be completed.

According to the city’s Capital Improvement Program, $1.875 million was allocated for public art projects this year; $170,000 was for maintenance.