KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Promoters of a memorial for the victims and rescuers of the 1981 skywalks collapse at a Kansas City hotel say design changes will lower the costs of the project.

The disaster at the former Hyatt Regency motel on July 17, 1981, killed 141 people and injured more than 200 others when two skywalks collapsed during a dance party.

The nonprofit foundation supporting the memorial says it still needs to raise $150,000 to begin building the memorial. But the president of the Skywalk Memorial Foundation says he’s optimistic the memorial will be built next year.

The Kansas City Star reports that the new design eliminates some lighting, stairs and a masonry wall. The original construction cost was estimated at $600,000. The new design is expected to cost about $335,000.

© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.