In May the Parks Department announced it was teaming up with the International Union of Painting and Allied Trades, who would repaint the "Tent of Tomorrow" at the New York State Pavilion for free as part of its apprenticeship program.
The work — estimated to be valued at around $3 million — will help restore the World's Fair landmark to its original "American Cheese" yellow paint color, just like it was during the 1964-1965 World's Fair.
The Philip Johnson-designed structure looked much different 50 years ago, with a multicolored glass ceiling and a map of New York State on the floor.
In the years since the fair it was used as a performance space, a concert hall and a roller rink.
Then it wasn't used for anything, and decades of neglect faded the bright yellow color seen from planes in the sky and cars on nearby highways.
Volunteers, like the Pavilion Paint Project, restored the walls of the tent.
But it's taken a professional team, with cherry pickers, to help bring it back to its cheesy yellow.
The team of apprentices have been taken care of with donated lunch, and are earning credit towards joining the union.
And as Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said in May, it's "an iconic symbol of Queens, but we haven't been able to give it the treatment it deserves until now."
