One of the most renowned attractions of the New York 1964-65 World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens was the Tent of Tomorrow. At that time, it was a structure that boasted the largest cable suspension roof in the world with sixteen 100-foot columns. It still stands today, albeit a little worse for wear after 50 years, and was even prominently featured in the action filled climax of the first Men in Black motion picture.
This spring, the New York Structural Steel Painting Contractors Association and District Council 9/Local Union 806 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) announced that they were volunteering materials and labor to restore the “original luster and beauty to one of New York City’s most prestigious landmarks.” The workers will apply approximately 700 gallons of primer and 500 gallons of finish to replace the flaking and peeling paint that has exposed the steel structure to the elements.
The $3 million project began in May and is expected to be completed in October in time for the 50th anniversary of the fair.