During a tour of the Pagoda on Tuesday morning, Capital Project Manager David Anspach said the restoration is moving into its final stages. “We are about 45 to 60 days from being completed,” he noted, explaining that while crews are still busy with flooring and finishing work, major milestones such as painting, roofing, and electrical upgrades have already been reached.
Much of the work inside has focused on modernizing systems and improving safety. Crews are currently installing epoxy flooring, working their way from the top down through floors six, five, and four. “The Pagoda Foundation, in efforts to try to make it more of an easy care facility, elected to pay for a change order to have it epoxied instead of having carpet laid,” Anspach explained.
Fire protection has also been overhauled. “During the construction process, it was identified that four of the dry head sprinklers were damaged and needed to be replaced,” Anspach said. “Unfortunately, that’s also the magic number for the fire marshal to say that the entire building needs to have new sprinklers. So the entirety of the dry head sprinklers throughout the building have been replaced.”
Lighting has been upgraded to LED throughout the structure, though original fixtures were preserved for historical value. In addition, all lighting circuits have been installed and tested in daylight, with final connections to the control center and nighttime testing still pending. Other updates include new ground-level bathrooms modified for ADA compliance, a new hot water heater and boiler system, and HVAC improvements that are about 75% complete.
Mayor Eddie Moran highlighted the security improvements. “It’s important to point out that we have security cameras throughout the building both in and out,” he said. “In addition, our camera system is tied directly to the police department, so they would always have access to any activity on the premises.”
Exterior work has also progressed significantly. Painting of interior floors two through six is complete, structural repairs to the foundation walls have been finished, and grouting of the Pagoda’s stone walls is about 90% complete, with an anti-graffiti coating still to come. The scaffolding that surrounds the landmark is expected to begin coming down in the coming weeks. “We certainly will be able to operate the lights for Santa this Christmas,” Anspach said.
Once renovations are finished, management of the Pagoda will remain under the Pagoda Foundation through a memorandum of understanding with the city. The foundation will oversee programming and use of the space.
“What we would love to see is them do a variety of different things between maybe having a train room that exemplifies the Reading Railroad to serving local delicacies like Sweet Street desserts or Reading Premium sodas,” Anspach said. “And really highlighting the things that are produced here in Reading as well as Berks County, and using this tourist attraction to really show the world what Reading and Berks County is all about.”
While the Pagoda does not have a full-service kitchen — something that would require cutting new ventilation holes in the historic walls — officials said lighter fare and pre-prepared foods are being considered for the café space. The site may also host catered events where prepared food is brought in and served.
Although the construction contract runs through January 2, 2026, city officials now expect substantial completion by early December. “We’re about 45 to 60 days from completion and I believe the Pagoda Foundation is planning on doing a public opening mid-April,” Anspach said.
For now, visitors will have to wait a little longer before stepping back inside the iconic red structure, but city officials say the final product will blend historic preservation with modern safety and accessibility upgrades — ensuring the Pagoda remains a centerpiece of the Reading skyline for generations to come.
