The Pagoda parking lot and surrounding road will be closed for construction starting today.
City officials said the temporary closure will remain in effect until the project is completed.
An announcement will be made once construction is finished.
Work on the first phase of a $4.7 million makeover of the landmark building atop Mount Penn began in April.
The project is funded by $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds and about $1.7 million in city investment.
Exterior upgrades include repointing the masonry, repainting wooden surfaces and replacing the existing incandescent lighting with a full light-emitting diode, or LED, package.
“We are anticipating and hoping that we will be completed with that for Dec. 25 for Santa this year,” city Capital Project Manager David W. Anspach III said at the start of construction, referring to the longstanding tradition of blinking the Pagoda lights on Christmas Eve to signal Santa Claus.
The deteriorated lights were deemed unsafe for flashing so a city fire truck filled in the last three years.
LED lighting, which uses significantly less energy and typically has a long lifespan, should result in substantial savings for the city on electric bills and in replacement costs.
The Pagoda and surrounding area will remain off limits to the public for safety during construction.