Air Force Academy Chapel Renovation Halted After

And it’s not likely to emerge any time soon. The more than $150 million renovation of the Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs is going to take months — or perhaps more than a year, longer than originally expected; contractors are contending with more asbestos than they expected, as well as other unforeseen challenges. ...

“The chapel won’t be ready for public events until 2027.” When reconstruction began, the Academy worked with the Air Force Civil Engineering Center and the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, both in San Antonio, to find funds for the $158 million project. ...

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – A meticulous renovation project to revamp the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Cadet Chapel became even more painstaking with the discovery of the extent of asbestos throughout the iconic 60 year old building. ...

After the pre-construction phase, renovations began in October 2019 are expected to be complete by the spring of 2024. “We are taking the chapel down to its steel bones, restoring the stained glass, the Protestant and Catholic pipe organs, and the Protestant pews, and then rebuilding the entire exterior,” said JD Buchholtz, AFCEC project manager. ...