Association of Graduates and Air Force Academy Foundation staff toured the Cadet Chapel construction site July 24 for an up close look at and update of the massive project’s progress.

Such a tour makes it clear what an enormous and complex endeavor this is, one that has been referred to as an erector set or a jigsaw puzzle with tens of thousands of pieces. The project includes 14-story interior scaffolding and an 180-foot-tall cocoon boasting four bridge cranes and eight lifts.

Built in the early 1960s, the Chapel has been closed since October 2019 for a wholesale, down-to-the-original-steel-superstructure, renovation. The overhaul  implements an internal water barrier concept, as originally envisioned by  Skidmore, Owings and Merrill architect Walter Netsch. The resulting, improved structure will look exactly the same but with a watertight seal.

The original design featured an internal gutter system, but due to financial considerations, that system was replaced by 32 miles of caulking. The building began leaking immediately after completion, and several smaller repair ventures proved unsuccessful.

After removing all the existing aluminum panels , workers treated and measured the superstructure. Initial preparations on large portions of the frame are complete, and workers have begun to install 1,600 weather-resistant, interior panels. Each of the panels weighs between 150 and 700 pounds. They have been manufactured to exact standards to fit into a specific spot. New exterior aluminum panels will then cover these.

The project originally was to have taken four years, but several factors led to delays. For example, the asbestos surveys conducted by the Academy staff did not include destructive testing to minimize impacts to Chapel activities.. This prevented the identification of asbestos containing materials in inaccessible areas, which the contractor was then required to abate as part of the repair project.

Barring further hurdles, the renovation of the Cadet Chapel should be completed in mid-2026. Then the interior furnishings — organs, pews, art and artifacts — will be put back together and placed. The Chapel is currently slated to open in late 2027.

See more photos of the construction tour.