Cadet Chapel sees more visitors in its last summer before renovations

As the closure date approaches for the Cadet Chapel at the Air Force Academy, more people are visiting the national landmark before renovations begin next week.

“Tourism has really increased beginning of summer all throughout the closure next week,” said Stephen Peterson, the public relations director of the chapel.

For at least three years the chapel will be closed to the public while it undergoes a $158 million renovation project. The main challenges for contractors is to remove all the asbestos and repair areas where water leaks often. The chapel will close on Wednesday, September 4.

Duane Boyle, the academy architect, said the chapel hasn’t been in pristine condition since it was completed in 1962.

“We’ve been very careful about ensuring that when the chapel is done, it meets the original design intent and looks exactly what Walter Netsche [the architect] intended when the chapel was built,” Boyle said.

Cadets of all backgrounds were able to gather in the chapel, which can accommodate space for several faiths including Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism.

“I think it’s a powerful symbol in how you can have the free exercise of religion in a diverse way but yet unified under one roof,” said James Hendrick, the cadet wing chaplain.

Colonel Paul Sutter, who also is a chaplain for the Air Force Academy, said he’s happy the cadets have a place to come together in spirituality.

“We will miss worshipping in here,” Sutter said. “But we are excited about the fact that it’s being preserved and actually restored to its original intent of the architect.”