Construction Underway to Build Community at Vail Interfaith Chapel
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
by Nate Peterson, Editor
VAIL — The Vail Interfaith Chapel needs a new roof in a bad way. Considering all of the different congregations and community organizations that come together under that one roof, the need is great.
On Monday, leaders of the six congregations that share the chapel, along with an array of town officials, donors and community members, came together at the front steps of the Vail landmark to officially kick off the first phase of a $7 million renovation project.
Speeches were made and gold shovels were plunged into the ground to launch a years-long facelift of the iconic building.
“Thank you for getting us here today,” said the Rev. Tim Wilbanks, who is the board president for the Vail Religious Foundation and the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church. “This is a place for the community to become better. It’s not about individuals, it’s about our community.”
The Vail Religious Foundation has already collected more than $3 million of the $10 million goal it set for a capital fundraising campaign that launched last year. That money should cover the first phase of the project, which includes replacing the wood shake roof on the 52-year-old structure, replacing old windows with energy-efficient ones, replacing parking lots, replacing the building’s elevator and installing solar panels. Construction will commence this spring and continue into the fall.