When was the chidlaw building constructed on Colorado?

Answer 1

On the morning of March 7, 1963, the Chidlaw Building officially opened with an elaborate dedication ceremony followed by public tours of the building. More than 1,000 civilians and military personnel attended the event, which honored the Retired Air Force General Benjamin W. Chidlaw, the building's namesake. General Chidlaw was recognized for more than 37 years of service to his country, including serving as the first commander of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). He was described as a "truly great man in the history of aerospace defense, charting the course and guiding the destiny of aerospace defense in its formative years." A portrait of General Chidlaw was unveiled at the ceremony to be displayed in the lobby.

It was a grand idea, both in its purpose and size. The military commissioned a single building -- the largest structure in Colorado Springs at the time -- to serve as headquarters for the Aerospace Defense Command of the North American Air Defense Command, or NORAD. The most secure facility in North America at the time, it was in this building that our country's strategic military command and communication strategies would be developed, reviewed and carried out. The building's 300,000 square feet and 1,100 parking spaces provided enough space for nearly 2,000 civilian and military personnel who were scattered in 17 locations throughout the community. On October 30, 1961, groundbreaking ceremonies were held. On June 6, 1962, construction began. And on February 15, 1963 -- only nine months later -- NORAD moved in.

Within the Chidlaw Building, there were 2,950 feet of corridors, more than 2 1/2 miles of movable wall partitions and 722 doors -- often making it difficult to find your way around the building. To help staff and visitors navigate throughout the structure, an elaborate mapping system was created where the east-west corridors were called "Runways" and the north-south corridors were called "Taxiways." Hand-held maps were also provided.

Called "Operation Move," the physical consolidation of 17 office locations into the new Chidlaw Building involved more than 300 moving personnel, 40 moving and open bed trucks, five fork lifts and two cranes. The entire move involved the relocation of approximately 1.5 million pounds of office furniture, equipment and supplies. The move, scheduled over a long holiday weekend, began at 5 p.m. on Thursday and continued around the clock until 8 a.m. on Monday, when the new headquarters was completely "back in business."

Constructing a highly secured military building in only nine months was not an easy -- nor inexpensive -- task. It was built with fortified walls and featured two electrical substations, limited entry access, a 174-seat auditorium, six conference rooms, parking for more than 1,000 cars and elaborate heating, cooling and ventilation systems. A total of sixty-eight 33-ton prefabricated concrete and steel reinforced slabs, each measuring 24 by 32 feet and seven inches thick, were used in the "tilt-up" construction of the exterior walls. The building has two floors, each spanning 3 1/2 acres. More than 7,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured during construction. The total cost? More than $2.6 million.

MAJOR COMMANDS BASED AT THE CHIDLAW BUILDING 1963-1987:

March 7, 1963: Dedication of new ADC Headquarters at the Chidlaw Building. CONAD/NORAD/ADC staffs consolidated.

June 30, 1975: CONAD disestablished; functions assumed by ADCOM.

July 1, 1975: ADCOM was established; located at the Chidlaw Building.

Sept. 1, 1982: US Air Force's Space Command was activated and headquartered in the Chidlaw Building.

Sept. 23, 1985: USSPACECOMM was activated at Peterson AFB, CO, but was physically located in the Chidlaw Building.

Nov. 15, 1985: US Air Force's Space Command was redesignated Air Force Space Command.

Dec. 19, 1986: ADCOM was disestablished; functions assumed by USSPACECOMM.

Nov.-Dec. 1987: USSPACECOMM, NORAD, and Air Force Space Command personnel moved from the Chidlaw Building to locations at Peterson AFB, CO.

Answer 2

The Chidlaw Building in Colorado Springs, Colorado was constructed in 1918 as part of Fort Carson. It was originally used as the post hospital and later repurposed as office space for various military units and organizations.