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Denver International Airport Great Hall Delays Grow, Again

DENVER (CBS4) - Projected construction delays for Denver International Airport's troubled Great Hall redevelopment project have grown once again, according to developer estimates, but not nearly as much as in previous months. In a construction project report released Monday, Great Hall Partners, the developer, now estimates the project is likely 944 days, or 31 months behind schedule, an increase of 13 days from June's construction forecast.

DIA great hall project denver international airport
(credit: CBS)

However the developer says the delay could grow another 229 days to 1,173 days or more than 38 months if things don't go as planned.

Asked about the updated delay forecast, a spokesperson for the developer, Great Hall Partners, responded "no comment." A spokesperson for DIA also declined to weigh in on the new delay projections.

The $650 million Great Hall redevelopment began in 2018 and was supposed to be completed by November 2021, about three years. But this week's projection has completion of the project in June of 2024, and possibly not until January 2025 if permitting doesn't go as planned and other problems arise. That worst-case scenario would be seven years after construction began.

CBS4 has previously reported that the developers have also told the city that the project is now an estimated $311 million over budget. City and airport officials have entered mediation with the developers to see if they can negotiate those cost overrun, change order and time delay issues.

The terminal redevelopment is intended to increase terminal capacity, redesign security flow and create more retail space in the terminal.

In the newly released construction update, Great Hall Partners writes the new estimate with additional delay days "was caused by the additional Permitting review time required for design modifications related to Change Directives."

The developer goes on to say it is working with Denver and "currently assessing and collaboratively seeking good faith resolutions regarding the schedule and monetary impact ..."

The developer says the project has been slowed by concerns about the strength of concrete in the airport terminal and by change orders submitted by Denver. An engineer hired by Denver reported the terminal concrete is safe to build on but that additional testing should be conducted on other areas of the airport.

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