The $8-million Our Lady of Belen Chapel features a one-story, 15,079-sq-ft chapel with a 40-ft high “groin vault” ceiling and a second-story choir loft standing 20 ft high. It is constructed on shallow foundations with cast-in-place concrete columns and beams with CMU walls and shafts.

The Jorge L. Hernandez design references neoclassical architecture—uncommon in Florida. It is characterized by grandeur of scale, simplicity of geometric forms and use of columns and side chapels.

The interiors include extensive stonework. Crews installed a solid marble structure weighing more than 2,500 lb, setting it in position using galvanized pipe sleeves and reinforced scaffolding. The same process was applied to the installation of the stone altar. Installation of stone moldings required individual hoisting and manual labor due to space constraints, with each trim epoxied into place.

Site improvements consisted of a new courtyard area complete with seating, planters, a water feature, a paved drop-off plaza, relocated palm trees and new landscaping. Construction manager Lemartec focused on subcontractor management and minimization of any project delays, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safety was paramount as the project was built on the active campus of a private school. The team’s efforts enabled the chapel to complete on time and on budget with no OSHA recordable incidents and no lost-time accidents.