Restoring the historic Halifax Armoury is taking longer and costing more than expected — $30 million more and three years longer — CBC News has learned.

The estimated $130-million price tag when work began in November 2017 has now risen to $160 million.

Completion of the first phase, rebuilding the iconic west wall facing the Halifax Common, has moved from 2019 to 2022.

The Department of National Defence says the project encountered numerous challenges, including an initial six-month pause to “finalize heritage factors,” and a one-year delay securing an adequate supply of sandstone. Then there was the COVID-19 pandemic.

That made it harder to get building materials and restricted travel to Halifax by consultants and construction workers.

Meanwhile, the job grew to include geothermal heating and cooling, more extensive sandstone repair, upgrades to meet new national building code standards, additional removal of hazardous materials and inclusion of metal roof shingles for longevity.

“This additional work was not planned in the original scoping but as is often the case with complex heritage restoration projects, additional and unforeseen work is required, especially with older buildings that continue to deteriorate due to their age,” DND spokesperson Andrew McKelvey said in an email.

Design work for Phase 2 — to fix up the rest of the building — is underway. Construction is expected to begin in 2023 and take five years to complete.

“Heritage projects are often complex, and require prudent reviews of project requirements and heritage obligations before proceeding with actual restoration work,” McKelvey said.

“In the case of the North Park Armoury, we are taking the time to make sure that all work meets both heritage and future operational requirements, while incorporating green design elements and sustainable construction practices.”

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