Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Central Arizona College Breaks Ground on CTE Buildings

  • By Matt Jones
  • 10/12/23

The Central Arizona College Superstition Mountain Campus in Apache Junction, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new expansion project, according to a news release. The project will result in new buildings for the Allied Health and Skilled Trades, as well as renovations to the existing C building. The college is partnering with McCarthy Building Companies and Architekton on the $40-million project that will cover 51,620 square feet.

“Central Arizona College is pleased to be working with McCarthy and Architekton to create a world-class learning experience for the residents of Apache Junction and Pinal County,” said CAC President Dr. Jackie Elliott. “These new facilities will allow the college to prepare students for the workforce and assist in providing economic growth for the region.”

The Allied Health building will offer integrated learning classrooms and dedicated spaces for massage therapy, nursing assistance, aestheticians, pharmacy, phlebotomy, radiology, medical assistance, and sonography, the news release reports. It will also offer simulation centers to replicate real-life healthcare environments like hospitals and operating rooms.

Meanwhile, the Skilled Trades building will offer classrooms, labs, and outdoor space for the college’s mechanical, electrical, plumbing, arts, and ceramics programs.

“McCarthy and Central Arizona College share a priority for advancing career and technical education that promotes and cultivates local talent in skilled trades,” said McCarthy project director Andrea Ramos. “We are committed to working with the CAC team and Architekton to build an exceptional campus expansion that will play a pivotal role in educating our future workforce in fields that are currently experiencing labor shortages, including healthcare and construction.”

Finally, renovations to the C building will equip it with a computer lab, a virtual reality lab, expanded eSports space, and administrative space for faculty and public safety. The existing student lounge, café, and student organization space will remain intact.

Renovations to the C building are expected for completion in March 2024, according to the news release. The Skilled Trades and Allied Health buildings are slated to be complete in late 2024 and to open in time for the spring 2025 semester.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Arlington High School

    Arlington High School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Arlington High School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Texas Recruitment

    Texas Recruitment

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The University of Texas at Austin's Texas Recruitment has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • Higher Ed is Betting on New Buildings While Quietly Undermining Their Campuses — Here’s Why

    In this climate, the owner’s representative has changed from a delivery-focused advisor to a strategic campus partner. Institutions are increasingly relying on owner’s reps not just to manage, cope, schedule, and budget, but also help evaluate whether a project should proceed at all.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.