Grand Canyon U. Picks DMB Site in Mesa for New Campus

By Amalia Otet, Associate Editor

Grand Canyon University will locate its second East Valley campus at Eastmark, a 3,200-acre master-planned community being developed by DMB Associates in Mesa. GCU will purchase 100 acres, with an option to buy 60 additional acres.

“In selecting the Eastmark site, we were especially impressed with the integrated community concept DMB is creating,” said Brian Mueller, the university’s president and CEO. “This environment will give our students, faculty and staff an exciting place to learn, work and play while being an integral part of the East Valley community.”

To be located east of Ellsworth and Point 22 Boulevard, the campus will have immediate access to a future phase of the 1.5-mile long, 106-acre Eastmark Great Park. At full build-out, the campus will include offices, administrative space, classrooms, laboratories, library, a student union, dormitories, recreational fields and parking. Construction is slated to begin in 2014, with an opening date set for 2015.

The university plans to start offering post-secondary classes in the fall of 2014 and is on the lookout for temporary leased space in the Mesa area. Students would then transfer to the new campus when it opens a year later.

Currently under construction, Eastmark will eventually feature single-family homes, multi-family communities, education facilities, retail and entertainment destinations.

Grand Canyon University’s campus in Phoenix is home to nearly 6,500 students and has expanded to include seven residence halls, a 55,000-square-foot recreation center, classrooms, laboratories, and a 5,000-seat arena.

Rendering/map credits: Eastmark