Photos by Ralph Freso
Numerous projects are underway this summer on the continually expanding 300-acre Grand Canyon University campus.
Leading the list are two big projects with business in mind: The expansion of the Lux Precision Manufacturing plant in Building 66, which is tripling its number of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines and more than doubling its space; the upgrades in Colangelo College of Business to create the T.W. Lewis Center for Student Success.
As has been typical for most summers in the past decade, a new apartment building is being completed and improvements to the dining areas are under construction.
“The theme for this summer is finishing up a few huge projects but just upgrading areas for improved experience,” said James Kossler, senior vice president of Facilities Planning and Operations.
‘Huge’ projects
Lux Precision Manufacturing will expand to more than 25,000 square feet of space in Building 66 on the 27th Avenue campus to accommodate classrooms and its manufacturing facility, where the number of CNC machines tripled to 30 to make aerospace, defense and medical parts.
“The vision behind that is to expand the manufacturing and education system at GCU, building state-of-the-art classrooms and live labs right in the manufacturing facility to work and learn,” said Weston Smith, a GCU alumnus, Lux founder and chief executive officer. “The goal of what doing really is to lead the manufacturing innovation through the engineering college.”
After recently acquiring Dillon Manufacturing, Lux is able to grow its capacity and expand its manufacturing education to work with students in the College of Engineering and Technology and train participants in the CNC Machinist Pathway of GCU’s Center for Workforce Development.
Look for more details on the expansion in an upcoming GCU News story.
The Colangelo College of Business is also upgrading its offerings on the first floor with the construction of the T.W. Lewis Center for Student Success.
Upgrades were made possible as part of a five-year, $2 million commitment by the T.W. Lewis Foundation and will include an improved sound system for the center’s speaker series, a broadcast and podcast room, stock market ticker and digital job openings board.
It doesn’t get more huge than another new apartment on campus. Construction of Gila River Apartments is nearing completion, another of the complex of apartments on the far east side of campus called The Rivers.
Gila River is modeled after the seven-story apartments completed two years ago – Santa Cruz and Copper.
It brings the number of residential living areas on campus to 32.
Also in the housing area, two floors of Encanto Apartments are being outfitted with Hacknet (Heuristics Accelerating Cyber Knowledge) as part of a new living space called Overclock for students with a shared academic interest in cyber careers. A team of cyber security analysts, IT security, operations professionals and technology students are building the network this summer.
Health science additions
The second floor of Building 71 on the 27th Avenue campus has been used for ABSN and APRN programs over the last year, but additional construction completed early in April will accommodate new Health Science programs in occupational therapy and speech pathology.
“Our first students from the Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology enrolled for this coming fall will be utilizing some of that space,” said Dr. Lisa Smith, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Care Professions.
Dining changes
Work is underway to move Fresh Fusion from the Student Union directly across the walkway to Thunderground.
It allows the eatery to expand its area for better service, said Kossler, moving next to Taco Bell and Sweet Disciples, while opening up its former location in Student Union to more kitchen space for the catering service. A wall will be erected to separate the area from other union spaces.
Qdoba in the Student Union will also remodel its ordering area and back of house, while Chick-fil-A at Diamondback Apartments is undergoing back-of-house improvements and branding updates.
“I think the students will like the aesthetic changes that will be coming at each location,” said Jessica Maichel, director of marketing for GCU Dining/Sodexo.
Traffic improvements
A no-left-turn island at the campus’s 30th Avenue entrance between the 29th and 31st Avenue parking garages is being constructed. Eastbound Camelback Road traffic won’t be allowed to turn left.
Street lights will be added on 29th and Colter avenues along the sidewalk and street for increasing visibility at night.
And a guard will no longer be on duty at the entrance gate at 32nd Avenue and Missouri and will have push button access. The gate is mainly used for deliveries.
Other small changes
- A maintenance shed at the GCU Golf Course will allow for an expanded practice area.
- Banner canvas skirts have been added to the fencing around campus swimming pools for increased privacy.
- An elevator in the Echo building adds accessibility to the second floor.
- Planning is underway for improvements for the courtyard between Buildings 1 and 6.
Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at mike.kilen@gcu.edu
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