• Arizona State University expects construction to begin in July on a new 200,000-square-foot ASU Health building in downtown Phoenix, with completion targeted before the fall 2028 semester.Ěý

• A second signature project — the $187 million John S. McCain III Library and Museum in Tempe — is expected to start construction in late spring and finish in fall 2028.Ěý

• Other 2026 work includes a $66 million expansion and renovation of the PolytechnicĚýcampusĚýStudent Union and ASU’s first 3D-printed market-and-shade structure.Ěý

• AdditionalĚýprojects highlighted include modernization work at the Bateman Physical Sciences Center H-wing and a multiphase renovation at Desert Financial Arena.Ěý

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PHOENIX — Arizona State University is lining up a mix of new builds and renovations in 2026 that university officials say will expand health education capacity, improve studentĚýfacilitiesĚýand modernize olderĚýacademicĚýand athletics spaces.Ěý

Two of the year’s most prominent projects include a new ASU Health building in downtown Phoenix and the John S. McCain III Library and Museum in Tempe, alongside student-facing upgrades on the Polytechnic and Tempe campuses.Ěý

Construction for the ASU Health building is expected to begin in July and finish before the start of theĚýfall 2028Ěýsemester. The 200,000-square-foot facility in downtown Phoenix is planned to house the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, the Health Observatory at ASU and the School of Technology for Public Health, according to the university.Ěý

The project budget is about $200 million for construction and equipment, according to Tim Smith, vice president for facilities development management at ASU. “The unique thing about ASU Health is that the med school of the future is not defined.ĚýSoĚýwe’reĚýtrying to define that as the train is moving and the tracks are being laid,” he said, according toĚý.Ěý

Smith also pointed to technology-enabled instruction as a differentiator for the new program. “A lot of it will be tech driven. The augmented reality, virtualĚýrealityĚýand ways that our students will learn are not the way that most traditional med schools have approached it,” he said, according toĚý.Ěý

The ASU Health project is paired with an $8 million renovation of the Mercado building on the Downtown Phoenix campus, which the university said will temporarily house ASU Health until the new building opens.Ěý

In Tempe, ASU is also planning the John S. McCain III Library and Museum, dedicated to the legacy of the late U.S. senator and Navy veteran. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in January, and construction on the $187 million project is expected to begin in late spring and finish in fall 2028.ĚýThe planned 80,000-square-foot building is set to include an immersive museum, a library, a cafĂ©, a lecture hall, event space and multipurpose areas for the university and the community.Ěý

On the Polytechnic campus, ASU plans to renovate and expand the Student Union,Ěýroughly doublingĚýits size. The $66 million effort includes renovating dining and bookstore space and adding lounges,ĚýclassroomsĚýand meeting rooms for student organizations. Work is scheduled to begin this summer and finish next summer.Ěý

ASU also highlighted plans for its first 3D-printed structure: a 1,200-square-foot shade-and-market building next to the ISTB 12 facility that would serve people waiting at the campus shuttle stop. The university said the project is a collaboration with Aramark, ASU’s dining services provider, and does not yet have a timeline.Ěý

AdditionalĚýprojects outlined include phased modernization of the Bateman Physical Sciences Center H-wing —ĚýaĚý$115 million effort expected to continue through summer 2028 — and a multiphase, three-year renovation at Desert Financial Arena with completion targeted for December 2029.Ěý

This article is based on reporting originally published by ASU News on Feb. 13, 2026.Ěý

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By Lindsey CoulterĚý

PHOENIX — Arizona State University (ASU) recently announced plans for an estimated 200,000-square-foot building in Phoenix that will serve as ASU Health’s new headquarters. The multistory School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering facility, designed by CO Architects in collaboration with DFDG Architecture and being constructed by McCarthy Building Companies, will join the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix and several biotech research companies at the downtown Phoenix Bioscience Core.Ěý

“This endeavor is more than a building, and this is much more than a medical school,” said ASU President Michael Crow, in a statement. “This will be the headquarters of ASU Health, a new hub of innovation, teaching and learning to enhance health outcomes for the people of Arizona.”Ěý

The project is one of several within the city’s Bioscience CoreĚýdesigned by CO Architects. The firm is responsible for two of the precinct’s early buildings for University of Arizona’s health sciences and biomedical research programs. “We’re leveraging our vast experience in Arizona, and in Phoenix specifically, for the new ASU Health facility,” said Jenna Knudsen, FAIA, Managing Principal of CO Architects, in a statement.Ěý

DFDG Architecture also recently collaborated on the ASU Health Futures Building and the adjacent Mayo Clinic Integrated Education & Research Building to integrate medical research and educational training in North Phoenix. “That momentum will carry over to this project, the latest addition to greater Phoenix’s health-sciences construction boom,” said DFDG President Darrin Orndorff, AIA, in a statement.Ěý

In addition to housing ASU’s first-ever Phoenix medical school offering MD degrees and hosting select existing programs from the Health Solutions and Nursing schools, the building will include space for ASU’s clinical affiliate,Ěý. The new facility will also accommodate two new programs, expanding ASU Health’s multi-discipline curricula. The School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering will teach future physicians how to improve patient care by blending medicine, engineering, technology and humanities. ASU Health’s new School of Technology for Public Health will focus on the integration of digital technology and data-driven decisions, aiming to improve local public health.Ěý

Facility features are projected to include virtual anatomy and clinical-skills laboratories, exam rooms, classrooms, study spaces, administrative offices, and a simulation center with mock operating and emergency rooms. Further, the new ASU Health headquarters will offer community-facing programs so that members of the public can interface with technology-enabled information on health-related issues such as immunizations.ĚýĚý

“ASU’s forward-thinking approach to preparing future medical and health service professionals and advancing community health education is plainly demonstrated by this progressive project,” said Carlos Diaz, Vice President of Operations at McCarthy Building Companies, in a statement. “We are eager to bring together our national expertise in simulation lab construction and our local team’s demonstrated competence on complex worksites to collaborate with these exceptional design partners and support ASU’s vision.”Ěý

The ASU Health School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering building is designed to help address workforce shortages while improving public health outcomes in Phoenix and beyond. Preliminary sitework is set to begin this fall, with construction starting in early 2026. ASU Health will begin accepting student applications later this year and plans to commence classes in the new building in fall 2028.Ěý

The project team also includes Meyer Borgman Johnson (structural engineering), Spectrum Engineers (MEP engineering), Dibble Engineers (civil engineering), TrueForm Landscape Architecture Studio (landscape architecture), Bowman Fire & Life Safety (safety consultant), WSP USA Buildings (sustainability consultant) and NV5 (AV/IT/security consultant).Ěý

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Construction recently concluded on Arizona State University’s (ASU) University Gateway Building (UGB), a $78 million, five-story mixed-use facility with an architecturally complex facade. The structure unifies retail, education, and art spaces under one sustainably designed roof.Ěý

“The University Gateway Building marks a significant milestone for Arizona State University, linking the west side of the Tempe campus with the vibrant energy of Mill Avenue,” said Tim Smith, ASU Facilities Development and Management vice president in a statement. “With its distinctive angular façade, we have a visual showpiece that inspires ideas and innovation.”Ěý

The 128,000-square-foot structure was the remaining element to a two-part project completed in tandem by the design-build team of St. Louis, Mo.-based McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and Phoenix-based DFDG Architects. The first part of the project, a six-story parking structure, was completed last year.Ěý

Inside the UGBĚý

Classrooms within the UGB are home to the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts where students study music, music therapy, photography, e-sports, architecture and animation programs. Designed with acoustics in mind, the building’s third floor features an extensive sound isolation system from Phoenix-based TP Acoustics Inc., to manage both internal and external noise. The firm helped develop the ideal settings for instrument practice rooms, group rehearsal spaces, recording studios and a music therapy clinic for the college’s music program.

An e-sport gaming lounge, large computer labs, 3D printing technology and state-of-the-art dark rooms all have homes within the other three academic floors and are neighbored by faculty offices and flex study areas for nearby academic support.ĚýĚý

By grouping similar occupants, the projectĚýteam maximized the use of special elements, i.e. sound-proofed areas for various sound needs or dark spaces designed to be adjacent to photography study areas, according to Jonathan Kimble, project manager at McCarthy Building Companies. Kimble spoke to the value of developing a mixed-use space and strategically separating or conjoining amenities. Ěý

“Sometimes that separation can be a hard line between floors or slowly transitioning from office space on one end of the building to a photo lab on the other end by mixing in study spaces, classrooms and lounge areas to help soften the transition”Ěý

However, the building isn’t all academically focused. To maximize land use for various stakeholder groups, the building offers leasable restaurant and retail spaces on the ground level. A pedestrian walkway along the building’s facade creates an inviting environment for community members and complementing the building’s innovativeĚýhigh-performance thermal, air and vapor envelope. Ěý

The exposed facades are designed to minimize direct solar gain with various shading strategies. For instance, the western facade features a unitized skin system with a deeply faceted geometric design, providing coverage from sunlight to help reduce energy consumption.Ěý

Designing this angular facade brought a variety of challenges beyond the building’s shape alone, such as the street’s building’s bustling, arterial Mill Avenue location and the overall process of creating a showcase design that serves as the gateway to ASU’s campus.Ěý

“To overcome these challenges, we worked closely with our design team as well as our trade partner, KT-Fabrication, to create a superior skin system that would not only be a statement piece for ASU but could also be prefabricated and shipped to the site for installation to help mitigate disruption to traffic,” said Kimble. “We built a mockup of the skin panels at KT-Fabrication’s yard where we were able to perform testing and review with ASU to make any necessary adjustments prior to installing the panels on site.”Ěý

Parking SolutionsĚý

The UGB wraps around the $42 million Mill Avenue parking structure, completed in 2023. The structure, the first phase of the Mill Avenue project by design-build team McCarthy Building Companies Inc. and DFDG Architects, added 1,205 parking spaces to the area. Ěý

ASU’s dedication to sustainability remains evident in the 429,000-square-foot parking structure, which features EV charging stations on the first and third floors. The six-story building has a rooftop photovoltaic array for electrical power generation, while below the structure underground thermal energy storage supports campus cooling. Secure bike parking is offered, with changing rooms and showers also included to support greener commutes. ĚýĚý

Commissioning of the two-part project entailed sourcing chilled-water air handlers and pumps, a dedicated outdoor air system, electric water heaters, circulation pumps, hydronic heat exchangers and exhaust fans. Advanced lighting, including control systems for dimming and motion sensing, were also critical to the environmentally sustainable elements of the project. The combined parking structure and University Gateway Building are projected to meet LEED Silver and Parksmart Gold certifications. Ěý

Key construction trade partners also included Sun Valley Masonry in Phoenix, and Tempe, Ariz.-based companies Arizona Elevator Solutions and RH Dupper Landscaping. Ěý

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TEMPE, Ariz.—A goal of the ASU Alumni Law Project has been realized, thanks to the redesign and unveiling of the space in front of the campus’s Old Main building. General contractor Willmeng Construction worked in conjunction with architecture firm Norris Design on the 2.7-acre revision, which makes the space far more pedestrian-friendly and also opens up sightlines on the campus. The lawn now effectively functions as a revitalized “front door” to Arizona State University, located in the Phoenix suburbs.

The project required installing 26,000 square feet of pavers. Additional work entailed reworking the grounds themselves, upgrading its irrigation, paving sidewalks as well as installing a drainage system to capture rainwater in the desert environment to thereafter redirect it to landscaping needs. Norris Design’s plans also included placing several benches, decorative metal screen panels, eight retractable bollards and new signage along University Drive.

Other renovations entailed a new playground, 13,000-square-foot irrigation pond, restroom facilities and 210,000 square feet of parking spaces. Landscaping work included installing palm trees. And because Alumni Lawn is often utilized for campus events, part of the redesign incorporated an updated power grid on the grounds to power various equipment.

Norris Design and Willmeng Construction worked with project partners including Hawkeye Electric, DTR Landscape Development, Wood Patel Civil Engineers, Dynamite Concrete and M&J Construction.

ASU Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer Dr. Morgan Olsen said at a spring ribbon-cutting that the school made the decision to invest in revitalizing the Alumni Lawn given its importance to campus life.

“As I think about this place…it’s sort of sacred in a sense,” Olsen said. “The university is moving so fast, growing so quickly and changing at the forefront of the invention of new knowledge. And yet we still have this place [where] people can come and relax and reflect and celebrate their relationships with each other and with the institution, and sort of create their own history here.”

Willmeng Construction CEO James Murphy, an alumnus and associate faculty member of ASU’s Del E. Webb School of Construction, said that his personal connection to the campus informed his firm’s approach to giving the Alumni Lawn a new lease.

“I know how important this project was to the university and what this space means to myself and all Sun Devils,” Murphy said. “I am extremely proud of our team for the way they executed a challenging project without getting in the way of this dynamic campus.”

“When prospective students are visiting ASU, we always take the tours right by Old Main so people can understand the historical nature of the university and where it started,” Dr. Christine Wilkinson, senior vice president and secretary of the university and ASU Alumni Association president, said at the ribbon-cutting. She added that, as a student embarks on their journey as a Sun Devil, the Alumni Lawn often serves as an important photo backdrop. “This is a space that thousands and thousands of people will experience over the years as they celebrate the memories of their university experience,” she said.

Willmeng Construction has been working in the greater Phoenix Metro Area since 1977, specializing in tenant improvement and ground-up work. Their previous work with ASU includes the CRTVC Dreamscape, a nearly 10,000-square-foot multimedia center.

“We’re very humbled to have the opportunity to build yet another project with ASU and to work on this central focal point of the campus,” said Willmeng’s Murphy.

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“The stadium reconstruction will redefine stadiums, providing ASU with more and higher-quality amenities to improve the fan and team experience,” said Ryan Abbott, senior vice president and southwest district manager for Sundt Construction Inc.

A major part of the project was completed in Phase II, which focused on the west and north sides of the stadium. It created two new concourses, new concessions and restrooms, and three new premium club or suite areas. It also included the beginning work at the north end of the stadium that involved building a kitchen, operation center, loading area and back-of-house operations area. Gould Evans Associates, with offices in Phoenix, designed the $64 million facility.

“This project has not only improved the fan experience, but elevated an aging 58-year-old stadium to the most technologically advanced stadium in college football, featuring a state-of-the-art Distributed Antenna System (DAS) and Wi-Fi network,” Abbott said. “Once construction on the last phase is complete, the university will be able to use the stadium as a multipurpose entertainment hub.”

The stadium was originally constructed in 1958 with approximately 30,000 seats, then renovated in 1977 to hold 70,311 seats and then again in 1988 to hold 72,011 seats. While these expansions enhanced the stadium’s capacity, they posed a challenge for the project team working on the latest renovation.

“These renovations brought with them varying levels of infrastructure upgrades structural designs that stitched components together and isolated others,” Abbott said. “We’ve had to be diligent in discovery, an integrated input into the design.”

The Stadium was built between two mountains and the Salt River bed, which means any work on the bowl had to be completed from the field side and the narrow fire lane on the west (under the upper bowl), according to Abbott. The north end of the stadium is now constructed on engineered fill where the Salt River had eroded native soil when Hayden Butte diverted its flow.

The construction team is currently in Phase II-a, which will involve completing the north end zone with more new seating as well as the Sun Deck Terrace and a new Student Athlete Facility. Last year, Hunt-Sundt completed the first phase of the project, which included infrastructure work and rebuilding the south end zone, while Phase III will include focusing on the east side of the stadium to create a new main and upper concourse and a new east sideline club.

“The construction phases had to be threaded in between football seasons,” Abbott said. “The [project] team had to construct the equivalent of two average Arizona homes for 265 days straight to arrive at game day. We’ve had to develop new and varied ways of aggregating long lead materials, [managing] an immense workforce and being agile enough to accommodate better ideas in production.”

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