For most of the early history of Tempe, Ariz., the skyline was dominated by the iconic Hayden Flour Mill’s two 112-ft silos. It wasn’t until 1967 and the construction of Arizona State University's Manzanita Hall dormitory that the mill was eclipsed.
More than 30 years later, however, with population growth and a dearth of open spaces available for development in a highly sought-after area, Tempe began to look skyward. A handful of high-profile, high-rise projects soon followed, including West Sixth, 115 W. SIxth Street, and Hayden Ferry Lakeside, along the Salt River.
Hub On Campus, a new high-rise which is currently mere months from completion, will soon join these projects as one of the tallest buildings in the city, at 19 stories and 193-ft. The site — a stone’s throw from the enigmatic A-mountain of Arizona State University, and a station along the Valley Metro light-rail line — had been home to the Arizona National Guard.
Hub On Campus is in close proximity of the Valley Metro Light Rail line.
“The project is coming along in an amazing way,” says Ryan Cooney, project manager for Beal | Derkenne Construction. “Not only is Hub On Campus an outstanding project for BDC and our client, but will have a positive economic impact for the city of Tempe in the long and short term.”
Construction has moved onto the finishing stages of the interior build out of the building which will be capable of housing more than 600 residents on 17 residential floors and will also include two floors with 25,000-sq-ft of retail space and an added 6,550-sq-ft feet of restaurants. Apartments run the gamut from 400-sq-ft studios to nearly 1,700-sq-ft, five bedroom communal spaces. Some of the amenities will include a cutting edge pool area, a sand volleyball court and a 22-ft tall outdoor LED video wall.
Work began 16 months ago and has employed 450 trade workers.
The exterior skin is complete and interiors are estimated at about 85% completion with work ongoing including cabinets for kitchen and bath, counters, carpet, paint as well as public areas and site work.
Challenges always abound on a construction project, and a project centered within an urban environment that is along the pathway of thousands of university students a day, faced out-of-the ordinary challenges as well. According to BDC, some of the most daunting challenges included significant unforeseen utility issues, a need to coordinate utility work after hours due to the project’s proximity to the university campus, the need for an on site archaeologist and a fast-paced schedule that included split shifts and weekend work.
“There were a million challenges on this project, but BDC mastered all of them to deliver this project for move in schedule,” says Andrew Beal, owner and founder of BDC.
The facility is also in search of LEED accreditation which included multiple dumpsters on site for concrete, steel, wood, drywall and general trash that were removed and their weights tracked for compilation into LEED model. Of course, certification will also be sought by the use of environmentally conscious systems and finishes.
Hub On Campus is expected to be completed by August, just before students begin to arrive for the fall semester.