McCarthy tops out $32M Arizona elementary school project

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St. Louis-based McCarthy topped out the first phase of the Galveston Elementary Campus Renovation Project in Chandler, Arizona, the builder announced on March 25. The total cost of the project is $32 million.

Phase 1, which began in September 2023 and will finish in October, includes the construction of a 53,000-square-foot, two-story classroom building, a 7,000-square-foot administration structure and a 21,000-square-foot multipurpose/gymnasium facility, per the release. For Phase 2, which will begin in October, the project team will demolish the original complex and build new athletic fields and a playground area.

Located in Chandler, Arizona, the 11-acre campus is being redesigned with modern amenities and a nod to the 61-year-old school’s cultural history. Improvements include:

• A multipurpose room with a large divider that can be opened or closed to accommodate multiple space needs for community events, performances and sporting events. 
• A cafeteria within the multipurpose building that is capable of being isolated from the gymnasium so physical education classes can occur while lunch is being served. Includes large rollup glass doors, allowing for indoor and outdoor dining. 
• An amphitheater that can host indoor and outdoor events, located adjacent to the multipurpose room and outdoor dining area.
• Security upgrades, including card reader access controls on all doors and forced entry-resistant glass on all entrances. 

The entire project will finish in 2025, per the release.

School infrastructure is aging around the country: A new study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that the average age of a main instructional school building is 49 years old.

Other builders are also getting in on school-related work — Edmonton, Alberta-based Clark Builders recently won a $91.1 million contract to build a new secondary school in British Columbia, Canada.