Arizona Western College officials and students gathered this past week to break ground on a new residence hall. The DeAnza residence hall will keep its original name but with big upgrades.
The new DeAnza residence hall is part of a capital building project at AWC. A new building will replace the decades-old structure that was demolished last year.
Dimercia Poulain is an international student from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She currently lives in the AWC dorms.
“Most essentially, this will mean having a community for students on campus and for international students, it’s a home away from home,” Poulain said.
Officials said they received student input on what will be included in the new area.
The new residence hall will include a theater room, group study areas, a rooftop patio, a fitness center and mail will be directly delivered to students. That's according to Dr. Nikki Hage, AWC's associate dean of campus life and student conduct.
"AWC is continuing to grow... for our students and for the future," Hage told KAWC.
The new building is part of a $35 million revenue bond. The new dorm is being designed by Thompson Architecture and will be built by Core Construction.
