PHOENIX—The new Sierra Linda Performing Arts Center, a 24,000-square-foot facility located at Sierra Linda High School in Phoenix, is now complete.

As part of the Tolleson Union High School District, the $10.5 million center was designed for maximum functionality for students, educators, and audience members, accommodating more than 600 people. To serve area arts education programs and the broader community, the center is being used as a hands-on teaching space for the Sierra Linda High School’s performing arts/fine arts programs and is acoustically balanced for both amplified sound and live performances. Funding for the project was provided by school bond dollars.

The stage includes state-of-the-art LED lighting with automatic stage rigging and controls. The back of the house includes a dance classroom, a multi-purpose classroom for guitar, mariachi and piano lessons, as well as associated restrooms and make-up rooms. The design scheme utilizes mountains on the walls and a color palette that complements Sierra Linda’s school colors of navy and maroon.

“We are absolutely thrilled that our Sierra Linda students will finally have a state-of-the-art performing arts center to showcase their talents,” said Tolleson Union High School District Superintendent Nora Gutierrez, in a statement.

“It is long overdue. This community deserves a beautiful facility such as this one. The performing arts center is one that will serve the community for many years to come. We can’t wait for the wonderful performances and events that will take place in this wonderful facility.

McCarthy Building Companies was the general contractor on this impressive project that took nine months to complete. ADM Group served as the project architect.

“This project illustrates that creative design and construction solutions combined with smart budgeting can elevate a school theater beyond status quo to a professional quality theater for the entire community to enjoy,” said Mike Horn, project director for McCarthy’s Education Services team.

ADM Group completed the original high school campus design in 2010, which included plans for a future performing arts center.

“Our team is proud to have designed a premier performance arts venue that will elevate the rich, cultural fabric at Sierra Linda High School,” said Nina Sheriff, principal/director of Design with ADM Group, in a statement.

“To pay homage to a nearby historic canal, the landscape design features a levee with river rocks that flow to and from the theater’s entrance. To reflect the name of the school, ‘beautiful mountains’, the side walls of the auditorium were constructed in the shape of mountains with lighting to glow like the sunset. The long-awaited performing arts center honors the community’s roots and gives students a modern, high-tech space to showcase their talents.”

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PHOENIX — Creighton University has reached an agreement on the construction of a new, nearly $100 million health sciences campus at Park Central in midtown Phoenix, a significant expansion of the university’s current presence in the state.

The project will be broken into two phases, with phase one to include a new 200,000-square-foot building that will eventually house nearly 800 Creighton health sciences students in Arizona.

The expansion will include a four-year medical school, nursing school, occupational and physical therapy schools, pharmacy school, physician assistant school and emergency medical services program. A second building adjacent to the first may be added in the future.

The new building will be located along Central Avenue on the Park Central property, on land that is currently a parking lot. Construction on the new building will begin in spring 2019, the first on the Park Central site in decades, and is expected to be completed in spring 2021.

Creighton’s new Phoenix campus will meet the University’s current needs while providing ample room for expansion in the future, and the central Phoenix location makes it convenient for students doing their residencies and other studies at nearby hospitals.

“Creighton University is preparing for an exciting new era in Phoenix, one that combines our tradition for educational excellence in the health sciences with our distinctive Jesuit, Catholic mission,” said the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, president of Creighton University. “Creighton University has strong connections to the Arizona medical community, and we look forward to expanding our impact by educating many more exceptionally qualified health care professionals to serve the community moving forward.”

The new Creighton University facility is also a significant boost for the revitalization of Park Central. Sharon Harper, president & CEO of Plaza Companies that is redeveloping Park Central in partnership with Holualoa Companies, said Creighton is an ideal fit for the project.

“The new Park Central will have a focus not only on the creation of world-class office, retail and public spaces, but also on a commitment to health and innovation,” said Harper. “Creighton University’s commitment to innovating in health care education makes it a great partner, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have them join the Park Central family.”

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PHOENIX — Hundreds of schools across Arizona continued closure May 1 as educators and their supporters marked their fourth day of a statewide walkout, demanding teacher raises and restoring necessary school funding back to pre-recession rates.

Sparked from nationwide demonstrations, the walkout began late April with nearly 110 districts and charter schools comprised of 852,000 students closed, making it the largest teacher walkout in recent U.S. history. More than 50,000 educators, parents, students and supporters filled the streets of downtown Phoenix later convening at the Capitol to voice their demands.

According to CNN, the Arizona Educators United (AEU), a coalition of Arizonan teachers and educational professionals, asked for a 20 percent pay raise for teachers by next school year and annual raises after that until teacher salaries reach the national average. Leaders of AEU said they would end the walkout if the state legislature approved a budget. However, the budget fell short of what AEU originally demanded.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Republican leaders in the legislature offered a deal May 1, announcing that they were giving a 20 percent pay increase to teachers without raising taxes. The proposal also includes making the first payment toward restoring nearly $400 million slashed from school building and maintenance budgets following the 2008 recession. This, however, did not satisfy the teacher’s demands for improved education funding, contending that the proposal would not be viable without tax measures.

Teachers of Statewide Walkout Take Matters into Their Own Hands

The teachers continued their protest even when the legislature was released while grassroots groups filed paperwork to introduce a ballot initiative, bypassing lawmakers and going straight to the voters for education funding. The initiative, if included in the November ballot, would plan to increase income tax on wealthier Arizonans to support education funding.

AEU leaders told the media that they didn’t get everything they wanted but promised to keep fighting. “They are only going so far. They will not restore the $1.5 billion the AEU wanted,” said Noah Karvelis, a teacher and AEU organizer, at the news conference. “The war is not over, but we’ve won an important battle to move the legislature this far.”

Schools anticipate to open May 3 as teachers participating in the walkout say they will return to school if the governor passes the budget proposal.

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