Arizona Christian University (ACU) president Len Munsil is announcing today that ACU will be moving from its current location to a new Glendale campus, the former home of Thunderbird School of Global Management. The move will take place with the start of the 2019-20 school year in August. This announcement follows the completion of a land exchange agreement through which ACU is exchanging land of equal value – its former campus on Cactus Road in Phoenix — with Arizona State University (ASU) for a portion of the campus formerly occupied by the Thunderbird School.
“Arizona Christian University has been at capacity at its current location for the last few years. We have been evaluating options for a new campus that would provide our students, faculty and staff with improved academic facilities, more on-campus housing and room for athletic fields so our student-athletes can practice and compete on campus,” said Munsil. “When ASU moved the Thunderbird campus downtown, a great opportunity was presented. We’re looking forward to bringing this campus back to life and infusing the classrooms and grounds with the energy of our student body next fall.”
For the past several months, Arizona Christian University has been working with Arizona State University on a land exchange agreement, which involves the exchange of 20 acres at Cactus Road and 25th Street for nearly 69 acres at 59th Avenue and Greenway.
“I could not be more excited to have Arizona Christian University relocating to Glendale and repurposing this historic property,” said Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers. “We welcome ACU and know they will be a great addition to our community.”
The new ACU Glendale campus opened in 1941 as the first U.S. Army air-training base in the Phoenix area, before becoming a university campus in 1946. The Thunderbird School of Global Management was moved to downtown Phoenix earlier this year, following ASU’s acquisition of the school in 2015.
