Ottawa University Arizona (OUAZ) is excited to announce the addition of a 73,461-square-foot student housing facility, the latest building to be constructed at the year-old residential campus. The $19.9 million project is set to open next November 2019. The groundbreaking ceremony is slated for Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 10:30 a.m. at Spirit Field on the OUAZ campus. Phoenix-based NOVO Development is the developer on the project, working in concert with architectural firm HKS and construction firm Wespac Construction.
“We are thrilled to be at this stage of our exciting new campus in Surprise,” said Chancellor of Ottawa University, Kevin C. Eichner. “Our partnerships with the City of Surprise and NOVO Development are exemplary and give us great confidence in the impact these first-class facilities will have on our rapidly growing student population.”
This four-story building, the first of the on-site housing buildings planned for the campus, will include 312 beds and is located on an approximately 4-acre site, adjacent to Surprise City Hall.
“NOVO Development is honored to have been selected as the development partner of Ottawa University for its current campus expansion,” said Principal of NOVO Development, Kurt Rosene. “We look forward to contributing to the incredible growth and success of OUAZ within the Surprise City Center.”
Kansas-based Ottawa University is a 154 year-old private, Christian institution that opened its first Arizona campus in the late ‘70s, addressing the educational needs of adults and professionals since that time. In 2017, OUAZ welcomed students to its residential campus for the first time and in the fall of 2018, saw an increase of more than 50 percent to 658 total students in just over 14 months of operation. The University has worked closely with the City of Surprise since its inception.
“The OUAZ student housing at the civic and recreation campus is the exclamation point to the city council’s strategic plan on higher education,” said Mike Hoover, community development liaison for the city of Surprise.
OUAZ offers a unique and innovative educational model with FlexTerm scheduling, providing the opportunity for students to accelerate their graduation timelines and to better enable students to work, play their sports and have educational experiences outside the classroom. The model also includes OUAZ’s Personal Growth Days on Wednesdays, where students participate in a weekly Spirit Life service, community meal and workshops aimed at enhancing life and work skills.
For more information on Ottawa University Arizona visit ottawa.edu/ouaz/home or like them on Facebook @OttawaUniversityArizona and Instagram @ottawa_university_ouaz.
