Grand Canyon University continues to set the bar with the construction of its newest campus housing complex. Already the 6th highest ranked residence halls in the country, GCU is adding three, six-story, 242,000-square-feet residence halls with approximately 600 single-occupancy sleeping units for Fall of 2021 — just in time for what the university anticipates to be its biggest year ever in enrollment.
Inspired by and named after local Arizona rivers Salt, Verde and Aqua Fria, “theRivers” apartment-style units are geared toward upperclassmen who want to remain on campus in their final years at GCU. theRivers accommodates privacy while offering community areas that include indoor-outdoor space for fitness, an arcade and dining and coffee gathering spots.
• Agua Fria Residence Hall – includes indoor-outdoor GCBC coffee shop/café and student social gathering space
• Salt River Residence Hall – includes indoor-outdoor gaming area
• Verde River Residence Hall – includes indoor-outdoor fitness center, Nektar Juice Bar and Panera Bread eatery
With over 60% of traditional ground students living on campus because of the camaraderie and convenience on campus, GCU is committed to providing new buildings for students on a regular basis.
The three apartments bring the total number of residence halls on campus to 27 with the capacity to house approximately 16,000 students.
The complex is part of $100 million in capital expenditures planned for 2020 and is being financed using GCU’s cash reserves. GCU has used its cash reserves to invest $1.5 billion into the campus in the past 10 years without passing those costs on to students (tuition has been frozen on the ground campus for 12 straight years).
theRivers is located on the southeast corner of Missouri Avenue and 29th Avenue, just east of the Canyon Activities Complex (which includes the Activity Center with 10 multipurpose courts, a rock-climbing wall and fitness center; tennis courts; outdoor hockey rink; skate park; and multi-use intramural fields)
Pono Construction is the general contractor for all GCU buildings, and Suoll Architects is the architect.
