ASU's 2026 construction plans span the entire Valley

ASU's 2026 Building Boom Is Changing the Valley

If you've driven past Arizona State University's Tempe campus lately and noticed cranes popping up like saguaros after a monsoon, you're not imagining things. ASU is in the middle of one of its most ambitious construction years yet, and the results will reshape campuses across the entire Valley.

The headliner is the $200 million ASU Health building going up in downtown Phoenix. Set to break ground in July, the 200,000-square-foot structure will house the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, along with a School of Technology for Public Health. This isn't your grandfather's medical school either. ASU leaders describe it as a tech-driven facility built for augmented and virtual reality learning, basically rewriting the playbook on how future doctors get trained.

Meanwhile, back on the Tempe campus, nostalgia is giving way to progress. Best, Irish and Hayden halls, three dorms dating back to the 1940s and 50s, are being knocked down to make room for a brand-new residential complex between ASU Gammage and the Apache Parking structure. The first phase delivers roughly 800 beds plus a bookstore and campus marketplace, all expected ready for fall 2028.

Perhaps the most emotionally resonant project is the $187 million John S. McCain III Library and Museum rising on Curry Road. Ground breaks in late spring with a fall 2028 completion target. The 80,000-square-foot facility will house an immersive museum, library, cafe, and event spaces celebrating the legacy of Arizona's beloved senator and war hero.

Over at the Polytechnic campus in Mesa, a $66 million Student Union renovation will nearly double the building's size, and ASU is building its very first 3D-printed structure, a 1,200-square-foot shade and market building. Sun Devils everywhere, the future is being poured right now.

Sources: ASU News | AZ Big Media | AZ Tech Council | Construction Owners