Staff Reports | Business & Construction
Western Maricopa Education Center, a career technical education school district, recently broke ground on a $13.5 million expansion of its northeast campus, found at 1617 W. Williams Drive in Deer Valley.
The expansion will add two new training facilities, update equipment and create more space to serve additional students.
The facility is a 16,500 square-foot advanced manufacturing and welding building that will feature an advanced manufacturing lab and cleanroom, both outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment. The building will also contain a 2,000 square-foot cutting-edge electric vehicle bay that includes a teaching facility with car lifts and first-hand instructional areas.
“The demand for advance manufacturing, welding and EV/hybrid continues to grow so we wanted to ensure we had a top-of-the-line space for our students and enough courses to account for the next generation of workers,” said Dr. Scott Spurgeon, West-MEC’s superintendent, in a prepared statement. “This is one of many expansion projects we have on the horizon, and we look forward to continuing to grow one of the largest and best CTE schools in the Valley.”
Advanced manufacturing, welding, and electrical vehicle/hybrid repair industries are growing exponentially across the nation, and especially in Arizona, making this an ideal time to ensure students have a proper education, credentials, and workforce experience to prepare them for successful careers.
The project, designed by Orcutt | Winslow and constructed by McCarthy Building Companies and is slated to be completed before the 2025-26 school year.
