BUILDING ON SUCCESS
Construction school expands to meet Arizona's needs

You can't go anywhere in the Valley of the Sun without encountering construction: light rail, the Phoenix Convention Center expansion and a new hotel in downtown Phoenix; huge industrial parks everywhere, especially in the southwest valley; infill projects in Scottsdale; and new retail developments, schools and hospitals as far as the eye can see.

There won't be a lull in the action anytime soon. And while that gives members of the construction industry reason to celebrate, it's also a cause for concern. Projects may be delayed because there aren't enough professionals available with expertise in the type of project being pursued. A recent article in the Arizona Republic noted that the greatest needs locally are for project managers, who oversee entire construction developments and make sure they finish on time and within budget, and estimators, who ensure that the costs of doing a job are priced appropriately.

With that in mind, the Del E. Webb School of Construction at ASU is planning a $40 million expansion. Supported by a current campaign known as "Building Foundations," the school's growth plan calls for a brand-new 110,000-square-foot academic facility to house the school, an increase in the faculty's headcount to 40 and a surge in enrollment to 800, approximately double the school's current enrollment.

The expansion will be financed by $20 million raised from industry sources and another $20 million in proposed debt financing for the school.

One element of the expansion is being championed by alumni associated with the Arizona chapter of Associated General Contractors of America, an organization made up of member companies that include contractors, construction companies and homebuilders. The chapter launched a $4 million campaign in November to help the construction school augment its heavy-construction curriculum and participate in the larger expansion plans.

One of the campaign's leaders is Stephen Basila '89 B.S., president of Pulice Construction. Basila said despite a surge in heavy construction 9which covers projects such as highways, power plans and pipelines), only 10 percent of the school's students are majoring in the subject.

In two months, the chapter's member organizations have contributed more than $2 million. David Martin '89 B.S., president of the Arizona chapter said the organization's vision is to use $3 million of the projected funds to endow a professorship to bolster an academic concentration in heavy highway construction. The remaining $1 million would go toward the construction school's expansion plans, he said.

For more information about the school of construction or its expansion, please visit http://construction.asu.edu.