11 Feb $17.5 million Matador Activity Center comes to AWC Fall ’23

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YUMA — McCarthy Building Companies recently completed the topping out of the $17.5 million Matador Activity Center at Arizona Western College (AWC). The center, which will serve more than 11,000 students, features a two-story, 45,000-square-feet building set on 3.5 acres within the campus and will open in fall 2023.
Located at 2020 S. Avenue 8E in Yuma, Ariz., the Matador Activity Center will include a lecture hall, multiple instructional modalities, shared common areas, conference rooms, Maker Space, an eatery, game areas and a state-of-the-art multimedia center and esports arena.
The multimedia center will house the KAWC radio station and broadcast television studio with an emphasis on modern technology. Students and the public will be able to observe behind-the-scenes production through glass walls and TV monitors.
The Matador Activity Center will also provide honors students with a sanctuary to study and collaborate on group projects; a food pantry and clothing program for disadvantaged students named Andale’s Pantry; and 13,000 square feet of administrative space on the second floor.
“Achieving topping out on the Matador Activity Center is exciting and brings our objective of further contributing to the student experience at AZ Western College and serving future generations closer to realization,” said AWC President Dr. Daniel Corr. “We’re thrilled to see the progress on the building and look forward to opening it up to our students and staff this fall.”
The project is being funded through board-approved revenue bonds for the college’s capital building efforts. Revenue bonds do not raise taxes for local taxpayers in Yuma and La Paz County; instead, they guarantee revenue to pay off bonds.
“Topping out a project is an important milestone to mark the great progress our team is making,” said Jakob Lund, project manager at McCarthy Building Companies. “On site and around campus you can feel the excitement for what the new building will bring to the students and staff. We’re proud to help make the College’s vision of an enhanced student engagement experience a reality.”
EMC2 is the design architect on the Matador Activity Center. Major trade partners working on the project include Haxton Masonry, Delta Diversified Enterprises, Yuma Valley Contractors, Pacific Steel Inc. and Progressive Roofing.