In early February, civic leaders and development partners came together to celebrate the “Bottoming Out” of Central Station, a milestone moment marked by the completion of the site’s excavation setting the stage for the underground portion of the development. The project’s bottoming out will set the foundation for the 1 million square foot multi-use development to rise above the ground and take shape as a cornerstone and vibrant urban hub within downtown Phoenix.

“A redevelopment project in downtown Phoenix aiming to make better use of the transit depot at Central Avenue and Van Buren Street is on track to begin opening for student housing in the fall 2024 semester.

Central Station, which will include two towers, one for student-oriented housing and one that will be traditional apartments, recently reached a construction milestone the developer called “bottoming out,” meaning the underground excavation work to clear a pit for the underground parking lot has been completed.

The milestone is significant, designers of the project said, because the below-grade parking structure will allow the project to be urban and walkable on the ground floor, without visible parking.

‘It’s not easy to build below-grade parking, but it is important to create a vibrant, urban environment that is not full of parking,’ Krista Shepherd, principal at Multistudio, the designer of the project, said.”

“The finished development will require incorporating the bus station, which was temporarily relocated during construction, and the existing light rail lines that border either side of the site. The development will also include 70,000 square feet of office space and ground-floor retail space.

The student housing portion, which will be a 22-story tower with about 240 units, is planned to be open ahead of the 2024 school year, Gary Holloway Jr., CEO of GMH Communities, the developer and operator of the project, said. The student housing tower will be called Anova, a brand that GMH has begun building in several markets around the country.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said housing experts have said incorporating affordable units in with market-rate housing has proved beneficial for residents of both types and said the integrated approach of the apartments at Central Station aligns with the city’s goals of creating and preserving affordable units.”

Special thanks to the Layton Construction team, the owner groups: GMH Communities and Medistar Corporation, the City of Phoenix, and Cashman and Associates for making this event a success. Photography and drone footage provided by Layton Construction.