After three years of meticulous planning, virtual meetings and dedicated construction efforts, the Student Commons building at Desert Sunrise High School is rapidly nearing completion.
Maricopa Unified School District welcomed guests and community members this morning to preview the 28,000-square-foot building that will soon accommodate 1,200 students.
Superintendent Dr. Tracey Lopeman, alongside representatives from CHASSE Construction and Principal Marlene Armstrong, expressed their gratitude for the project.
“When we began planning three years ago, we said someday,” Lopeman said. “And we had to work like some day is going to be tomorrow. And tomorrow came.”
The brand-new building is equipped with a student union, which will double as a library, where students can collaborate in groups or work on their individual studies.
Armstrong emphasized the significance of this addition that will sit in the center of the 165,000-square–foot campus.
“It’s going to be the hub of the school,” she said. “In order to get anywhere else on campus, you have to go through this building.”
And the “learning stairs” across the stage lead to a college and career center.
“We really want our students to be focused on their future,” Armstrong said. “So, they really have to think about it every time they walk through this building.”
From angling each wall to one degree, to designing historical murals, the CHASSE Construction Team ensured a well-executed outcome.
“[We] have sleepless nights, but it all comes with a reward,” Project Manager Biby Carbonneau said. “This is a great space.”
The team broke ground in July 2020, after five months of planning during the COVID pandemic. The Student Commons building is scheduled to open when teachers return to campus in mid-July.
“I couldn’t be prouder,” Carbonneau said. “This is truly a one-of-a-kind high school for the city of Maricopa.”
Related stories: Desert Sunrise High equipped with tools to meet needs of 21st-century students – InMaricopa
View a gallery of the event by InMaricopa’s Bryan Mordt below:
![One of several flyers for a "TikTok rizz party" is taped to a door in the Maricopa Business Center along Honeycutt Road on April 23, 2024. [Monica D. Spencer]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/spencer-042324-tiktok-rizz-party-flyer-web-218x150.jpg "Maricopa’s ‘TikTok Rizz Party,’ explained")
![Phoenix police stop a stolen vehicle on April 20, 2024. [Facebook]](https://www.inmaricopa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_5040-218x150.jpg "Alleged car thief released without charges")
 hosted a captivating Student Commons Preview Party on May 23rd, 2023, unveiling their transformed space to an enthusiastic crowd. The event featured engaging speeches by Superintendent Dr. Tracey Lopeman and Principal Marlene Armstrong, as well as a keynote address by Biby Carbonneau, the Project Manager from Chasse Construction.){kind=link}