Central Arizona College broke ground on a 91,000-sq.-ft. Cultural and Performing Arts Center at its Signal Peak Campus in Coolidge on March 31, 2026.
The $102 million, ground-up facility is designed to restore and significantly expand performing arts opportunities for students and the surrounding community following the 2023 collapse of the Pence Center auditorium roof.
Located at 8470 N. Overfield Road, the new center is expected to be completed in fall 2027 and will serve as a cultural hub for Pinal County, blending performance, education and community engagement in a single destination.
"Today is about more than breaking ground on a building; it is about restoring a vital cultural and educational cornerstone for our college and the communities we serve," said Jackie Elliott, president and CEO of Central Arizona College. "In the wake of the Pence Center loss, we saw an opportunity to reimagine what a performing arts facility could be. This new center will not only bring performances back to campus, but will expand access, elevate programming and create a space where creativity, collaboration and connection can thrive for generations."
The facility's south half will be anchored by a 1,000-seat theater designed to support professional-level productions. The venue will include a 95-ft.-tall fly tower, allowing scenery, curtains and lighting to be lifted and stored above the stage for rapid transitions and complex performances. A gridiron above the stage will support advanced rigging systems, while a 26-ft. proscenium opening will frame performances for optimal audience experience.
Additional theater features include a dedicated control room, accessible catwalks for lighting and technical operations, dressing rooms, private STAR rooms for lead performers, a green room and a large scene shop for set construction.
The venue also is designed to accommodate touring productions, with loading areas that allow semitrailers to connect directly to built-in power systems for efficient setup.
Guests will be welcomed by a dramatic glass curtain wall entrance, as well as amenities including a concessions bar, box office and an acoustical system.
"The scale and sophistication of this project reflects Central Arizona College's commitment to creating a facility that rivals professional venues while remaining deeply rooted in community access and student success," said Barry Chasse, founder of CHASSE Building Team.
Designed by Architekton and constructed by CHASSE Building Team, the center extends beyond performance. Integrated classrooms and labs will support programs in entertainment industry technology, as well as ceramics and kiln operations, metals and welding, hospitality training and culinary arts.
A professional teaching kitchen will anchor the culinary program and support a second-floor banquet facility designed to host community events, meetings and private functions, creating a potential revenue-generating asset for the college.
At the heart of the building will be an interior courtyard, designed as a welcoming gathering space featuring cast-in-place seating, string lighting and shaded areas for students and visitors. Steel pedestrian bridges will connect the facility across landscaped portions of campus, further integrating the center into the broader Signal Peak environment.
