Groundbreaking Ceremony Takes Place for the Central Station High‑Rise in Downtown Phoenix

April 15, 2022

The transit‑oriented development creates apartments, student housing, and office and retail space, offering an urban hub adjacent to Arizona State University's Downtown Phoenix Campus.

Multistudio is pleased to announce, together with Medistar Corporation, GMH Communities (“GMH”), and CBRE Investment Management (“CBRE IM”), the ceremonial groundbreaking of Central Station in downtown Phoenix.

Situated in the heart of Phoenix, Central Station is a dynamic one-million-SF mixed-use development that sits adjacent to Civic Space Park and Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix Campus. The Multistudio team designed the buildings to merge seamlessly with the existing transit station to create a bustling urban hub. Central Station consists of two residential towers—one 22-story building providing fully-furnished student housing with 655 beds and one 33-story building with 362 unfurnished residential units. The project also features retail space, flexible creative office space, and two levels of below-grade parking.

Commenting on the project, Principal Krista Shepherd said:

“As noted by Phoenix Community and Economic Development Director Chris Mackay, this is the most complex site in the downtown corridor, yet those are precisely the kind of projects we are attracted to—the challenging and even gnarly ones that hold great potential and require creativity and persistence toward remarkable goals.”

According to Vice President Steve Valev:

“Our primary focus designing the project over the last five years has been creating a humane place full of creative juxtaposition that is entangled in everyday life and routine of the entire city.”

The Central Station project revitalizes the existing City’s bus and light rail transit hub into a mixed-use site that will enhance the experience for riders and transit personnel. A modern transit office is in the development center to provide optimal visibility, accessibility, pedestrian safety, and convenience. The project creates a connected ground plane linking the light rail, buses, the transit office, and public amenities.

Shepherd states:

“We are honored to be partners with so many and celebrate that which can only be achieved as a collective with a shared vision. Congratulations to Medistar, GMH Communities, the City of Phoenix, and the Layton Construction team.”

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