For some Maricopa students, career training currently comes with a nearly hourlong bus ride to Coolidge.

That is set to change in a couple years.

The Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology last week released renderings and a floor plan of its future Maricopa campus, giving the public its first look at the facility planned for the Heritage District.

CAVIT Superintendent Mike Glover told InMaricopa today the campus is slated to open July 2028 and will initially offer three programs: allied health, cosmetology and welding.

The new campus, which will sit across from the Maricopa-Stanfield Justice Court at Madison and Garvey Avenues, will give local students more flexibility to fit career training into their school day.

“For many students attending Maricopa high schools, the bus ride is about 50 to 55 minutes one way,” Glover said.

A peek inside

The programs planned for the satellite campus were selected after CAVIT studied five years of enrollment data from Maricopa-area students, along with workforce and job opportunities in western Pinal County, Glover said.

Welding is offered as a standalone program, while cosmetology includes hairstyling, skin care and nails. Allied health programs may include medical assistance, dental and medical laboratory programs.

Glover said the building itself was designed with its future home in mind. The design team studied existing municipal and county buildings settling on a design that incorporates distinctive rooflines, metal and earthy color palette.

“We wanted to fit in with the town’s aesthetics, so we’re using some innovative roof designs, as well as metal for design and the chocolate brown, tan and cream colors,” he said.

The project is currently in the design and planning phase. Construction could begin in early 2027, with the campus opening in July 2028.

The expansion comes as CAVIT enrollment has grown from about 770 students in 2024 to 1,366 today, a roughly 76% increase in two years, Glover said.