Central Arizona Project broke ground Thursday on its Water Education Center aimed as a meeting place and learning opportunity regarding water in the state.

The project, a 32,000-square-foot facility near CAP’s north Phoenix headquarters north of Pinnacle Peak Road and west of Seventh Street, is being built by Mortenson, whose representatives were on hand for the groundbreaking.

The cost of the project is not to exceed $45 million, and CAP is using its extrodinary cost reserves, which means the cost will not impact water pricing.

“At Mortenson, we are thrilled to become an integral part of Arizona’s water story, a narrative rich with history and the vital importance of water in our desert environment,” said Mortenson Design Phase Executive Lisa York in a press release.

The building, designed by Tempe-based architecture firm Jones Studio, will be the first to span the CAP canal that brings water to central Arizona from the Colorado River. The center will include indoor exhibit space and multipurpose rooms as well as a large outdoor gathering space. It will be home for educational programing as well as the Central Arizona Water Conservation District’s board meetings.

“This Water Education Center will be a huge step forward in the progress of Arizona’s water story … a place where children can learn more, members of the public can engage with CAP and Arizona water leaders can convene to discuss the future,” CAWCD Board President Terry Goddard said in a press release. “This will be a place to share CAP’s story – a story we can’t wait to tell.”

Construction on the project is expected to be completed in fall 2026.