Possible student availability of facility moved from fall 2025 to winter 2026
At the March 2025 meeting of the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board, Dr. Clint Ewell, Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, announced that plans were progressing to construct a prefabricated building to house 16 students as a pilot project on the Verde Valley Campus. Construction was to begin this summer. It was anticipated it would be ready for occupancy in fall 2025.
However, at the April 21, 2025 Board meeting, Dr. Ewell reported that the project would be delayed. According to his remarks (see video below), the design submitted by the building’s supplier did not meet the minimum building code standards.
Dr. Ewell informed the Board that, assuming a revised design is produced that complies with all code requirements, the earliest possible date for occupancy by students would be winter of 2026.
It is noteworthy that at the March 2025 meeting Dr. Ewell indicated that the College had anticipated spending around $14 million for student housing on the Verde Campus back in 2022-23. However, that figure dropped to $2 million, which was to cover the costs associated with the pre-fab apartment complex and the 10 student trailer park.
It is also noteworthy that since 2022-23 the College has abandoned the $14 million housing project intended for the Verde Valley Campus, which was approved in concept by the Governing Board. It has also dumped the previously approved $12 million Craft Brewing and Distilling program plus the $608,000 Commercial Driving program. The almost $27 million in total intended for these discontinued initiatives has apparently been redirected to support several newly approved, high-cost projects on the west side of Yavapai County on the Prescott Campus and Chino Valley Center. (
You may view Dr. Ewell’s short report in April to the Board on the video clip below: