Arizona State Moving Thunderbird School To Downtown Campus

The Thunderbird School of Global Management is flying out of Glendale and headed to downtown Phoenix. Arizona State University, which took charge of the school three years ago, made the announcement Tuesday.

The university announced that the move is "in keeping with its commitment to continue the trajectory of excellence" at the school.

ASU is investing in a new building on its downtown campus. It will include between 85,000 and 95,000 square feet of classroom, meeting, enclave and office space and will be home to both Thunderbird’s graduate degree and executive education department.

The building, which is expected to open in 2021, will be located south of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law on Polk Street between 1st and 2nd Streets.

It will be the university's sixth school on the campus.

Thunderbird CEO & Director General Allen J. Morrison calls the move, “an exciting new chapter in the history of a transformational institution.”

Thunderbird became part of Arizona State three years ago after hitting hard times financially. The school, which was founded in 1946, had bee a private school.

ASU says the plan is to have the school open in time for Thunderbird's 75th anniversary.

Rendering of Arizona State's new downtown building courtesy Arizona State.