Casey Kuhn/KJZZ

Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.

Casey Kuhn/KJZZ

Brian Mueller

(Photo by Casey Kuhn - KJZZ)

The sprawling purple complex GCU built will house offices, a hotel and restaurant.

Grand Canyon University has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into its campus in west Phoenix. The school and local officials celebrated a new office center and hotel Wednesday.

At 27th Avenue and Camelback Road, low-slung strip malls sit across the street from a sprawling purple complex GCU built to house offices, a hotel and restaurant.

At the debut, the mayor of Phoenix and Arizona’s governor joined school leaders to praise the economic impact GCU has had on west Phoenix.

One example GCU President Brian Mueller touted was an effort to go into the neighborhood and hire locals to work at the school.

“It’s important because they get a salary, they get benefits and their kids can go to college for free here," Mueller said. "That’s a great reason to live in this neighborhood.”

He continued explaining that being part of the community is an important aspect of GCU's mission. 

“It was a big decision not to move the campus to Scottsdale, Paradise Valley or any of those places," he said. "This was really one of the worst crime areas in Phoenix in 2010. It was at that point that we said that’s going to be part of our Christian mission, we are going to use this neighborhood as part of our greater cause.”  

On the other side of Camelback Road, used-car salesman Jose Infante has been working in the area for twenty years. He’s more skeptical of GCU’s impact, feels the university operates in a bubble, and thinks it should work closer with the surrounding community.

“Have they come over here and ask how they could help? No. Improving business or have we lost business? No, they have not," Infante said.

He continued to add that he would be happy to work with the university if they offered.

"I really wish they could send somebody around the neighborhood," Infante said. "What about the business on the other side of the street? Have they come over and asked 'how can we help you, how can we improve?' No they have not."

The new development includes a renovated university-run hotel, and a swap meet that was converted into a business center.