Fusion on First joins Taylor Place as the second dormitory on campus in Downtown Phoenix Photo by Drake Presto | The State Press Fusion on First, the new apartment-style dormitory on the ASU Downtown campus, can be seen in Phoenix on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. From Bella Dortch | 8/21/2021 1:48 p.m. Fusion on First welcomed its first students and became another home for senior classes studying on the downtown Phoenix campus on Monday. The new dormitory is the second dormitory to be built on the downtown Phoenix campus, alongside Taylor Place, which opened in 2008. Fusion on First will host senior classes and students from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. ASU broke ground for Fusion on First in March 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. Despite the pandemic, the dormitory was still open on the targeted completion date. Fusion on First reflects a “forward-looking new type of building that will make Phoenix one of the first cities in the US to have a university-enabled downtown area,” said Annie DeGraw, a university spokeswoman, in an email. According to the University Housing website, the first three floors of the building have classrooms and work areas, creating a “high-tech innovation center” appealing to design and art students. The remaining 13 floors currently accommodate 533 students in 4-room, 2-room or studio units in apartment style. “The building is divided into zones that allow students and professionals to connect to the surrounding city and business world through large windows, a street level park, and an east-west pedestrian pass, creating a core for innovation in art Said DeGraw. DeGraw said the building will also include design studios, fashion studios, manufacturing laboratories, a music recording studio, a food court, space for live events, and more. The building will also house Flip Kitchen, a new dining option for students. “The demand for downtown housing continues to grow and ASU is always looking for the best and most innovative ways to meet that demand,” said DeGraw. Ethan Whitney, a senior studying popular music, moved into the building on Monday’s first day of official move-in and said the process was “really smooth”. “I came, I had a lot of stuff, and they had movers, like real movers here, and they helped move all of our things in one trip,” said Whitney. According to DeGraw, construction of the building is complete. However, while Whitney said his room was “great,” he also saw that some areas of the building were still being worked on. “As for the room, I love it,” said Whitney. However, “kinks that need to be fixed” are still being worked on, he said. Classrooms, elevators and other rooms have not yet been fully furnished on many floors, but the construction itself has been completed. Whitney isn’t the only resident to notice some problems early on in his residence. Patrick Apap, board member of the Residence Hall Association, a sophomore studying civil service and public order, said his main concern for Fusion on First is the relative lack of elevators. “There are two for the academic floors, one through three, and then there are two for the residential floors, four through 17, and they can be a little slow,” Apap said. Apap moved in early on August 3, while the building was “still under heavy construction” to train for his position in the dormitory association. At that time he was only allowed to go through the first floor and up to his residential unit. “There are definitely a lot of work areas, common areas for events,” said Apap. “It looks beautiful overall, even the construction.” Reach the reporter at idortch@asu.edu and follow @bellinilane on Twitter. Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter. Continue to support student journalism by making a donation to The State Press today.
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