New Transit Facility Brings Mass Timber to Northern Arizona

Flagstaff, Arizona’s new Downtown Connection Center aims to transform the city’s transit infrastructure and will also introduce mass timber construction to Northern Arizona for the first time, the Engineering News-Record reported (4-21-25).

The two-story, 20,938-sq-ft facility is only the second mass timber building in Arizona and the first in the region to use cross-laminated timber (CLT). Designed to meet net-zero energy use targets, the project demonstrates how sustainable design and advanced timber engineering can align with high-performance building goals.

While the original design called for a steel frame with wood-look finishes, HDR’s design director Kate Diamond led the push for CLT. With mass timber being so new to Arizona, Loven Contracting has had to facilitate an extended planning process as well as educate local trade partners.

To lend additional expertise, “we went out for a qualifications-based solicitation for the mass timber trade partner and selected Timberlab out of Oregon to partner with, bringing them in at 60% drawings, which really helped to finish the design,” said Jon Hansen, Loven president.

Using mass timber saved on schedule length over steel, says Mike Loven, CEO of Loven Contracting. “And because the [Timberlab] workforce are not carpenters—they are people that are just trained to erect CLT—it’s a lot easier for them to get their talent pool, and at a more competitive rate.”