Building 9 Discovery Gardens

[Janie Mccorey]

From an ambitious goal to create an entrepreneurially driven and innovative ecosystem for researchers to work together across disciplines in tackling the grand challenges of our time, Purdue University is taking the next steps to lift that concept to even greater heights.

Purdue Research Foundation is leading the development of the 400-acre district. Already ahead of its 30-year timeline, the district has transformed the west end of the campus into a gateway for intellectual discourse and commercial and industrial collaboration.

According to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, $889.5 million worth of public investment and $1.5 billion in private-sector investment flowed into Greater Lafayette from 2015-20, much of that through the Discovery Park District at Purdue.

The depth and breadth of the public-private investment project is visible through the progress in the district, which has expanded beyond the State Street Redevelopment Project and the established Discovery Park interdisciplinary research complex of facilities that Purdue launched in 2001.

Aerospace engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce announced plans in April to grow its already sizable and long-standing investment in the district. Through a $204 million project, the United Kingdom-based company will expand one building and construct two test facilities, creating 30 jobs that will pay average annual salaries in excess of $90,000.

Schweitzer Engineering opened its $20 million facility in February 2020 on the west edge of Discovery Park District on U.S. 231. There, 300 employees focus on electric power research and development. The founder of the Pullman, Washington-based company is Purdue electrical engineering alum Edmund O. Schweitzer III, who created the first digital protective relay in 1982, revolutionizing the electrical protection industry.

Additionally, the $86 million, 830-bed Aspire at Discovery Park District, a four-building apartment project that opened in 2019, is fully leased. Purdue trustees announced plans this month to purchase the property from developer Balfour Beatty-Walsh Housing LLC. Purdue Research Foundation is scheduled to complete the purchase, before transferring the property to Purdue for folding it into its residence halls system. University ownership will require state approval.

Continuum, a three-acre, mixed-use apartment and commercial development just west of Convergence, began leasing its 246 luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as 15,000 square feet of street-level commercial space in early 2022. The developer is J.C. Hart Co. of Carmel.

Future plans for Provenance include another 125 apartments and approximately 200 more single-family attached and detached homes. Plans also include possible senior housing for retirees as well as a community center, fitness center, restaurants and retail, a centralized greenspace and community gardens.

Source, a 57-unit condo complex slated for a corner of Squirrel Park, is currently planned to be completed in 2024 with one-, two- and three-bedroom condos for alumni who now want a place near campus for football weekends and other Purdue events.

The Beck family donated a 1938 horse barn that will be repurposed as an event venue and possible restaurant at State Street and Airport Road. The family also made a generous donation to help with costs to dismantle, move and reassemble the historic barn, which is 72 feet by 142 feet and stands 45 feet tall.

Uniquely blending that live-work-play concept, the university launched Work From Purdue, an innovative program that incentivizes remote workers to move to the district. Purdue, consistently ranked in the top 10 most innovative colleges in the nation, is the only university to engineer such a future-focused, live-and-work lifestyle for people working remotely.

Ascension St. Vincent on May 6 announced it will build a microhospital in the district, featuring eight inpatient beds, eight ER treatment rooms, CT imaging, an ambulatory surgery center, and other health care services. With site construction beginning this year at U.S. 231 and Airport Road, the microhospital for the first time puts inpatient and emergency room care within the city of West Lafayette.

Programs are offered for homeowners, garden enthusiasts, educators, children and the horticulture industry. There are self guided tours assisted with brochures and plant labeling. So follow along as we explore each of the garden areas.

First, a little about the Discovery Garden. The Discovery Gardens are located at the UF/IFAS Lake County Extension Center, 1951 Woodlea Road, Tavares, Florida 32778-4262. It is situated on a 3 1/2 acre site made up of 20 major theme gardens, each designed to show a different gardening aspect in Central Florida. It has more than 700 different plants and is dedicated to demonstrating how homeowners can accomplish the landscape they want. All plants are labeled and cultural information is available upon request at the Master Gardener Plant Clinic in the main building.

If you, your garden club, or group would like a guided tour of the Discovery Gardens please complete the Discovery Gardens Tour Request Form and return the completed form to JuWanda Rowell at juwanda...@ufl.edu.

The Douglas Discovery Garden is an outstanding gem of Vermilion County and the Danville area. It offers a wide variety of gardening applications for area residents to observe and learn from so they can apply these practices in their own gardens. The beautiful space also has an interesting history of learning behind it, or some may say underneath it.

In 2006, Douglas Discovery Garden was just an idea to create something special where Douglas Elementary School once stood for some 92 years. Many of the Vermilion County Master Gardeners who formed the committee are retired teachers that once taught at the school. When the building was torn down in June of 2006, they envisioned a plethora of plants that would continue to be an educational venue for the community. Since the site was quite disturbed from building demolition, the soils need considerable remediation for plant life to flourish.

These dedicated Master Gardener Volunteers continued planning their vision until Douglas Discovery Garden was established in May of 2009. They partnered with the City of Danville, local organizations and over the years the committee has created a large community garden adding a pergola, keyhole gardens, raised beds, pollinator pockets, prairie, trellised grapevines and a small orchard.

Last year, the committee secured a grant to fund the first phase in making the garden available to all visitors. The goal is to complete the accessibility path so the garden may be enjoyed by all members of the community. Antiques in the Garden Festival is the annual fundraiser to maintain the garden and help complete the accessibility project.

Now that warmer weather prevails, one of the premier events at Douglas Discovery Garden is just around the corner. Join the Vermilion County Master Gardeners at Douglas Discovery Garden in Danville on Saturday, September 8, for the annual Antiques in the Garden Festival.

New this year are antique cars. Attendees will be able to enjoy a ride in a vintage automobile through the neighborhood. Local honey, handmade soap and antique vendors selected for their garden themed wares will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Susan Biggs Warner from the Vermilion County Conservation District will demonstrate how to use fresh herbs in salads, meat marinades and more.

Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions on pollinators and other gardening topics. They will have an interactive display on the Lifecycle of a Butterfly with caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies. Master Gardeners will also have seasonal plants in vintage containers for sale.

Douglas Discovery Garden and is conveniently located in southwest Danville, just off the Bowman Ave exit from I-74. For more information, contact the Vermilion County University of Illinois Extension office at 217.442.8615 or visit the office at 3164 North Vermilion in Danville.

Mediterranean Cluster is an apartment complex in Discovery Gardens, a residential neighbourhood developed by Nakheel. The parent community features six themed districts with nearly 300 residential buildings. The cluster has multiple low-rise buildings offering studio, 1 and 2-bedroom apartments.

The Mediterranean complex is located near Gardens Boulevard. You can also find Garn Al Sabkha Street and Sheikh Zayed Road near the development. The apartment complex offers a variety of amenities such as 24-hour CCTV security, covered parking space, play areas for children and a shared large swimming pool.

One can find studio, 1 and 2-bed apartment types in the Mediterranean Cluster. The complex has well-designed apartments with spacious rooms, large living rooms and balconies offering views of landscaped gardens.

Studio flats in Mediterranean Cluster have covered areas ranging from 485 sq. ft. to 527 sq. ft. These apartments have a semi-open kitchen with a large living space, a spacious balcony and an attached bathroom.

1-bedroom apartments in Mediterranean Building Discovery Gardens have covered areas of 968 sq. ft. These flats have an open-style, fully fitted kitchen, a large living room with a guest bathroom and a balcony. The master bedroom has an attached bathroom and built-in cabinets.

2-bedroom apartments in Mediterranean Building Discovery Gardens have covered areas of 1,500 sq. ft. These flats have two bedrooms with attached bathrooms and built-in cabinets. One can also find a semi-open kitchen, a large living area, a guest bathroom and a balcony.

There are many local and international restaurants within a 10-minute walking distance of the apartment complex. Haji Shahab, a Pakistani restaurant and Green Chillies restaurant which serves Indian and Chinese cuisine is an 8-minute walk. Taste of Lahore Baithak, a Pakistani restaurant is a 9-minute walk away from Mediterranean Cluster.

Residents will find a few upscale restaurants near the development. Rhodes W1, one of the best Michelin star chef restaurants in Dubai and Indego by Vineet, an Indian restaurant can be found within a 12-minute drive away. Maiden Shanghai, which offers Asian cuisine is a 15-minute drive away from the residential complex.

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