Hamilton County firms jump into $1B Purdue project

Three Hamilton County-based developers will be part of Purdue’s $1 billion Discovery Park District.

The Purdue Research Foundation late last week announced that Carmel-based custom home builder Old Town Design would develop a neighborhood called Provenance that will include single-family homes, townhouses, cottages, condos and market-rate apartments. The project will include retail and restaurant space, a day care facility and preschool, and community gardens.

The news came just a few days after the foundation announced that Carmel-based JC Hart and Indianapolis-based Browning Investments were teaming up on a residential project that will include 250 luxury apartments and 15,000 square feet of street-level commercial space.

The projects are part of a larger development designed to transform the west side of the Purdue University campus.

Announced in 2016, the Discovery Park District is expected to be developed over the next 30 years on 400 acres immediately west of campus that includes the Purdue University Airport. Browning Investments is master planning the development. 

It’s designed to be a live-work-play community that will include residential, office and lab space, pavilions, green space, walking paths and restaurants and retail.

Old Town Design, the developer of Carmel’s Midtown, plans to begin work on Provenance (which will be constructed in the center of the district, south of State Street) this fall. Phase 1 will include 18 single-family homes, 15 townhouses and 60 condos. Old Town's 90-acre section of the district will eventually include about 250 apartments and 250-300 for-sale units. 

The majority of the home lots will be alley-loaded, eliminating front driveways and increasing density to enhance the walkability of the neighborhood.

Later phases could see development of an institutional facility, such as a school, and a senior living facility. 

“Our goal for Provenance and for all our neighborhood developments is to create a ‘sense of place’ for the people living in an Old Town community,” Justin Moffett, a partner at Old Town said in written comments. Moffett wouldn't say how much the company expects to spend on the project but placed its completed value at about $150 million, not including the school or senior living portion. 

The nearby JC Hart and Browning project will be developed on three acres near the southeast corner of State Street and McCutcheon Drive. Its ground floor commercial space is designed to accommodate a diverse mix of uses, including restaurants, convenience retail and soft goods shops.

“This new development fits perfectly with the master plan vision to bring mixed-use development and a wider range of housing types to the west edge of campus,” Adam Chavers, Browning’s chief development officer, said in written comments.

Construction of the project is expected to start this year, and J.C. Hart, which will manage the building, expects to accept its first renters in 2021.

“By bringing much-needed one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments to Discovery Park District, we see this not just as a great opportunity in a great location, but also as a chance to be part of something truly beneficial to Purdue and the entire Lafayette community,” Todd May, vice president of development at J.C. Hart, said in written comments. “This development is setting a high standard for innovation districts, and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

Browning also declined to disclosed the cost of its project.