Burgers, chicken, pizza, gelato, craft brews coming to Purdue’s Discovery Park District

Aspire at Discovery Park food hall to offer 8,000 square feet of gourmet food for students, public

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Crave Food Hall should satisfy food cravings for any appetite when the 8,000-square-foot college cuisine court opens on the first floor of Aspire at Discovery Park apartment complex in mid-August on the west side of the Purdue University campus in Discovery Park District.

“This is more than a food hall for students living in the complex. We expect area residents, families and professionals working and living in the area to enjoy the variety of food and beverages offered in the hall,” said Bob Shepko, president of Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, which is developing Aspire. “We intend for this complex to enhance the college experience for students living in the buildings while offering the kinds of amenities you find in private apartment complexes.”

Highlighting the food hall is Kevin Sbraga, winner of TV’s “Top Chef” Season 7, who is opening Sonny & Son’s Hot Chicken in the space.

Crave Food Hall’s other offerings include:

• Nine vendor stalls featuring coffee, gelato, pizza, tacos, burgers, sandwiches and hot wings.
• Indoor and outdoor seating.
• Cooked-to-order dine-in or take-out options.

The Boiler Room Cocktail Bar, featuring wine, cocktails and regional and national craft beer, also will open in the space.

The three-building, 835-bed, Aspire complex will be one of the first facilities dedicated in the transformation of the $1 billion-plus Discovery Park District. The complex is located on a five-acre tract on the south side of State Street, a major east-west artery running through West Lafayette.

“Crave Food Hall is an important addition to Discovery Park District as we continue to develop a full compendium of live/work/play opportunities for residents, families, working professionals, students and visitors,” said Jeremy Slater, director of Discovery Park District.

Aspire will officially open on Aug. 17, just before Purdue’s 2019-20 academic year opens on Aug. 19.

Aspire apartments include studio, two-bedroom and four-bedroom apartment styles. Pricing of the Aspire apartments are comparable to other private apartments in Greater Lafayette.

Discovery Park District is a partnership between Purdue Research Foundation and Browning Investments LLC.

The 450-acre district will feature 7 million square feet of interior building space including restaurants; retail, office and businesses spaces; parks; research facilities; and industrial space. The project is planned to take place over a 15- to 20-year period.

About Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions

Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions LLC provides development, asset/property management, and other real estate services to colleges, universities and their affiliated entities with a special focus on projects utilizing a public-private partnership model. The company offers an alternative solution for higher education institutions to finance and execute their necessary capital plans, including academic facilities for faculty, classrooms and labs, athletic spaces, wellness centers and student housing. Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions is part of Balfour Beatty Investments Inc., a global company focused on financing and operating the vital assets that enable societies and economies to grow roads and railways, health and education facilities, power and water systems, places to live and places to work — the infrastructure that underpins progress. Balfour Beatty Investments is a division of Balfour Beatty plc, a U.K.-based international infrastructure group operating in construction services, support services and infrastructure investments.

About Purdue Research Foundation

The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park and Purdue Technology Centers. The foundation received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.  

Contacts:

Maureen Omrod, Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions, 610-355-8136, momrod@bbcgrp.com

Cynthia Sequin, Purdue Research Foundation, 765-588-3340, casequin@prf.org 

Source:

Jeremy Slater, Purdue Research Foundation, JDSlater@prf.org