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PEER I NST I TUT I ONS

district from outside the university. The ultimate goal of the CID should be not only to create a well-integrated mixed-use environment on- campus, but also to provide the residential and commercial development, vibrant public spaces, transportation, partnerships, and programming to allow students, graduates, and faculty to thrive as members of the Blacksburg community. The university, recognizing the importance of this link, has kept the living space component of the CID small, and included no dining amenities, thus encouraging those involved with the CID to interact with the adjoining areas of Downtown. Downtown has the potential to meet the new demand for residential and retail/ dining space, as well as to provide new office space to bring the local business community closer to the CID. However, without an active strategy to make it happen, the town risks losing an opportunity to build the mix of amenities in proximity to the CID that are desirable to the knowledge sector workforce. If those involved with the CID do not see the town as a place that they can grow outside of the university, it will ultimately serve as a businesses to other markets, representing a missed opportunity for local economic growth. Rather, the development of the CID presents the perfect occasion to expand the number and diversity of jobs available downtown. launching point for innovators and entrepreneurs to take their ideas and

Universities across the country are planning and investing in Research Parks and Innovation Districts that seek to combine institutional knowledge and investment with established industry partners and start-ups in mixed-use, urban environments. The following examples could serve as precedents for how the Town and Virginia Tech could work together to make the CID into a fully mixed-use district.

Innovation Square, University of Florida

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA INNOVATION SQUARE Gainesville, Florida University Partners: University of Florida, Gainesville The university’s recent master plan creates a 40- acre research and innovation campus that includes housing, retail, hotel, office, and research uses. Located between the University of Florida Campus and Downtown Gainesville, it has an emphasis on technological ventures and start- ups. The Infusion Technology Center includes over 150,000 square feet of customizable space available for private companies looking to locate in Innovation Square.

The Park Center, North Carolina

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK Research Triangle Park, North Carolina University Partners: Duke, UNC, NC State

Research Triangle Park (RTP) is considered one of the country’s leading high-tech research and development centers. However, even with this success, it has realized that it needs to develop a new mixed-use core in order to compete in the marketplace. A 2012 master plan created a plan for a dense, 100-acre mixed-use core with public space, and office, residential and retail users. Located at the main entrance to the park, Park Center will form a visible edge to the research and technology taking place inside the 7,000 acre park. It also has a focus on start-ups, with both incubator and accelerator space provided in the plan. This new addition is aimed at keeping RTP competitive and by responding to both technology employers and meeting the needs and desires of employees. RTP is managed by the Research Triangle Foundation, a private non-profit. Most of the land is owner-occupied, but additional rental space is expected as part of the new Park Center and other planned development .

Discovery Park, Purdue University

DISCOVERY PARK DISTRICT West Lafayette, Indiana University Partners: Purdue University

Discovery Park sits on 40 acres on the southwest edge of Purdue’s campus, and includes a wide range of facilities to support interdisciplinary research and innovation. The Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) and Purdue University have partnered with Browning to create a master- planned vision for the further development of 450 acres currently owned by PRF into additional space for research, as well as residential uses and recreation.

34 Chapter 2 - Analysis: A Framework for Downtown