68 Ventures, a Daphne-based development and investment group, wants to build a live-work-play center and training site for new Novelis employees in Daphne, a proposal for which a public hearing has been set for Tuesday.

The city's Industrial Development Board scheduled a special-called meeting for Tuesday, July 30, at 3 p.m. to review and discuss the proposed development.

The project is proposed to be a Planned Unit Development (PUD) at the Daphne Innovation Science Complex (DISC) on Champions Way.

DISC is a 75-acre master-planned campus built to become an area for offices and research. The site has paved streets, electrical and sewer. According to the DaphneDisc.com, "DISC is focused on attracting businesses in the technology, professional services and corporate sectors."

In October 2016, Gulf Coast Media reported that DISC received an Economic Development Administration grant for $846,583. The grant was paired with matching dollars from local sources and was used to develop the infrastructure near the project, including water lines, sewer, drainage and new streets. At that time, city officials said they predicted around $5 million in investment from private commitment to help bring the project to its fullest realities.

"Now that we've received this grant, we're reaching out to companies interested in this property to talk about moving forward with plans," then-Mayor Dane Haygood said in 2016.

The site was developed but has remained empty.

In 2022, it was announced site would finally get a resident when Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance President Lee Lawson announced Novelis, an aluminum plant under construction for $2.5 billion in Bay Minette, would be building a corporate center for advanced manufacturing and leadership training.

Now 68 Ventures has now proposed a hotel, townhomes, apartments, shops and restaurants along with a training site for new Novelis employees.

The next step for 68 Ventures on the project is the formal submittal of a permit application to the Daphne Planning Commission.

The special-called meeting will be held in the Jubilee Conference Room at Daphne City Hall Tuesday, July 30, at 3 p.m.