The University of South Florida has broken ground on Uptown Landing, a nearly $500 million mixed-use development that will transform approximately 30 acres of the university's Tampa campus into a new district featuring student housing, retail, dining, hospitality and academic research facilities.
According to a USF press release, the Sept. 8 groundbreaking marked the start of construction on the first phase of the project, which was previously known as the Fletcher District.
Located north of Fletcher Avenue and east of North 46th Street, Uptown Landing is being developed through a public-private partnership that USF describes as the largest public-private partnership project in the history of Florida's State University System.
The development also will be within walking distance of USF's new on-campus football stadium, which is under construction.
“Uptown Landing is much more than a new neighborhood. This will be a destination anchored by USF, but created for the entire community,” USF President Moez Limayem said, according to the university's press release.
The first phase will include approximately 350,000 sq. ft. of undergraduate student housing with 700 beds. Each bedroom will have a private bathroom, according to USF.
The project also will feature approximately 60,000 sq. ft. of retail and dining space, including four to six restaurants.
A 78,000-sq.-ft., 150-room full-service hotel will include approximately 5,000 sq. ft. of conference space. The development also will include approximately 190,000 sq. ft. of affiliate housing with 150 apartments for graduate students, university employees, affiliates and lifelong learners.
The largest individual building will be the approximately 350,000-sq.-ft. According to USF, the facility will provide space for approximately 100 National Institutes of Health-funded investigators and about 1,000 additional researchers.
Green spaces, landscaped areas, pedestrian walkways and recreational areas also will be incorporated throughout the district.
USF's conceptual renderings show a pedestrian-oriented development with sidewalks, courtyards, gathering spaces and mixed-use buildings. The university notes that the renderings are conceptual and subject to change as construction progresses.
Uptown Landing is being developed under a Master Development Agreement with ACE Fletcher LLC, which includes Capstone Development Partners, Capstone Communities, Aureate Development and Ellison Development.
According to USF, the private development partners will finance and own the student housing, affiliate housing, hotel and retail components during the terms of their ground leases.
The first phase has an estimated total cost of nearly $500 million. Approximately $270 million is associated with the public-private development components, while approximately $225 million is tied to the academic and research building.
USF will directly fund the academic/research facility and its portion of district infrastructure. The university said the financing structure for the private components does not create a legal obligation for USF.
Uptown Landing is being constructed on the site of USF's former golf course. According to the university, the project will remain within the footprint of the former golf course and will not affect USF's more than 500-acre Forest Preserve west of the development site.
USF began pursuing a development partner in 2024 and selected its public-private development team in February 2025. The university's board of trustees approved the project in September 2025, followed by approval from the Florida Board of Governors in November 2025.
Construction began in 2026, with the first phase expected to open in time for the fall 2028 semester.
USF said Uptown Landing is intended to create a new activity center connecting the university's academic campus with the surrounding community and athletic facilities. The university expects the hotel, restaurants, retail space, conference facilities and research center to serve students, faculty, visitors, alumni and the broader Tampa community.
