Construction Advances on Hub Tampa Fowler & The Mark Tampa, Set to Add 2,000 Beds Near USF
Student housing development is accelerating near the University of South Florida, where two large-scale projects are now rising within close proximity of one another. Hub Tampa Fowler and The Mark Tampa are both under construction just steps apart, and together are expected to deliver roughly 2,000 beds to the area between 2027 and 2028. Hub Tampa Fowler, developed by Core Spaces and Harrison Street, is further along and targeting an early 2027 completion, while The Mark Tampa by Landmark Properties, is projected to follow with a delivery in late 2027 or 2028. The surge in development comes as demand for off-campus housing continues to grow. The University of South Florida has seen rising enrollment in recent years, including a historic incoming class in fall 2025, which increased by 14%. As housing supply tightens, private student housing developments are stepping in to help accommodate the expanding student population. Hub Tampa Fowler Now topped out, Hub Tampa Fowler has entered its exterior buildout phase, with window installation and facade work actively progressing. Portions of the building are already clad in the project’s signature white paneling with wood-toned accents, a design language carried over from the developer’s earlier Hub Tampa project nearby. Installation of balconies is also underway, with structural supports in place; the balconies are expected to feature wood supports paired with metal railings. Juneau Construction is serving as the project’s general contractor. While the residential structure rises five stories, the development also includes a separately constructed seven-story precast concrete parking garage. This construction method is typical for large housing projects due to its cost efficiency and speed of assembly. The garage will provide 758 parking spaces, supplemented by an additional 66 surface spaces located to the west of the site, bringing the total to 824 spaces: well above the 715 spaces required under county code. Located at 12301 Club Dr, Hub Tampa Fowler is being developed by a Chicago-based joint venture between Core Spaces and Harrison Street. According to recent filings with Hillsborough County, the project will include 396 units configured for approximately 1,250 beds. Unit types will range from efficiencies and one-bedroom layouts to larger two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom configurations. Residents will have access to a range of amenities, including a ground-floor fitness center, a resort-style pool with adjacent lounge areas, and a central courtyard, among other shared spaces. Elevations prepared by Northworks indicate the building will rise to approximately 60 FT to the roofline, or about 72 FT when measured to the top of the parking structure. While the height is consistent with other nearby student housing developments, the project’s overall scale is notable. The development spans approximately 702,361 SF, composed of roughly 450,000 SF of interior space and over 250,000 SF dedicated to the open-air parking structure. The Mark Tampa The Mark Tampa, developed by Landmark Properties, is now in the vertical construction phase, with significant progress visible across the site. Crews are actively assembling the project’s precast concrete parking structure, which will ultimately accommodate 522 structured parking spaces. An additional 123 surface spaces are planned around the perimeter, bringing the total parking count to 645. The building’s vertical cores are rising along the eastern portion of the site, with concrete structural columns for the lower residential levels taking shape. Work is progressing upward as the second level begins to take shape. The building will feature a traditional 5-over-1 construction method, with the first floor being concrete and the subsequent floors constructed with wood. The project team includes Landmark Construction, an affiliate of the developer,serving as general contractor, alongside Bohler Engineering and Dwell Design Studios as the architect. Project materials and leasing information have also begun to surface online, highlighting an extensive amenity package. Planned features include a resort-style pool deck, clubhouse, sports simulator, sauna, multiple courtyards, a fitness center, and dedicated study and computer lab spaces. At full buildout, The Mark Tampa will deliver 215 units configured for 807 beds, with a mix of studio through five-bedroom layouts. Residences are expected to include in-unit laundry, laminate flooring, quartz countertops, high ceilings, and private balconies in select units. In addition to residential space, plans call for approximately 988 SF of ground-floor retail, along with a large lobby and shared common areas. The six-story structure will rise to approximately 79 FT at its highest point, with a facade composed of expansive glazing and a mix of blue, cream, and brown facade materials.
Signs of Life Emerge at Brickell Gateway as Developers File Updated Plans
Long-awaited progress is finally emerging for the Brickell Gateway project in Miami’s Brickell district. After more than a year of inactivity, developers Gazit Horizons and Atlantic Pacific Companies have submitted updated plans to Miami-Dade County, signaling renewed momentum for the mixed-use development. The filing comes in the form of an administrative modification to the previously approved plans, a process used to request minor adjustments without requiring a full redesign review. The revisions include modest increases to the project’s height as well as several design updates led by Corwil Architects. Planned for a relatively compact parcel at 90 SW 8th Street and 809 SW 1st Avenue, the site has already been cleared following demolition of the previous structure. While the development has gone through several program and design iterations over the years, the latest filing suggests the project may finally be approaching construction. A master building permit, valued at approximately $150 million and covering over 900,000 SF of new construction, remains pending and is expected to move forward once the administrative modification is approved. According to plans submitted to the county, the project’s density and unit count remain unchanged. The development will continue to include 504 residences, with a mix of studios, one-bedroom units, one-bedroom plus den layouts, two-bedroom units, and three-bedroom residences. Residents will have access to a wide range of amenities, including a rooftop pool on the 62nd floor, a terrace deck, sky lounge, private dining rooms, lounges, golf simulators, gaming areas, and several additional shared spaces. Floor plans show the development will include 16,591 SF of commercial space across the first and second floors, after which the structure transitions into the project’s parking podium. The podium will accommodate 332 parking spaces across multiple levels, an arrangement driven largely by the site’s compact footprint despite a parking ratio of fewer than one space per residential unit. Both figures represent slight reductions from the project’s earlier plans. Previous filings called for 18,276 SF of retail space and 344 parking spaces. One of the most notable revisions involves the project’s design and overall height. Previously approved plans called for a 61-story tower rising approximately 746 FT to its highest point. Updated filings now show the building reaching 62 stories and approximately 773 FT, positioning it among the taller towers in Brickell. The additional height comes from both the inclusion of an extra floor and increased floor-to-ceiling heights across the upper four levels of the building. Changes have also been made to the design of the development’s podium. Earlier plans envisioned the podium being largely enclosed in glass, creating the appearance of active uses along the facade and a more continuous facade. The revised design instead introduces sections of mesh screening across portions of the podium between floors 4 and 16, finished in darker gray and black tones. According to the developer, some of these levels could potentially accommodate retail or other active uses in the future, though they are currently planned as part of the parking structure. The design changes, which are not expressed in renderings yet (new renderings may come later), may stem from several factors, including rising construction costs in the United States, which have led many developers to simplify or scale back certain design elements in recent years. With the administrative modification now under review, the project could move closer to construction in the coming months. While a formal groundbreaking date has not been announced, a start later this year could place completion around 2029.