The University of South Florida is moving forward with plans to redevelop its recently shuttered golf course, The Claw, into a vibrant mixed-use district. On Friday, the Board of Trustees Finance Committee unveiled the first phase of the Fletcher District, a 27-acre project that will bring student housing, multifamily residences for faculty and graduate students, a hotel and conference center, retail space, recreational areas, and a USF-led academic research facility to the campus’s northern edge. More specifically, there will be 700 units dedicated towards student housing, 150 for multi-family housing, and 60,000 SF of retail.
The project will be developed through a master development agreement with ACE Fletcher, LLC. While the project site is held by the Board of Trustees for the Internal Improvement Trust Fund (BIITF) on behalf of the State of Florida, USF controls it through a long-term ground lease that is awaiting extension. This dynamic means any ground sub-leases that USF wants to issue will require approval by the BIITF. Likewise, USF will directly fund the academic research building and portions of district infrastructure using university proceeds, bonds, philanthropy, and other financing tools. Meanwhile, other district assets will be the responsibility of other parties.
Although the plan appears to be coming together now, the project has faced its fair share of hurdles. In 2021, USF proposed redeveloping a 769-acre tract along Fletcher Avenue, a site that included wetlands and sandhill preserves, but the effort met significant pushback. With the university’s golf course now closed and financially unsustainable, USF is embracing this new path forward.
Jennifer Condon, USF Chief Financial Officer, noted “It will truly be a place to live, work, learn and play, and with the home football games and national performances at the on-campus stadium a short walk away”, “The Fletcher District will undoubtedly be an integral part of the many new exciting experiences coming to the home of the Bulls” according to the Tampa Bay Times.
While the unveiling is a step forward, USF still has to receive approval by the full Board of Trustees on September 9th and by the Board of Governors on November 6th. Once all approvals are met, the first phase of the district is estimated to begin construction in spring 2026, with completion in summer 2028. Later phases have not been announced, but USF has more than 100 acres to work with.