Now that the golf course on the University of South Florida's Tampa campus has been closed, it's future is being discussed.
USF is inviting companies to express their interest in developing the Claw property north of Fletcher Avenue into what Eric Eisenberg, USF's senior vice president for university-community partnerships, said could become kind of a hub for campus life.
"Faculty, staff, students have said to us all that time, we want something where there is a sort of college town Main Street where we can do stuff," Eisenberg said.
The Claw property sits right next to the USF Forest Preserve.
Nicole Brand, of USF's ECORE program to preserve and enhance environmental assets, said the preserve will not be threatened.
"The goal I hope to have in serving as a watchdog is to ensure that that buffer area remains intact with the species of the forest preserve in mind," Brand said.
Eisenberg said the hope is plans will include ways to make the preserve more accessible.
""One of the things we'd like to do is provide the community and our university community with greater access to the riverfront park and, potentially, safe access to the forest preserve," Eisenberg said.
Eisenberg said an old proposal for the golf course included using some of the forest preserve, but that is off the table this time.
After hearing back from interested developers, USF will ask for specific proposals for the Claw site.
