University Mall Redevelopment To Be Called 'Rithm At Uptown'

TAMPA, FL —The former University Mall has a new name. RD Management LLC, the New York-based real estate development and management company that owns the 100-acre mall property, has announced that the urban redevelopment project will be called Rithm At Uptown.

The new name was derived from the word “algorithm” and is an acronym for Research, Innovation, Technology, Humanity, and Medicine.

Rithm At Uptown will become a multi-story, urban neighborhood development showcasing life sciences and technology research institutes and complexes; retail, placemaking, recreational opportunities and entertainment; hospitality; education; medical specialties, clinics, and pavilions; corporate offices and co-working spaces; and residential, fitness and other related uses.

Once complete, Rithm At Uptown will be one of the largest, mixed-use innovation communities in the state with capacity for more than seven million square feet of development, including several thousand residential units.

S9Architecture of New York City and Gresham Smith of Tampa are the architects for this project.

“Rithm At Uptown is part of RD Management’s overall strategy of transforming our traditional retail properties into dynamic mixed-use destinations,” said Richard Birdoff, principal and president of RD Management. “Located in a prime live-work-play environment, Rithm At Uptown is a major catalyst project designed to help completely revitalize the urban community now known as Tampa’s Uptown District with a diverse set of uses catered to local residents, students, employers and professionals. Creating the brand identity is an important step in achieving our overall vision for the development.”

Located in the heart of Tampa’s Uptown District, long referred to as the University Area, Rithm At Uptown is part of an ambitious plan by the Tampa Innovation Partnership (Tampa’s !p) to transform the area around the University of South Florida's main campus into a major employment center and a hub for research and innovation.

Rithm At Uptown is adjacent to one of the largest medical districts in Florida that includes H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, AdventHealth, J.A. Haley Veterans’ Hospitaland Shriner’s Hospital for Children. The area includes major employers Yuengling Brewery and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Current tenants at Rithm At Uptown include Dillard’s, Burlington, Grand’s, Studio Movie Grill, Portillo’s, Miller’s Ale House, AMRoc Fab Lab, WellBuilt Bikes, and the Institute of Applied Engineering.

RD Management is an anchor member of Tampa’s !p that also includes USF, Busch Gardens, AdventHealth, Moffitt Cancer Center and the University Area Community Development Corp.

“The Tampa Uptown District as a whole is in the midst of a renaissance and our Rithm At Uptown development is at the center of it all,” said Christopher Bowen, chief development strategist at RD Management. “Tampa is well on its way to becoming a hub for innovation and research, and Rithm At Uptown will become a place of discovery and a breeding ground for exciting change and new ideas. We look forward to serving this extraordinary community of educators, scientists, caregivers, students, business people and hardworking neighbors, and continuing to attract businesses that will offer meaningful experiences and inspire generations for years to come.”

See related stories:

• Demolition Of University Mall Sears Makes Way For Uptown District
• Transformation Of University Mall Into Urban Village To Begin
• Residents Invited To Learn More About Uptown Revival Plans