Frank Erwin Center demolition clearing way for $2.5B UT Austin Medical Center

The year-long demolition of the Frank Erwin Center, a former basketball, music and commencement venue located in downtown Austin, began this fall.

The demolition is clearing the way for the upcoming University of Texas at Austin Medical Center, a two-hospital system that will include a cancer center and be located adjacent to the Dell Seton Medical Center.

The overview

According to representatives with UT Austin, the center will be demolished through “conventional means”—no explosives. The Denton A. Cooley Pavilion, which served as a practice and training facility next to Frank Erwin, is also being demolished.

The $25 million demolition was approved by the UT System Board of Regents back in May, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Per a news release from the board of regents, the medical center will consist of a UT Austin hospital, built and operated by the university, and a University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, built and operated by MD Anderson.

The release also states that the total investment for both hospitals is estimated at $2.5 billion.

Looking ahead

The center is expected to be completely demolished by next fall, with both hospitals breaking ground by 2026.