UT Austin will not build medical center at Erwin Center site, picks North Austin location near the Domain

February 19, 2026

University of Texas at Austin leaders have dropped plans to build their new medical complex on the property where the Erwin Center once stood. Instead, the university now intends to develop the facility on a parcel near the Domain in North Austin.

The planned complex will include an MD Anderson Cancer Center, which remains a key clinical and research partner for the project. Officials say the partnership with MD Anderson continues to be part of the university's vision for expanding medical care and research capacity.

Moving the site shifts a major health and university investment away from the campus-edge location that had been under consideration. That change alters timelines for campus redevelopment and the mix of projects that had been expected near the former arena site.

Selecting the Domain-area property places the medical center in a fast-growing commercial and residential corridor north of central Austin. Planners anticipate the location will connect the new facility to established transportation routes, businesses, and housing, though detailed plans and timelines remain to be released.

City and university stakeholders will now need to update zoning, infrastructure, and permitting plans to reflect the new location. Those updates could affect traffic patterns, public services, and nearby real estate development as the project advances from planning to construction.

University officials have framed the relocation as a step to keep the MD Anderson partnership and the broader medical complex moving forward. Next steps include finalizing site details, securing approvals, and outlining the project schedule for construction and patient services at the new North Austin site.