UT System Announces New Location for Medical Center

The university will build the facility on land west of the J.J. Pickle Research Campus.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The University of Texas System's board of regents has announced a new location for the UT Medical Center, which will now be built on UT land in north-central Austin, just west of the J.J. Pickle Research Campus. The previous plan was to construct the medical center at the site of the former Frank Erwin Center, but the board said that location would not have worked for the envisioned project and had limitations for future growth.

Why it matters

The new medical center, anchored by the Dell Medical School, is expected to have a significant impact on healthcare in Texas, combining UT MD Anderson's cancer care with UT Austin's academic medical center and research capabilities. The move to a new location will allow for more future expansion and development.

The details

The board of regents said the original Erwin Center site would not have worked for the planned medical center and had limitations for future growth. The new north-central Austin location near The Domain was selected to accommodate any needs for a lot of future expansion. The medical center is expected to begin seeing patients in 2030.

  • In November 2025, the UT System announced it was considering an alternate site for the medical center, which was previously planned for the Erwin Center location.
  • On February 19, 2026, the UT System's board of regents announced the new location for the medical center.

The players

University of Texas System

The governing body of the University of Texas system of academic institutions in Texas.

Kevin Eltife

Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents.

Claudia Lucchinetti

Dean of the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.

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What they’re saying

“We couldn't be more excited about bringing this project forward, uniting UT MD Anderson's renowned cancer care with UT Austin's academic medical center and world-class research enterprise. The result of this partnership will allow Texans to harness both institutions' mission of patient care, education, innovation, and research to create a once-in-a-generation opportunity to define the future of healthcare of Texas.”

— Kevin Eltife, Chairman, UT System Board of Regents (KXAN)

“We have a generational opportunity to reimagine what it means to be a patient, to train future doctors, and to innovate and build for a future shaped by the greatest acceleration in knowledge and technology in human history. The potential for impact is bigger, even, than Texas. This changes the world.”

— Claudia Lucchinetti, Dean, Dell Medical School (KXAN)

What’s next

The medical center is expected to begin seeing patients in 2030.

The takeaway

The relocation of the UT Medical Center to a new site in north-central Austin will allow for greater future expansion and development, while also bringing together the resources of UT MD Anderson and the Dell Medical School to create a transformative healthcare hub for the state of Texas.