08.15.2023

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Today’s Forecast

69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.

👋 Bye-bye, Frank Erwin Center

Frank Erwin Center will be torn down to make room for a new hospital

The Frank Erwin Center and parking lot as pictured from above.

The Frank Erwin Center has been slated for demolition for almost 10 years. | Photo by LoneStarMike

The Frank Erwin Center will be torn down to make room for a new hospital, the University of Texas System Board of Regents announced on Monday afternoon.

Enter: The University of Texas at Austin Medical Center. It will be built on campus in partnership with Houston-based cancer treatment center MD Anderson, which recently ranked No. 1 in the nation for cancer treatment.

“Our faculty, staff, students, and graduates are changing health for the better, not just at Dell Med [...] but across our entire campus,” UT President Jay Hartzell said in a press conference yesterday. “UT Austin Medical Center will enable us to bring the full strength and might of a world class research university to bear on healthcare and life sciences.”

University officials announced the Frank Erwin Center would be demolished — a process that is scheduled to be completed by fall 2024 — to make way for an expansion of Dell Medical School almost 10 years ago. The Moody Center opened to replace the former basketball facility in April 2022.

The outside of the Moody Center — The Moody Center is the new home to Texas basketball.
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Photo by ATXtoday

The project will include a second hospital tower, which will hold a new UT Austin specialty University Hospital, in addition to the MD Anderson-run hospital. Opening the facilities will cost approximately $2.5 billion.

UT MD Anderson President Peter Pisters said the hospital will have 150 inpatient beds, 230+ outpatient exam rooms, a chemotherapy infusion unit, and diagnostic imaging. Peter anticipates the facility will create thousands of jobs.

The hospital will be just a stone’s throw away from the Dell Medical Center, at 1701 Red River St., in the heart of Austin’s “Innovation District.”

“We will bring the same practice changing paradigm shifting treatments to our Austin Cancer Center, making more treatments of tomorrow available to patients today,” Pisters said. “Austin deserves a first-class medical center to serve the people and businesses in this community.”

Events

Tuesday, Aug. 15

“The Lorax": Who Speaks for the Trees Now? | Tuesday, Aug. 15-Sunday, Sept. 24 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | LBJ Presidential Library, 2313 Red River St., Austin | $4-$13 | This collection of original Dr. Seuss sketches explores the importance of caring for our environment.
Tropicana Tuesdays | Tuesday, Aug. 15, Tuesday, Sept. 12 | 6-9 p.m. | Hotel San José, 1316 S. Congress Ave., Austin | Free entry | Sip tropical drinks to tunes from Tropicana Joe.

Wednesday, Aug. 16

“OLDBOY” | Wednesday, Aug. 16 | 10:15-11:59 p.m. | Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline, 14028 N. US Highway 183, Austin | $12.25 | See this 2003 throwbackfilm on the big screen, followed by a taped discussion with the director, presented by Fantastic Fest.

Thursday, Aug. 17

Austin Arts Mixer | Thursday, Aug. 17 | 5-7 p.m. | Draylen Mason Music Studio at KMFA, 41 Navasota St., Austin | Free with RSVP | Come one, come all to this networking event with 30+ arts organizations in attendance.
Yin & Gin | Thursday, Aug. 17 | 6-8 p.m. | Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin | $25-$30 | Enjoy yoga in the Rose Garden followed by gin tasting for a blissful summer evening.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Weather

A wildfire disaster declaration is now in place for 75% of Texas counties, including Travis County, as fires rage around the state. The declaration allows applicable counties to use any available state resources to fight fires, as 8,500 acres of Texas land has burned since the month began. (The Texas Tribune)

Civic

Austin’s Drought Contingency Plan will kick into Stage 2 today. Under conservation guidelines, residents should restrict automatic and hose-end watering to one day per week, reduce automatic irrigation to three hours, and limit patio misting at commercial properties. Read official guidelines.

Sports

Longhorn Football will start the season at No. 11 and highest-ranked in the Big 12 Conference, according to the Associated Press top 25 poll. The Longhorns jumped up 14 spots from where it finished the 2022 season. (KXAN)

Edu

Dr. General Marshall Middle School began teaching its inaugural class of sixth graders yesterday. The new Austin ISD school — located at 4401 Tilley St. in the Mueller neighborhood — pays homage to the last building to occupy the site: Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. (KVUE)

Opening

Fancy some cheeky Nando’s? South African chicken chain Nando’s PERi-PERi — which has gained a cult following in the UK and worldwide — is coming to Austin. The restaurant will open in the Origin Hotel at 1825 McBee St. in early 2024. (Eater Austin)

Outdoors

Central Texas bats are facing a pandemic of their own: white nose syndrome. The disease was first detected in Texas in February 2020 and 52% of bat species across North America could be vulnerable to population decline over the next 15 years. (The Texas Tribune)

Asked

Where do you think is the best place to see a concert in the Live Music Capital of the World? Tell us your favorite venues, big and small, and you might see your picks in an upcoming newsletter.

Kids

🚂 Fly Zilker Eagle, fly

All about Zilker Park’s mini-train, the Zilker Eagle

The Zilker Eagle in a vintage, black and white photo with a visible skyline.

Just take a look at that vintage skyline. | Photo by E.P. Haddon via The Portal to Texas History, crediting Austin History Center and Austin Public Library.

The Zilker Eagle is still off the rails... for now.

Zilker Park’s mini-train, which is temporarily out of commission, has been a beloved part of the park for 60 years — and we’ve got a one-track mind to tell you about it.

The Zilker Eagle took its maiden voyage on April 22, 1961 and ran until 1996, when the train came back under new management as the Zilker Zephyr.

The Zephyr ran from 1997-2019 when track erosion caused the train to shut down and the relationship between the city and the train’s operating company came to an end.

The train is coming back again as the Zilker Eagle, but the Austin Parks Foundation doesn’t expect the new train to be back in operation until at least fall this year. The train’s progress has been delayed a few times — most recently due to braking issues.

Asked

Have you taken the Zilker Eagle or Zilker Zephyr?

A. Yes
B. No

Choo-choose

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Figi

From the editor

School is back in session, Austin. In celebration of learning, I wanted to share a back-to-school tradition we have at my alma mater, Texas State University.

Every good Bobcat knows to shake the hand of President LBJ’s statue for good luck when the semester begins — I shook the famous TXST alumni’s hand each semester without fail.

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