UT Austin Medical School Plan Unveiled

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Owlhorn

would just start buying up land east of I-35 next to the UT campus if they really want to serve the community and UT.

That'd be extremely difficult. Most of the area directly across 35 from campus are homes. Not only would they run into the same problems that I mentioned above regarding the industrial land on the east side (politically and socioeconomically sensitive community already subject to enough gentrification pressures), but they'd actually be taking away their homes outright instead of pressuring them out through land value increases. Not only that, but the same problems would exist with that area that exist with Highland: it is in close proximity to too many other hospitals.

They already own the Brackenridge tract, while buying land through eminent domain (which is the method to be used in that area) is both extremely politically inept and financially stupid (given that they'd be spending more money than if they developed the Brackenridge tract as the medical school).

Edit:

You know... I just REALLY like the Brackenridge tract for this. It is the ONLY legitimate option in this city for dense development where none currently exists. The Domain/North Burnet is nice... That area has potential in the long run (50+ years), but it will never have the level of density that we'd like. Same thing for Mueller. Same thing for East Riverside. The Domain will end up like the Galleria or Buckhead, but without skyscrapers while Mueller and East Riverside could end up like less cowboy-hipster-chic versions of SoCo.

Brackenridge, on the other hand, is bounded by established neighborhoods (and the river) that will work as containers to the density, thereby making the density grow with time as it is forced to turn back in on itself. I.E. An actual urban environment instead of a complete sham faux urban development like Mueller. Brackenridge, for me, is Austin's opportunity to answer Portland's South Waterfront (although probably better, which is a scary thought for me).

Now we just have to find our legitimate answer to the Pearl District. Long run, I see things like the Intramural Fields, Hancock Shopping Center, and - gosh you'll all hate me for this - the area bounded by Cesar Chavez, Lamar, and the rail tracks where the Animal Control center, among other things, is as the last prime large scale redevelopment opportunities where substantial new density can be located adjacent to our existing nodes of density.

Highland Mall, though a good opportunity as a transit oriented development, is too far out to truly be considered an expansion on downtown's existing density. So, too, are the city's prime targets for development (Mueller, Domain/North Burnet, and East Riverside).

[Jdawgboy]

I can see and understand your points for Highland Mall, but there is also something to be said about a city not clumping all of its Hospitals in one area. I like the fact that Austin has a fairly good spread of Hospitals in different parts of the city. It gives quicker access by people that live in those areas rather than having to drive to one Hospital District like some cities have. Other than Seton, which is not that far from the Brakenridge tract, I don't believe there is another major medical center for that part of Austin. Its in a centralized location roughly give a take a few miles in the middle between Seton, UMC Brakenridge, St. Davids, and South Austin Hosptial. It would be interesting to see if there were any conceptual plans for the tract to have some sort of Medical school. That was an interesting rendering.

[JAM]

My main worry for putting a hospital in this location is that it could become an iron fortress (security of all types, potential homeland security, and general issues with hospital supplies and refuse) and not allow the general public thru the area. Hospitals give off this aura as it is. They require lots of power, trash removal, supply entrances, parking garages..... things difficult to hide. This is an area that is beautiful and could possibly enjoyed by the public if other uses where found, especially the water front.

It also doesn't appear the entire 350 acres would be dedicated to a hospital system, which could limit its ability to be truly world class.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

ACC won't let that happen.

I think ACC is very aware of the potential value of the Highland Mall tract and surrounding area. I always assumed part of the reason they jumped at the chance to get into Highland Mall was to exploit the development potential and fatten their coffers in the process.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by austlar1

I think ACC is very aware of the potential value of the Highland Mall tract and surrounding area. I always assumed part of the reason they jumped at the chance to get into Highland Mall was to exploit the development potential and fatten their coffers in the process.

This, oddly, is the exact reason why I don't think that ACC will let it happen. ACC, if their intent is to sell the land at a good price, won't be selling it to UT anytime soon because UT isn't gonna wanna play that game. ACC either turns that land into a campus of their own or they sell it to private developers who turn it into a mixed-use corridor.

[austin242]

Ive seen some of ACC plans, and they seem to wanna make it all mixed use around the mall, and use the mall as a new campus.

[cvillehorn]

UT Regents OK millions for Austin medical school

Austin Business Journal by Sandra Zaragoza, Staff Writer
Date: Thursday, May 3, 2012, 12:03pm CDT
Related: Health Care, Education, Austin

Related News

Sandra Zaragoza
Staff Writer - Austin Business Journal
Email
The University of Texas System’s Board of Regents unanimously voted in favor Thursday of committing millions to establish a medical school in Austin.
The Board of Regents voted to support a development school in Austin through the commitment of $25 million annually from the Available University Fund, or a 3 percent increase from AUF distribution, that would increase UT Austin’s funding from 45 percent to 48 percent.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...or-austin.html

[austlar1]

The Stateman article noted that Seton is going to commit MAJOR bucks to a "new" University hospital. I suspect that the medical school location might be determined by the location of this new medical facility. The Statesman article also makes a point of noting the public/private nature of the proposed medical school development. At the same time, I understand the medical school is supposed to be research oriented, modeled on Southwestern in Dallas or the UCSF Medical School in San Francisco. Both of these schools are located adjacent to major hospitals. I think the proximity to other hospitals, including this proposed new University Hospital, will determine location. There is no denying the synergy to be had in that kind of arrangement. Certainly Houston, and San Antonio to a lesser degree, have made a huge industry out of their medical complexes. The same is true in older urban areas like Boston and Philly. The med schools and the hospitals are clustered a short distance from each other. I doubt that the Brack housing tract meets this kind of criteria and would meet with massive NIMBY oppostion to boot. I am still stumping fo the Highland Mall area (which includes a lot more than the mall itself) or Mueller. There is plenty of room at Mueller for a hospital and med school, assuming the developers are willing to alter their plans a wee bit.

[Jdawgboy]

I think your right about the current brack location likely not going to be the location of the new hospital. The CVC for one thing would make it difficult to have a larger hospital built on that site. I do believe it needs to be close to Downtown and needs to be easily accessible to all areas of the city. Don't know about the Highland Mall area because ACC owns much of that now and they have their own plans for that lot.

[Armybrat]

Plenty of room on Robinson ranch between north Austin & Round Rock....if the family decides to go ahead & develop part of it.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I think your right about the current brack location likely not going to be the location of the new hospital. The CVC for one thing would make it difficult to have a larger hospital built on that site. I do believe it needs to be close to Downtown and needs to be easily accessible to all areas of the city. Don't know about the Highland Mall area because ACC owns much of that now and they have their own plans for that lot.

If you look closely at the area surrounding Highland Mall, you'll find that there is a substantial amount of adjacent underutilized land to the north and south of the mall itself. The Ford dealership, the land across from the Ford Dealership, the area up by the Burlington Coat store, the area between the mall and IH35 owned by Lincoln Properties, Sheplers, the bus station, etc. It is a hugely underdeveloped area that screams out to be redeveloped in a true urban grid that connects to existing streets. I am not so sure that ACC would not like to get in on some medical school development action as well. There is no other area of the city that has so much highway access. Three Hundred thousand plus vehicles pass within a quarter mile of the area every day. The silly Red Line is right there too. Hopefully any new street car line will have Highland as a destination. Airport Blvd, especially along the eastern side of the street is ripe for substantial development. A medical center anchoring the area along with ACC, lots of new midrise housing, hotels, and other development could create a very lively urban vibe in an area that is really the northern end of Central Austin.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by Armybrat

Plenty of room on Robinson ranch between north Austin & Round Rock....if the family decides to go ahead & develop part of it.

I'm not sure if the family even owns most of that land anymore. They City of Austin annexed it a few years back and zoned it as to become one of the densest places within the city.

Additionally, the Brackenridge Tract/Lions Municipal site has been talked about for years. And from my sources, it is still being considered as one of the possible sites.

Furthermore, Seton's “commitment” of $250MM toward the construction of a new hospital is really not that much money (when considering building a brand new medical facility – especially one aimed at being a “teaching” hospital). It's more like seed money (a new facility will be more expensive).

$250MM would get you about 100 or so beds (approximately one fifth the size of Seton Medical Center) in a “regional” hospital-type setting and equipment level. As an example, the newly opened, $210MM Lakeway Regional Medical Center is a small, 106-bed regional hospital with 6 ORs, a 3-trauma/12 ED-room ER, 6 L&D rooms. The cost of this facility was just under $770 per square foot.

[M1EK]

You guys are dramatically underestimating how much political power the rich old farts in Tarrytown have with the city and with the state. I think it ends up being Highland Mall just to avoid the struggle that would make Wal-Mart at Northcross look like a love-fest.

[Jdawgboy]

I think it should be close to East Central myself. One of the points of this medical school and research hospital is to better serve the community especially the low income areas. To enhance community health services and options for the poor. Higland would be a reasonable option for that as well but it wouldnt be easily accessible from all parts of Austin. Your forgetting everybody south of the river and it wont be easy for people down here to get to a Highland location due to the bottlenecking through Downtown. A Medical District parallel to the East of Downtown would be best. Also there are no hospitals east of I-35 in Austin other than the Children's Hospital. I think that needs to change.

Although having it on the Brackenridge Tract would be more picturesque with the hills and the river.

[cvillehorn]

Some very encouraging updates. Looking to break ground in 2013-14!

UT officials outline next steps for Austin medical school
Austin Business Journal by Vicky Garza, Staff Writer
Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2012, 2:58pm CST - Last Modified: Wednesday, November 7, 2012, 3:02pm CST

Vicky Garza
Staff Writer- Austin Business Journal
Email | Twitter | LinkedIn

University of Texas at Austin officials thanked voters Wednesday for approving Proposition 1, which puts the last piece of funding in place to bring a new medical school and teaching hospital to Austin, and outlined the next steps for the project.
“This will be a tremendous move forward for health in Central Texas, for doctors and people who rely on Central Health for their care, for research – both clinical and scientific – so that we can move the frontiers of medical knowledge, care and practice ahead in our region and in our state and, indeed, for our country,” said UT President Bill Powers at a Wednesday press conference.
UT Executive Vice President and Provost Steve Leslie provided additional details and outlined next steps for the university.
“We’ll put a steering committee together right away that will move leaders on campus to make sure we have this as a faculty-driven process,” Leslie said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/ne...eps-after.html

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by hereinaustin

Would be nice if we could redevelop Camp Mabry's 350+ acres instead of the land currently being discussed. That land is an absolute gold mine of prime central Austin real estate.

Between Camp Mabry and the Austin State School you have two incredibly prime pieces of real estate that are horribly misused given location in what should be T4 General Urban transect.

[hereinaustin]

Would be nice if we could redevelop Camp Mabry's 350+ acres instead of the land currently being discussed. That land is an absolute gold mine of prime central Austin real estate.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/s...edical-/nW9Ps/

Posted: 6:56 p.m. Monday, April 1, 2013
NEW DETAILS: UT MEDICAL SCHOOL

Officials hope to foster biotech hub near medical school

By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz
American-Statesman Staff

Proponents of a University of Texas medical school have long touted such a school’s potential for economic development.

Details are sketchy, and officials emphasized the preliminary nature of discussions, but this much is clear: The medical school and hospital are likely to be built near the intersection of Red River and East 15th streets. And officials very much want to attract biotech startups and other life science companies to the area.

Also under discussion is the notion of straightening out Red River Street, whose current path includes an westward bulge where it intersects with East 15th. Such a realignment could free up land between Red River and Waller Creek — land that could be an attractive location for part of the emerging health science complex. Officials have also kicked around the idea of tearing down UT’s Erwin Center for future expansion of the medical school, but that likely wouldn’t happen for years.

[KevinFromTexas]

Big news from UT.


UT regents expected to OK $334.5 million plan for med school

$334.5 million project

4 building complex

515,000 square feet of space in 3 buildings: an academic building, medical office building, and research building.

480,000 square foot teaching hospital.

New $250 million teaching hospital would replace University Medical Center Brackenridge.

The medical office building could be a joint venture with a private developer.

At least two parking garages would have 1,000 spaces.

Opening fall 2016.

Red River would need to be realigned "straightened" north of 15th Street. UT would pay for it.

Plans call for keeping the Erwin Center for now, but it would be moved in 6 to 15 years as the medical school grows.

The draft plan calls for future growth of a 120 bed psychiatric hospital and a cancer center. There could also be another medical office building and more parking garages. There could also be more academic and research buildings.

[East7thStreet]

There were several phases to the master plan released by UT here:

https://www.documentcloud.org/docume...l#document/p38

In the later phases it shows the Erwin Center being replaced, Brackenridge being replaced, the area around the stadium being developed, and the south endzone to the stadium being built. A very massive project overall.