AUSTIN, Texas — The final remnants of the Frank Erwin Center are gone.
The arena that housed both Texas Longhorns basketball teams for almost 50 years was entirely demolished on Sunday, marking the end of a deconstruction period that had began in November.
The 500,000-square-foot, six-story arena was originally built in 1977 and was considered Austin's primary indoor venue for marquee events until the Moody Center's opening in 2022. In addition to hosting both University of Texas basketball teams, the arena also hosted concerts for high-profile artists like Taylor Swift, David Bowie, Paul McCartney and numerous others, as well as boxing and mixed martial arts matches, pro wrestling events, bull riding events, high school sporting events and UT commencement ceremonies.
The arena's demolition paves the way for construction to begin on two new hospitals on campus, which are a joint project between UT and cancer treatment center MD Anderson. The hospitals will be located at The University of Texas at Austin Medical Center, featuring one hospital owned and operated by MD Anderson Cancer Center and a UT Austin hospital.
MD Anderson's partnership with UT will help raise the profile of Dell Medical School and greatly expand medical availability in the city. The MD Anderson hospital will be fully staffed by MD Anderson physicians.
The land the arena sat on is expected to be cleared out entirely by September, which will mark the end of the demolition process.