UT Austin Medical School Plan Unveiled

[cvillehorn]

From a few weeks back, but very exciting news from a plan proposed by Sen. Kirk Watson to bring a medical school to Austin through the University of Texas. His 10 year plan calls for a medical school, training hospital, and health science center which would capitalize on Austin and UT's vast intellectual and professional resources to train the doctors for the future right here at home.


Updated 09/21/2011 08:22 AM
Sen. Watson unveils plan for UT medical school
By: John A. Salazar

Tuesday, State Sen Kirk Watson unveiled a comprehensive 10-year plan to bring a state-of-the-art medical school to the University of Texas in Austin.
Watson says it’s an economic commitment that could bring 15,000 jobs to the area and inject $2 billion into the local economy.

10 Goals in 10 Years: The Goals
1. Build a medical school.

2. Build a modern teaching hospital.

3. Establish modern, uniquely Austin health clinics.

4. Develop a Research Institute and laboratories for public and private research.

5. Launch a new commercialization incubator.

6. Start a comprehensive cancer treatment center.

7. Provide needed psychiatric care and facilities.

8. Improve basic infrastructure, and create a sense of place.

9. Bolster the medical examiner’s office.

10. Solve the funding puzzle.

Information courtesy KirkWatson.com

"It's time for a medical school, a teaching hospital and a health science center in Austin," he said. "We need to build on our knowledge-based economy and this will create the kind of jobs and economic opportunity that will really spur this region."
Watson is banking on area bio-tech companies to join this venture. He says the brain power and money already in place in the so-called Silicon Hills, makes now the perfect time to bring a world class medical teaching facility to the Capital City.

"I think it is the single best way for us to invest in this community so we're investing in a typical Austin way of life which involves intelligence, inclusiveness and community well being," Watson said....

http://austin.ynn.com/content/280551...edical-school/

[paulsjv]

So I'm really curious to where they are going to build all of this "centrally"?

[electricron]

Originally Posted by paulsjv

So I'm really curious to where they are going to build all of this "centrally"?

I'll second that? What about on the east side of the main campus east of I-35?

[cvillehorn]

The speculation is that UT would develop the land they own on Lake Austin Blvd which currently is home to outdated, low-density graduate housing. This is a large tract of prime real estate that would be put to far better use in this newfound capacity. Plus, it's about as centrally located as you can get given availability in town.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by cvillehorn

The speculation is that UT would develop the land they own on Lake Austin Blvd which currently is home to outdated, low-density graduate housing. This is a large tract of prime real estate that would be put to far better use in this newfound capacity. Plus, it's about as centrally located as you can get given availability in town.

hmmm, Just thinking of other university hospitals that I've seen, and this portion of land you refer to wouldn't hold one of these university/research hospital complexes very well, not unless UT plans are NOT grandiose and do not look out far into the future. I thought that land was being used for other development anyway? Or do I have it confused with something else there?

[kingkirbythe....]

UT could buy the big box portion of Mueller and build there. Hell, just use the rest of the still undeveloped land at Mueller. It would be better than suburban disconnected crap that's gone in so far. That way this ho-hum street train would actually have a place to go.

[cvillehorn]

Originally Posted by JAM

hmmm, Just thinking of other university hospitals that I've seen, and this portion of land you refer to wouldn't hold one of these university/research hospital complexes very well, not unless UT plans are NOT grandiose and do not look out far into the future. I thought that land was being used for other development anyway? Or do I have it confused with something else there?

Just judging from what I've heard from my Level 2 source re: the board of regents, that was supposed to be the desired location. There may be other plans for residential/commercial development that I'm unaware of. And I'm not sure what you mean by 'holding' a university research hospital. If you're referring to the size of the tract, you do realize UT owns everything from the intersection at Red Bud Trail all the way east to Hearn St, right? I'm no surveyor but I'd wager that's in the ballpark of 100 acres. Seems more than sufficient. I don't know though; thoughts?

***Mulligan. I'm clearly underestimating the typical size of a prominent med school campus. Quick search on the internets revealed that UT Southwestern sits on about 230 acres. My bad. Maybe there is in fact another site in store. Either that, or density is the name of the game at Lake Austin and they are planning a couple of 60+ stories hospital towers to do the trick. (Hah!) I don't know. We'll see.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by cvillehorn

Just judging from what I've heard from my Level 2 source re: the board of regents, that was supposed to be the desired location. There may be other plans for residential/commercial development that I'm unaware of. And I'm not sure what you mean by 'holding' a university research hospital. If you're referring to the size of the tract, you do realize UT owns everything from the intersection at Red Bud Trail all the way east to Hearn St, right? I'm no surveyor but I'd wager that's in the ballpark of 100 acres. Seems more than sufficient. I don't know though; thoughts?

***Mulligan. I'm clearly underestimating the typical size of a prominent med school campus. Quick search on the internets revealed that UT Southwestern sits on about 230 acres. My bad. Maybe there is in fact another site in store. Either that, or density is the name of the game at Lake Austin and they are planning a couple of 60+ stories hospital towers to do the trick. (Hah!) I don't know. We'll see.

The Brackenridge tract is 345 acres, which is the size of the Galveston UT Med Branch (350 acres). I'd say that that means they wouldn't need to build 60+ skyscrapers there to get the amount of floor space they'd need.

[JAM]

This doc gives a good breakdown on the acreage :

http://www.utexas.edu/student/housin...idge_tract.pdf


And here is a thread discussing development of this property.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...t=Brackenridge


guess I missed this one a while back (post on Med School plans) :
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/...g-1260172.html

[Jdawgboy]

I could definitely see the Brackenridge tract as the location of the Medical school, not only is it centrally located and close to Downtown, think of the views of the river and the hills which to me is just as important being in a visually pleasing place for recovery as it is the treatment itself. If they did it right, we could see some fairly nice buildings and also if they incorporated mass transportation the right way it would be easy to get there. There needs to be some alternative to getting there besides driving of course ambulances would need to use the roads but for people who work there or who are visiting why not have the option of mass transportation. It would help lessen any congestion and every second counts for emergencies so less cars on the roads getting there, the better.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I could definitely see the Brackenridge tract as the location of the Medical school, not only is it centrally located and close to Downtown, think of the views of the river and the hills which to me is just as important being in a visually pleasing place for recovery as it is the treatment itself. If they did it right, we could see some fairly nice buildings and also if they incorporated mass transportation the right way it would be easy to get there. There needs to be some alternative to getting there besides driving of course ambulances would need to use the roads but for people who work there or who are visiting why not have the option of mass transportation. It would help lessen any congestion and every second counts for emergencies so less cars on the roads getting there, the better.

I actually wouldn't be too worried about it. Any project down that direction is going to have to come with an expansion of all forms of transit down that direction. Lake Austin is eventually going to have to endure some form of streamlining or expansion, whether it happens five years or twenty years down the line.

Also, given that Lake Austin is difficult to reconstruct, Exposition - with its four good connections onto MoPac (35th, Enfield, Windsor, and Westover) - would probably be the primary emergency route into a hospital at that location.

[austlar1]

In the grand scheme of things, the Highland Mall AREA is pretty darn central and would make a great place for a medical school, hospital, and related developments. Yes, I am back and flogging my dream for a dense redevelpment of the Highland Mall AREA as part of a vision of an enlarged and enhanced Central Austin.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by austlar1

In the grand scheme of things, the Highland Mall AREA is pretty darn central and would make a great place for a medical school, hospital, and related developments. Yes, I am back and flogging my dream for a dense redevelpment of the Highland Mall AREA as part of a vision of an enlarged and enhanced Central Austin.

ACC won't let that happen.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by austlar1

In the grand scheme of things, the Highland Mall AREA is pretty darn central and would make a great place for a medical school, hospital, and related developments. Yes, I am back and flogging my dream for a dense redevelpment of the Highland Mall AREA as part of a vision of an enlarged and enhanced Central Austin.

Personally, I'd rather see it over there myself. I'm not real keen on the location discussed in this thread. I the area would be better served by something that people are likely to visit on a regular basis. Who wants to visit to the hospital?

[Jdawgboy]

Highland Mall is not a desirable location IMO for the Medical school its not big enough. I don't see why it would be an issue for the Brakenridge location as I said surroundings do play a part in healing people. Of course not everybody would consider that a real reason but IMO it is important. If I had to go to a hospital in the Medical school I would hope its in a nice location and that is as nice as you can get for any part of Austin with great views. Plus it really has the best acreage for the location.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Highland Mall is not a desirable location IMO for the Medical school its not big enough. I don't see why it would be an issue for the Brakenridge location as I said surroundings do play a part in healing people. Of course not everybody would consider that a real reason but IMO it is important. If I had to go to a hospital in the Medical school I would hope its in a nice location and that is as nice as you can get for any part of Austin with great views. Plus it really has the best acreage for the location.

Highland Mall is about the same size as the Brackenridge tract.

[cvillehorn]

Found this info whilst doing a quick google on the Brack Tract. Pretty cool.



http://www.utbracktract.com/

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by cvillehorn

Found this info whilst doing a quick google on the Brack Tract. Pretty cool.



http://www.utbracktract.com/

Those are a few years old. They, by the way, are the reason many of us believe that the Brackenridge tract is likely the place they'll put the Medical School.

After revisiting the plans, though, I remembered that both of them plan to slightly reroute or redesign Lake Austin blvd through the tract, thereby making it an adequate emergency route into the hospital.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Highland Mall is not a desirable location IMO for the Medical school its not big enough. I don't see why it would be an issue for the Brakenridge location as I said surroundings do play a part in healing people. Of course not everybody would consider that a real reason but IMO it is important. If I had to go to a hospital in the Medical school I would hope its in a nice location and that is as nice as you can get for any part of Austin with great views. Plus it really has the best acreage for the location.

Also, Highland Mall is a bad location for a hospital in general. You've got Dell's Children, Austin State, Seton, St. David's, and University all within a five mile distance. The Brackenridge tract is in an area that, oddly (given its affluence), does not have a hospital nearby. Putting it in the Domain would also not make sense given the proximity to North Austin Med and Seton Northwest. It isn't going to go into the Mueller Development as that redevelopment is already under way and I can't see them changing anything this late in the ballgame. There also isn't any available centralized land south of the river which would lend itself to an urban-esque campus (assuming that the university wants the campus to be urban, which is a good assumption).

If the goal is to keep the hospital central, while trying to serve an underserved area (which would just be smart, imo), then they'll either go with the Brackenridge tract (which they've been angling to redevelop for years) or buy up industrial land en masse east of I-35 (perhaps, as an example, the area bounded by Bolm, Airport, and 183). Which is going to be easier for the University: developing land they already own by integrating the hospital and associated facilities into preexisting redevelopment plans or spending money to buy land in a politically and socioeconomically sensitive community already subject to enough gentrification pressures?

I would, on the flip side, also not be surprised if the University decided to develop land south of the river on East Riverside in coordination with Austin's rail line and the city's push for denser development along that corridor. However, the same political issues plague that area. It also doesn't seem likely that that area will ever develop at the level of density Austin's elite desire, which could disqualify it as a good option ... and much of the land that looks ripe for the level of density desired already have development projects in the pipeline (I.E. the closer to 35, the more likely to be developed by someone in the private market).

[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.