Frank Erwin Center demolition expected by end of 2024

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 1, 2023.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center's final days are numbered.

The Erwin Center last opened its doors to crowds in April 2022 for a Harlem Globetrotters event. The new $375 million Moody Center opened in April 2022 as the Erwin Center's replacement.

The UT System Board of Regents will meet this week and may approve an amendment for the demolition project. A $25 million demolition will make way for a Dell Medical School expansion, according to UT System documents.

The events center was built in 1977 as a six-story multipurpose arena between Red River Street and Interstate 35. The neighboring Denton A. Cooley Pavilion, built in 2003 as a basketball training facility, will also be demolished.

The Erwin Center replacement project was first announced in September 2014. At the time, it was estimated to take six to 10 years to complete.

The board will consider adding the project to the current Capital Improvement Program. The project will be paid for through the Available University Fund.

The project entered its demolition phase in January. A "construction notice to proceed" is expected in June. Final completion is expected in October 2024.

Demolition includes sorting debris, abatement of hazardous materials, site drainage, tree protection, utility removal and other demotion steps, according to the board agenda.