Feature Photo: View of the Dell Medical Center. Image: UT.

Posted: 1-21-2026

by Art Benavidez

Austin (Travis County) —  Plans for the University of Texas’ long-envisioned academic and research medical center in Austin moved closer to reality this week following a $100 million private investment that will help advance development of the large-scale health care project.

Austin residents Tench and Simone Coxe announced they will contribute $100 million toward the creation of the new UT Medical Center, a patient-centered academic health system that will integrate Dell Medical School and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center’s expanding presence in Central Texas.  VBX has been following the project since 2023.

University officials said the funding strengthens momentum for the complex, which is expected to include a new hospital focused on complex and serious medical conditions, along with clinical, research, and education facilities.

The investment is unrestricted, allowing project leaders to allocate funds across key development needs, including construction, technology infrastructure, and recruitment of physicians and research faculty. University officials have not released construction cost estimates or site-specific phasing details, but the medical center is expected to represent a multibillion-dollar buildout at full realization, reflecting Austin’s population growth and increasing demand for advanced care. The project is targeting an opening date of 2030.

From a construction and design standpoint, the medical center is envisioned as a digitally enabled academic campus that integrates inpatient and outpatient care, research laboratories, medical education space, and specialized cancer treatment facilities. A central component will be a new UT hospital designed to reduce the need for Central Texas patients to travel elsewhere for complex care, a trend that currently affects roughly one-quarter of the region’s population. The project will also complement UT MD Anderson’s expansion in Austin, further anchoring the campus as a regional hub for oncology and advanced medicine.

The UT Medical Center will build on existing partnerships with Dell Seton Medical Center, Dell Children’s Medical Center, Central Health, and CommUnityCare Health Centers, while leveraging UT’s broader research strengths in fields such as artificial intelligence, engineering, robotics, and life sciences. University leaders said the Coxes’ investment is intended to catalyze additional private and institutional support as planning, design, and construction efforts continue in the years ahead.

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