AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has begun demolition at the site of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work – but not everyone is happy about UT's plans for the site.
In spring 2023, UT announced it would be replacing the existing School of Social Work building with a football training facility that itself will eventually replace "The Bubble" at Denius Fields. The university said at the time that the new practice facility will likely include a 100-yard outdoor field and a 100-yard indoor field.
Now UT has confirmed that it has received a demolition permit from the Texas Historical Commission with approval for its plan to commemorate the history of the School of Social Work's building. Demolition has begun at the site and will continue for the next several months.
Operations for the School of Social Work moved to Walter Webb Hall at the end of the spring 2024 semester and will stay there for approximately four years until the school moves into the current McCombs School of Business building. At that time, McCombs will move into its new building, Mulva Hall, located where the Dobie Center Garage was previously. Mulva Hall is expected to open around August 2028.
Controversy around the demolition
For months, professors, students and preservation groups have been fighting to save the School of Social Work building, which dates back to 1933 and was once the University Junior High School, which played a large role in the desegregation of Texas public schools. Its model of a successfully integrated school eventually led to the end of school segregation in Austin.
Back in July, the building received a State Antiquities landmark, which is a designation other major historic Texas buildings – including The Alamo – also have. But that didn't stop the demolition.
"If they were destroying it for the purpose of education, I guess it wouldn't be quite as sour a pill," Barbara Anderson, a retired professor of the School of Social Work, said. "But the fact that they're doing this for a grass football field is an insult to the purposes of the university."
Even with the approval for demolition from the Texas Historical Commission, UT does have to follow some guidelines, like creating a documentary film about the building, doing 360-degree walkthroughs and salvaging some architectural features.
