Preservation Austin backs landmark status for UT building slated for demolition

Preservation Austin has officially supported the movement to designate the University of Texas at Austin’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work building as a Texas State Antiquities Landmark. The former home of University Junior High, which is significant for its role in desegregation, could be demolished to make way for new practice facilities for the UT football program. In April, the Texas Antiquities Advisory Board recommended that the Texas Historical Commission grant State Antiquities Landmark status to the building, a move that delayed the demolition until THC can hear the case for the designation later this month. Receiving the landmark status would provide some legal protections under state law and require UT to consult with THC regarding any changes to the building, but it does not protect it absolutely from demolition.