The long-vacant Sears at Hancock Center is about to swap appliances for exam rooms, as Central Health gets ready to welcome patients to its new Hancock campus on April 24. The safety-net agency walked local leaders and partners through the nearly 200,000 square feet of renovated space this week, previewing a phased opening that officials say will focus first on specialty care and services used most by low-income residents.
Executives from the public hospital district and its clinical and coverage partners toured exam rooms, pharmacy areas, and administrative suites, offering details on the rollout and what patients can expect in the first wave of services, according to KXAN Austin.
What Opens April 24
Phase one is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on April 24, when the David Powell Health Center, Travis County’s HIV treatment and prevention clinic, begins seeing patients at the Hancock campus and on-site pharmacy and laboratory services go live, according to CommUnityCare Health Centers. The transition page also notes that Quest Diagnostics will stop offering patient services at the old David Powell location on April 13 and directs patients to alternative lab sites during the switch. CommUnityCare says other Convenient Care services are expected to relocate to the new campus by mid May as additional space opens.
In this first phase, the Hancock campus will host the David Powell clinic’s HIV care, along with the new lab capacity and pharmacy service. Primary care, specialty clinics, dental services and administrative functions are planned for later stages. Community Impact previously reported that the broader project is designed to bring clinical and administrative work for Central Health, CommUnityCare and Sendero together under one roof, using a phased approach that aims to reduce disruption for patients as services move locations.
The New Hancock Hub
The Hancock campus sits inside the Hancock Center shopping plaza and will operate out of the former Sears building at 1000 E. 41st St., according to Central Health. The nearly 200,000 square foot conversion represents roughly a $150 million investment in the county’s safety-net system, and project leaders have said the full build out is expected to wrap in 2027, as reported by KUT. Plans call for clinical services on the ground floor, with administrative and partner offices spread throughout the rest of the building.
Why It Matters
Central Health describes the Hancock campus as a cornerstone in its effort to expand direct care for low income Travis County residents, part of a slate of investments that also includes new clinics and a downtown respite center. Central Health’s 2025 annual report notes the system now serves more than 183,000 residents and details multi million dollar spending on primary, behavioral and specialty care. Sponsors of the Hancock move also point to I 35 reconstruction and shifting real estate needs as key reasons the David Powell program had to relocate, and supporters say the new campus offers a more secure home base for the clinic for decades to come.
Patients are being urged to check their appointment notices closely before heading to Hancock. The CommUnityCare transition page lists April 24 at 10 a.m. as the official start of Phase One and lays out guidance on pharmacy access and lab work during the switch. CommUnityCare also points patients to nearby Quest locations for bloodwork between April 14 and the Hancock lab’s first day of service.
Officials say they will keep posting updates on the Hancock project page as new clinics and services come online, framing this month’s opening as the launch point for a years long push to bring more care closer to the people who depend on Travis County’s public health system.
