Austin's Waterloo Greenway plans for Phase 2 with $9 million federal grant

Downtown Austin will soon get a little more green as Austin's Waterloo Greenway park enters its second phase thanks to a new $9 million federal grant.

The grant will bring over 1,500 trees, 200,000 plants and 10 acres of seeds along Waller Creek as part of the new project dubbed The Confluence, officials said at a Monday press conference. The U.S. Army of Engineers provided the funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Local leaders, including U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett and Austin Mayor Steve Adler, said the new phase will beautify the area, boost the ecosystem and improve air quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Confluence is part of the Waterloo Greenway, which partially opened in 2021 with the new Moody Amphitheater and Waterloo Park. The organization behind the project, Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, plans to extend the green space into a 1.5 mile, 35-acre park from 15th street to Lady Bird Lake. The second phase is projected to start this October.

The three-phase development process is under way and expected to be fully completed in 2026. (Waterloo Greenway)