AUSTIN, TX — May 6, 2026 — Waterloo Greenway Conservancy and the City of Austin today announced the grand opening of Waterloo Greenway, Phase II: The Confluence, on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Spanning 13 acres along Waller Creek between 4th Street and Lady Bird Lake, The Confluence represents a $91.5 million public-private investment and years of community collaboration, environmental restoration, and innovative design.
Grand Opening: June 6, 2026
The public is invited to join Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, the City of Austin, and community partners for the Grand Opening celebration on Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Confluence is located along Waller Creek between 4th Street and Lady Bird Lake. Admission is free and open to the public. The celebration will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, park tours, interactive and sensory-friendly scavenger hunts, face painting, family-friendly activities, live music, art, and more.
Affordable event parking will be available for $5 at the Austin Convention Center 5th St. Garage at 601 E. 5th St. Ridesharing and use of public transit are also encouraged.
The Waterloo Greenway Phase II Grand Opening is supported by Fairmont Austin, 1 Hotel Austin, Austin Subaru, Bosque Residences, The Modern by Urbanspace, Austin Convention Center, Delta Air Lines, Heyday! LIVE, and Lincoln Property Group.
Waterloo Greenway Phase II: The Confluence
Situated at the southernmost point of Waterloo Greenway, The Confluence sits at the crossroads of Palm Park, the Rainey Street Historic District, the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, the Austin Convention Center, and the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) and built by Jay-Reese Contractors Inc. with delivery oversight by Austin Capital Delivery Services, the project reconstructs and stabilizes Waller Creek’s eroded banks, leverages the opportunity created by the Waller Creek Flood Control Tunnel, and reconstructs the once-neglected corridor into a resilient, ecologically rich urban park engineered to manage daily stormwater and provide support during major events, including 100-year flood conditions.
The Confluence also serves as the southern anchor of a continuous, 1.5-mile off-street trail for running, walking, and biking, that will connect Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake, stitching together downtown neighborhoods and destinations while allowing people to travel the full length of Waterloo Greenway without crossing a single busy street. For a city growing as fast as Austin, that kind of connected, car-free infrastructure does more than move people. It makes downtown a place people actually want to linger, explore, work, and call home, while serving as an economic engine for Austin.
The Confluence, completed in partnership with the City of Austin, features nearly 1,600 new trees, 200,000 native plants, and 10 acres of seed mixes that improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combat the urban heat island effect, and support native wildlife. The project is pursuing Sustainable SITES Initiative certification, recognizing its use of nature-based solutions to increase resiliency. A newly completed biofiltration pond, the first-of-its-kind in downtown Austin, is fully operational, treating 26.2 acres of urban stormwater and improving water quality along Waller Creek with support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Confluence introduces significant new amenities and infrastructure to downtown Austin, including:
- Three lattice bridges providing new east-west pedestrian connections over Waller Creek
- An 800-foot boardwalk embedded in Waller Creek, allowing trail users to bypass busy intersections at Red River Street and Cesar Chavez Street
- A continuous, universally accessible, off-street bike and pedestrian trail connecting the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, Palm Park, Rainey Street, and the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, totaling approximately one mile of new and improved trails
- New family-friendly, public gathering spaces, including the Lakeview Terrace, Explorers Garden, and Leaf Deck, adjacent to Lady Bird Lake
- A new connection to Waller Creek at 4th Street via the Cypress Grove and Trailhead Bridge
- Fully ADA-accessible trail connections to the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, and adjacent developments
“Waterloo Greenway has always been about gathering the community, and with The Confluence, we are continuing to bring that vision to life as a welcoming and inclusive gathering place for all,” said Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, CEO of Waterloo Greenway Conservancy. “This is a transformational space for Austin, shaped by the voices of the community it belongs to and reflecting the diversity, creativity, and vibrancy of our city, where nature, culture, and community unite to create something truly extraordinary.”
“The Confluence is a legacy project in every sense of the word. From the beginning, The Confluence has been about what’s possible when a city invests in its people and its public spaces. The City of Austin is proud to partner with Waterloo Greenway Conservancy to bring this vision to life: a park that restores Waller Creek, celebrates our community’s history, and welcomes everyone to experience downtown Austin at its very best,” said Mayor Kirk Watson.
The Grand Opening of The Confluence represents a significant milestone for Waterloo Greenway, and it would not be possible without the generous support of the Austin community. With nearly $80M in philanthropic investment so far, Waterloo Greenway Conservancy is hopeful to see this tremendous community support continue as they continue fundraising to complete the 1.5-mile park system.
Looking Ahead: Palm Park & Phase III
With The Confluence complete, Waterloo Greenway turns its attention to Palm Park (200 N I-35) and Phase III (4th Street to 12th Street), which will finish the 1.5-mile, universally accessible trail along Waller Creek — creating a continuous north-south green corridor connecting Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake and bringing the total to 35 acres of connected green space through the heart of downtown Austin.
The Waterloo Greenway Design Team
The design for Waterloo Greenway is being executed by a team of local and national subject matter experts led by Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates Inc. The design for Waterloo Greenway is the result of a 2012 international design competition and over a decade of ongoing community input.
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., Landscape Architects (Lead Planning & Design)
ACI Consulting (Environmental Permitting)
Altura Solutions (Accessibility Consultant)
TY-Lin /Architectural Engineers Collaborative (Bridge Design and Structural Engineering)
dwg. (Local Landscape Architect)
EEA Consulting Engineers (Electrical Engineering)
ETM Associates (Public Space Management)
James Pole Irrigation Consultants (Irrigation Design)
LimnoTech (Hydrology)
Olsson Associates (Soil Science)
Terracon (Geotechnical Engineering)
Tillett Lighting Design Associates (Lighting Design)
WGI [Civil Engineering]