A place this boundless takes time to realize. Waterloo Greenway is being designed and launched in phases, beginning with the opening of a re-imagined Waterloo Park in August 2021. We are well on our way to unveiling an extraordinary project that takes an equally exceptional team to bring to life. To say we’re “thrilled” would be an understatement.
John Rigdon, Director of Planning and Design at Waterloo Greenway, looks forward to seeing how the community will react to and interact with the park once it opens.
“I think one of the most rewarding and exciting things for me is when you work on building something and then you can come back and observe it as a visitor. You get to see how people just intuitively use the space and if that aligns with how we thought people would use it when we designed it.” Most of the time, Rigdon says, people dream up better ideas on how to use the space than the designers would have ever imagined.
At a mighty 11 acres, Waterloo Park, located between 12th & 15th Streets along Red River, will feature a variety of unique spaces to immerse yourself in nature in the heart of downtown Austin. Spaces that reflect the landscapes of Austin and Central Texas, including hill country gardens with oaks and native plantings, wetland spaces that create places for play and relaxation, expansive lawns for gathering and activities, and more than a mile and a half of trails within the park.
Let’s not forget about the 5,000-person-capacity Moody Amphitheater either. Developers are currently focusing on two critical aspects of the venue’s construction: building the concrete foundation for the amphitheater and topping it off with the steel roof structure that is sure to turn heads. The concrete work involves holding back soils, building walls, and establishing the foundation. Meanwhile, developers offsite are working hard on designing and building the massive steel roof structure.
Rigdon looks forward to seeing the way that the canopy roof of the amphitheater extends out over the sidewalk into Trinity Street and how that will change the experience of pedestrians walking by. “The amphitheater itself is going to be one of the most notable and striking pieces of architecture in Austin. It is a bold architectural statement will be seen from the street, from the park…from everywhere!”
Our dream of opening a refreshed Waterloo Park has been 8 years in the making. We are so excited to finally share it with you all and activate it with diverse and inclusive programming, concerts, cultural events, public art, and much more.