Waller Creek improvements, art projects marching forward

In November 2012, Austin voters approved $13 million in bonds for the redevelopment of Waller Creek. Over the years, the project – now called the Waterloo Greenway project – has grown to encompass a long series of parks, construction of the Waller Creek Tunnel project, planning for preservation of the Palm School and park area, plus a variety of other projects. In 2018, the city approved an additional $110 million for the much-expanded project, and the Waller Creek Conservancy was renamed the Waterloo Greenway Conservancy. Those funds are part of a long-term $375 million project to turn land along the creek into a chain of parks and civic spaces. The conservancy committed to raise an additional $275 million.

Nine months ago, the city and the conservancy broke ground on phase two of the comprehensive plan to revitalize not only the creek but the area around it. That phase was named the Confluence.

Assistant City Manager Veronica Briseño, president of the Waller Creek Local Government Corporation, recently released a report detailing the history of the Waller Creek District and providing information on both public and private projects currently under construction.

“The project is transforming this part of our community,” Briseño told the Austin Monitor. “The park is really, as I see it, an equalizer. It’s a place where anybody in our community is welcome.”

She noted that there are many free programs in the parks, saying, “I think this project has come a long way to unite our community and it will continue to do so as it’s built out.”

Meanwhile, the conservancy has focused on raising funds for construction as well as providing art and entertainment to Austinites and visitors within the park and at the Moody Amphitheater. The conservancy is currently raising money for public park projects through sales of tickets to concerts March 14-16 as part of South by Southwest. Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park will host concerts headlined by R&B singer PARTYNEXTDOOR, Latin superstar Christian Nodal and Illenium.

In addition, on March 2, Waterloo Greenway will be opening a free video art installation focusing on historic artifacts found along Waller Creek. The artists creating the installation, called “Past Deposits From a Future Yet to Come,” are Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler. They discovered the artifacts at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. The artifacts, which will be projected to fill the 16-foot-by-20-foot wall of the Moody Amphitheater, include a variety of everyday objects like buttons, plates and coins from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries.

“The way ‘Past Deposits’ brings these ordinary objects to life is truly inspiring. Teresa and Alexander’s work is an exceptional example of how we can honor the lives of those who called this area their home and continue sharing their stories,” said Jesús Aguirre, CEO of Waterloo Greenway. “Educating our community on the rich and important history of Waller Creek is central to our mission at Waterloo Greenway. We are thrilled to soon unveil this dynamic piece of art to the public, which will be free and open to everyone to experience.”

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