You can say goodbye to one of Austin’s largest downtown parks for a while. Waterloo Park is closing November 1, and won’t reopen until the fall of 2015. It’s all for a construction project that will keep Waller Creek running at a constant level year ‘round.
The Waller Creek project is part of a plan to develop a San Antonio-style river walk downtown between I-35 and Red River Streets. You can learn more about that project by checking out the Waller Creek Master Plan.
Here’s the press release from the city on Waterloo Park:
Waterloo Park to close for Construction on Waller Creek Tunnel Park to remain closed until 2015 Waterloo Park will close on November 1, 2011 and remain closed until fall of 2015 while construction crews build the Waller Creek tunnel inlet. The inlet will be built adjacent to Waller Creek on the southern edge of the park. The inlet will capture and direct flood waters to a maintenance and debris handling facility for filtering and passage into the tunnel. During dry weather, pumps in the facility will introduce water from Lady Bird Lake into the creek to maintain tunnel water quality. Currently, the creek dries out during periods without rain, and can flash flood quickly during rain events. This will help in keeping the creek at a constant year round base flow. The project scope of work includes a 20,000 sq.ft. maintenance and debris handling building and creek channel enlargement. The City will host an information meeting on Thursday, November 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in room 105 at Waller Creek Center, 625 E. 10th Street, Austin, TX 78701.
