AUSTIN (KXAN) — Construction on a new park system in Austin will begin later this year, thanks to funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Waterloo Greenway announced Monday morning it’s set to receive the $9 million grant from the corps.

The organization wants to use the money to create a new 1.5-mile connected park system in downtown Austin called “The Confluence, Phase II.”

The goal of the project centers on environmental restoration and creating an ecosystem that can clean and manage stormwater runoff. Waterloo Greenway said the city’s Watershed Protection and Parks and Recreation departments will help out.

The conservancy plans to put in nearly 1,550 trees, 200,000 mature plants and 10 acres of seed mixes to help improve air quality in the downtown area and reduce the urban heat island effect.

The Waterloo Greenway Conservancy is a nonprofit that’s working to create and maintain an urban park system, as well as restore Waller Creek. In August 2021, the conservancy unveiled Waterloo Park, which features a hike-and-bike trail, large lawns, playscapes and the Moody Amphitheater.

Construction on The Confluence begins this year.