Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

F.C. SCHOOL BOARD chair Lawrence Webb (right) made the case for the $120 million proposed for a new high school to the F.C. Planning Commission Monday night. Looking on is Principal Planner Paul Stoddard. (Photo: News-Press)

The Falls Church City Managers office last week issued a blockbuster updated Mixed Use Development Fiscal Impact Report showing that eight completed mixed-use (combined residential and retail) projects that have been built and occupied in the City since The Broadway launched the trend in 2003 collectively have given an enormous boost to the City.

The projects, taken together, generate a net $3.8 million a year to the City, equal to almost nine cents on the real estate tax rate, compared to $571,000 a year that their combined 18.5 acres were generating for the City before.

The net revenue takes into account the projects added cost to the City, including to its schools. The gross tax revenues they generate are $10.6 million annually, and the net $3.8 million sum deducts the cost of operational support costs to the City, including the cost of educating the approximately 200 (the estimated range is 174 to 219 as two of the newest projects, 301 West Broad and the Lincoln at Tinner Hill, are not yet fully occupied) students that live in their residences.

The new evaluation also does not include the most recent development, that Target has signed a lease to occupy 26,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor of the Lincoln at Tinner Hill. The report notes, however, that the addition of Target will incentivize other smaller retailers to rent spaces in that building or nearby.

Some of the biggest proposed mixed-use projects are still in early stages of gaining approvals for construction from City Hall, as well. Notably, there is the long-awaited 4.3-acre Founders (formerly Mason) Row at the northeastern corner of the W. Broad at N. West Street, the Insight Development project for 2.5 acres at the northeastern corner of the intersection of W. Broad and N. Washington and, the biggest of them all, the 10-acre portion of the 36-acre George Mason High School and Henderson Middle School site, the development policy for which is now under deliberation.

So far the Citys new developments have all been seven stories or less, although there is a push to allow up to 10 stories, or even more, at the campus site, pending a rezoning and subsequent establishment of an overlay district.

With buildings recently completed and under construction in nearby Tysons Corner topping 35 stories, the plans for Falls Church remain relatively modest. In referenda since this latest construction trend began, Falls Church citizens have repeatedly rejected attempts to rein in mixed-use development in the Citys thin commercially-zoned corridors (mostly limited to Broad and Washington Streets).

In the proposed November school bond referendum, the issue will come down to the net cost of the new school to taxpayers, and the promise of a robust development of the 10 acres of the school site for mixed use, including its sale (in the form most likely of a long-term ground lease) for $40 million or more, will be seen as an important, even game-changing. mitigating factor.

In the Citys latest mixed use impact report, it is shown that with the exception of one of the projects Pearson Square on S. Maple net revenue yields to the City would be significantly higher than they are.

Pearson Square was originally approved as a 230-unit condominium development but as its construction was underway in 2006, the condo market in the region tanked (it has still not fully recovered). The City approved a request to convert the condos to rental units in 2007 just as the Great Recession was hitting.

(Another victim of the Recession in that period was the ambitious City Center development project with a value of $315 million that reconfigured a good section of the blocks in the immediate S. Washington and W. Broad area. It involved moving the bowling alley, a hotel and more, and had won all the necessary approvals from the City government, but when the recession suddenly dried up access to development funding, it died a swift and unholy death.)

In the case of Pearson Square, however, the larger residential units originally designed as condos in the project turned rentals made it a magnet for families with school aged children, eager to take advantage of the stellar reputation of the Falls Church schools.

Of the eight projects completed since 2003 The Broadway, the Byron, Pearson Square, the Read Building, the Spectrum, Northgate, 301 W. Broad and the Lincoln at Tinner Hill Pearson Square accounts for 56 percent of all the school-aged children the projects have enrolled in City schools. Thus, while originally projected to yield a net $684,196 annually to the Citys tax coffers, it has turned to become the only negative yield project of the eight, costing the City $428,329 a year.

But this is an anomaly compared to the robust net yields of all the other projects, and that also extends to the new ones still on the drawing boards, as they are all designed with smaller rental apartments aimed at attracting a combination of a younger (singles and couples with very young children not yet of school age) demographic and over 55 active seniors.

So far, according to the report, the student population in the newest units, the 301 W. Broad and Lincoln at Tinner Hill, is trending below the modelled low pupil coefficients per housing unit.

Meanwhile, in addition to the net positive tax impact of these projects, their developers have provided the City with considerable concessions, including a total of $7,036,403 in contributions to the schools and 69 affordable dwelling units.

It is also pointed out that the population growth in the Little City associated with these projects also contributes to the Citys tax revenue base by providing local retailers and service businesses with more customers, needed to make these businesses survive and prosper.

The new Mixed Use Development Fiscal Impact Report was slated to be posted to the Citys website this week, according to reports.

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New Report Cites Robust Fiscal Gains of Mixed Use - Falls Church News Press

An elaborate Medina sandstone church on Delaware Avenue that has housed the same Baptist congregation since it was built in 1894 is for sale for$895,000.

But not because the congregation is shrinking.

Unlike other churches that have sold property, the congregation of Delaware Avenue Baptist Church is growing, with more than 250 people. That's still not enough, however, to justify the upkeep of such a large building, andthe physical layout of the 27,831-square-foot church is not conducive to meet their needs, said the Rev. Michael J. Robinson, the pastor.

The property slightly more than a half acre also lacks enough parking to support the congregation's growth.

"It's a heavy lift, when you get into the upkeep, the utilities, the insurance. It's a lot of waste," Robinson said."We don't even use all of the space, because we don't have those types of numbers of people. So instead of paying for a building that we only use half the square footage, let's get something more energy efficient and with greater parking potential for us."

Robinson said the church used to own much more land behind the Delaware Avenue church, but the construction and later sale of Baptist Manor decades ago took that away.

"It kind of killed our prospect of growing beyond 250 or 300 people," he said. "We don't have parking space."

A stained glass window at the Delaware Avenue Baptist Church. (Derek Gee/Buffalo News)

The building, at 965 Delaware Ave. near Bryant Street, requires "some significant repairs that have to be done," said Hunt Commercial Real Estate broker Steve Fitzmaurice, who listed the property along with Clarke Thrasher.

Designed by architect and church member John H. Coxhead in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the church features a stained-glass dome atop a 6,500-square-foot vaulted sanctuary with mosaic-tile detailing inside and twin steepled towers on either side of its peaked stone-arch entry.

"It's just a wonderful facility," said Paul McDonnell, chairman of the city's Preservation Board."We're sad that the congregation feels the church is beyond their long-term financial wherewithal. It's really a very special building."

But "even though they think they won't be able to stay there long-term, they are concerned about leaving the building in good shape for the next owner," McDonnell added.

The historic structure is already the subject of a preservation effort. The Delaware Avenue Restoration Corp., a nonprofit formed by and affiliated with the church, is trying to raise $300,000 to $500,000 to fix the building and ensure its long-term survival. The group is working with HHL Architects and plans to make selective repairs along the way.

The Delaware Avenue Baptist Church. (Derek Gee/Buffalo News)

Its first target is the leaky roof, much of which is original to the building.

"It's well over 100 years old now, and there are places where it's deteriorated to the point where it needs replacing," said McDonnell, who is a member of the Restoration Corp. board.

The nonprofit has secured a $75,000 matching challenge grant from the New York Landmarks Conservancy's Sacred Sites program. But that's restricted to places of worship, McDonnell noted, so if the building were acquired by a developer and converted to apartments, condominiums or anything else, it would no longer be eligible for the grant. "That could be an issue that would have to be explored," he said.

McDonnell noted that any redevelopment that relies on historic tax credits would be prevented from altering the sanctuary, which is "the defining element." But there are plenty of other opportunities in the rest of the facility, he said.

Already considered a local landmark, the church is located in the Linwood Avenue Historic Preservation District, just north of the Delaware Avenue Historic District, and it was recently recommended by the governor for inclusion on the state and federal Registers of Historic Places. Such a designation would mean renovation or redevelopment may also qualify for state and federal historic tax credits of up to 40 percent of the cost.

Meanwhile, Robinson said the church has started looking for a new and smaller location in the city, ideally within a mile of Delaware Avenue so it can keep a name that "has significance and history."

The building includes three floors of meeting, classroom and office space, including a 700-square-foot kitchen, a library, a fellowship hall and a lounge. The sanctuary includes extensive lower-level seating in old wood pews, as well as a vast balcony with an organ.

"We don't need 30,000 square feet of space. We're not looking to have a mega-church. Half of that has proved to be adequate," he said. "We'rejust looking for a building of that size, so that we're not paying for more than we're using."

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Historic Delaware Avenue Baptist church for sale - Buffalo News

Folsom Telegraph

Telegraph Home of the Week: Single-story Folsom home with sunlight Folsom Telegraph At approximately 1,677 square feet, it's the smallest single-story in a neighborhood of larger homes and mature shade trees that make ideal walking areas. The seller will provide a home warranty for the buyer. The large family room has a three-sided ...

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Telegraph Home of the Week: Single-story Folsom home with sunlight - Folsom Telegraph

Jim Haddadin Daily News Staff @JimHaddadin

FRAMINGHAM The Downtown Common has been an unsightly mess for the last couple of months, but the green space along Concord Street should be restored to its quaint, grassy look soon.

Crews from Argus Construction are expected to finish work on the Downtown Common Improvements Project in August, according to Chief Engineer William Sedewitz.

The project, launched this spring, required ripping up the lawn and brick pathways on the historic common, which has been partially surrounded by a construction fence.

The project was expected to be substantially complete in late July, but will instead continue into next month. According to the towns website, Argus must install new irrigation and sod for the entire lawn due to the extent of tree root removal and regrading. The new sod will be installed later this month, but the area will remain off limits during a 30-day maintenance period.

Delivery of new ornamental lights is also delayed due to high demand, according to the town. The new lights wont be available until July 31 at the earliest.

It is anticipated that these combined events will delay completion to the end of August, the site reads.

Located at the intersection of Concord and Howard streets, the common traces its history to 1854. It was deeded to the town in March of that year by Lovell Eames, who stipulated the parcel located in front of the old Baptist Meeting House should be used in perpetuity as a town common.

This years beautification project launched about two days after the conclusion of the Boston Marathon in April. Intended to dovetail with the states recent upgrades of Concord Street and Union Avenue, the project includes removing some trees and shrubs, tearing up the brick pathways and taking out or resetting a portion of the existing granite bollards.

When the project is finished, the common will have new benches and trees, new granite bollards, new granite piers, and a new railing, as well as new brick walkways, granite steps and concrete sidewalks.

The old flag pole on the site will also be replaced, as will the streetlights, which are being replaced with new period lighting.

Project costs are expected to exceed $400,000. A contract for the work stipulates it must be substantially complete by mid-September, putting the towns contractor well within the allowable timetable, Sedewitz said. The town is advising motorists to expect brief delays this week as crews excavate the perimeter of the common. The sidewalk along Franklin Street will also be closed.

With any project, there seems to be spurts and lulls in the progress, Sedewitz said, but if you can witness some of the construction from the edge of the work zone, (the contractor is) doing a good job. Hopefully its going to be a very well-completed project, and hopefully the wait will be worth it.

Jim Haddadin can be reached at 617-863-7144 or jhaddadin@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @JimHaddadin

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Framingham: Downtown Common project to wrap in August - Wicked Local Framingham

Seattle is well-known for its efforts to be sustainable and environmentally conscious, and downtowns new seawall follows this trend. The new seawall, influenced by studies published by UW researchers, takes special measures to accommodate marine life.

The seawall itself is located beneath the waterfront, so while it may go unnoticed to those who walk above it, it transforms an otherwise uninhabitable concrete slab into something much closer to the original ecosystem.

The seawall was initially constructed in the 1930s. After the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, a section of the original Alaskan Way seawall began to settle. Since the structure was compromised, it became necessary to replace the wall, but in addition to the structural changes that were necessary, the new design takes into account the fact that Elliott Bay is part of the natural migration route for salmon.

Previously, the seawall was simply made of concrete, which served its purpose of protecting the citys infrastructure, but neglected to serve the original ecosystem.

Water near the shoreline is usually shallow and well lit. Both of these qualities are important for fish, especially juvenile salmon; the bright and shallow waters provide a good habitat for prey and good protection from predators. This is crucial for young salmon in Elliott Bay since the fish use the waterfront to migrate and to acclimate to salt water, growing considerably in this time.

The old concrete seawall disrupted the natural salmon migration routes by creating unnaturally deep waters immediately off of the shore. About a third of the waterfront was also located under piers, making the water too dark for the salmon to swim under.

Ideally, you can build habitats for people and for fish, said Stuart Munsch, a fishery biologist working for NOAAs Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Education is also really important. People who visit the waterfront might not know about the ecosystem beneath their feet, but Elliott Bay is traditionally a nursery habitat for juvenile salmon to mature, making it an area crucial to protect.

The new seawall mitigates the problems of the water being too deep and too dark. Water is made more shallow by installing shelves on the side of the seawall, called marine mattresses, and the wall itself is textured to look something like a climbing wall, making a more accommodating surface for fish food to grow. Glass blocks are used to pave walkways above ground, and this allows light to pass through to the water.

UW researchers helped provide the science to create the habitat of the seawall, said Jeff Cordell, a member of the UW research team which tested the potential panels for the seawall.

Youre never going to have the seawall constructed in a way that includes all the complexities a natural habitat does, Cordell said. Yet the Seattle seawall takes many more steps to recreate the original food chain.

All of these measures dramatically improve the area for salmon. EarthFix recently published a video providing a good look at the new seawall features.

I really love working in urban systems, said Jason Toft, a restoration ecologist and research scientist at the UW. Urban and ecological systems can work together.

Any urban coastline or major port will affect the natural habitats in some way, but because this concept is relatively similar in any area, it is important that Seattle is making these steps. Basic aspects of well-lit, shallow waters can be applied in different cities around the world to restore nursery grounds for juvenile fish.

At lowtide, the seawall is visible from the piers. July is the peak month for salmon migration, so those visiting the waterfront should be able to see the juvenile fish.

Seattle continues to be a groundbreaking city when it comes to ecological restoration. Ideally the strides that UW researchers make with Seattles seawall can be applied to cities around the world, and this type of restoration can continue.

Reach reporter Brooke Manningat science@dailyuw.com.Twitter: @brook1052

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Seattle's new seawall - Dailyuw

Turkey Spur overlook at Grandview State Park reopened Friday with help from the National Park Service (NPS) and Friends of New River Gorge National River (Friends), who raised over $20,000 in four months to renovate the property.

Significant improvements had been made to the overlook's boardwalk and steps in 2015, only to have them burned by a fire a few months later. The fire started as arson and quickly spread, burning 35 acres of the forest.

The fire wiped out much of the newly improved overlook, bringing staff back to the beginning.

Members of NPS and Friends hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the reopening and all the hard work they have achieved since the past damage.

Debbie Cooper, secretary of the Friends board, said they held several fundraisers to achieve their financial goal, as well as support from many donors and supporters.

"I'm from here, and I grew up here," Cooper said, "And we have so much here to offer in West Virginia and I am proud I get to be a part of this celebration."

Turkey Spur has held many memories for people over the years, from first dates to proposals to weddings, and according to Lizzie Watts, Superintendent of the New River Gorge National River, it has been a place to simply just go and reflect.

"Turkey Spur is such a spiritual place," said Watts. "Yes, it is a great place to go with a group of friends, but even just going alone provides you with so much fulfillment."

Watts said there was no better time to celebrate the reopening than on the Fourth of July weekend.

"Having national parks is a way to give a thank you back to Americans," Watts said, "This is their weekend."

Julena Campbell, spokesperson for the New River Gorge National River, said she is very excited the renovation happened much quicker than what she anticipated.

"We've had so much help from donors and everything else and it's just a great feeling to finally give back to the people here," Campbell said.

Campbell said she is not originally from this area, so seeing all of the love and support go into this made it really special for her.

"I was amazed at how many came together to make this happen," Campbell said. "It's truly great to be a part of."

So, although fire damage put plans at standstill for many, NPS and Friends are ready to give it back.

Email: jnelson@register-herald.com; follow on Twitter @jnelsonRH

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NPS and Friends reopens Turkey Spur overlook - Beckley Register-Herald

OUTDOOR SPACE The 180-acre lot is made up of open fields, pasture, forest and a pond, and is entered via a long gravel driveway. There is also a series of flower gardens around the house. A second timber-frame building was rebuilt on the property to serve as an attached three-car garage. There is a separate barn with room for two cars, a dog kennel and a workshop.

TAXES About $29,500 a year

CONTACT John Snyder, Snyder Donegan Real Estate Group, 802-280-5406; snyderdonegan.com

WHAT An 1815 house with five bedrooms and four full and two half bathrooms

HOW MUCH $2.2 million

SIZE 5,165 square feet

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT $426

SETTING This house is near the center of Aiken, a small city with many live oak trees that is popular with equestrians for its polo fields, racetracks and fox hunts, as well as the 70 miles of trails in Hitchcock Woods, a 2,100-acre urban forest. The nearest big city is Augusta, Ga., about 20 miles to the west.

INDOORS The Greek Revival house, known as Crossways, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was renovated in 2007, but retains many early details including distinctive trim, wainscoting and crown molding. There are seven wood-burning fireplaces. A front door with sidelights and a transom window opens into a central foyer with hardwood floors painted in a diamond pattern. The living room is to one side, and a den with grasscloth wallpaper is to the other. Both have 15-foot ceilings, French doors that open onto the porch, and oversized windows that extend nearly to the floor. A 33-foot-long dining room, large enough to seat two dozen people, is toward the back of the house, along with an eat-in kitchen that connects to a keeping room through French doors. The kitchen has an island, white marble and black granite counters, and Sub-Zero and Viking appliances. There is a separate butlers pantry with a sink, marble counters and an ice maker.

A curved staircase leads from the foyer to a second-floor landing, where French doors open onto a balcony. The master suite includes a large walk-in closet as well as an expanded bathroom with marble floors, a soaking tub and a separate shower. There are four additional bedrooms upstairs. There is also a separate two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and bathroom above a detached two-car garage, as well as a 1,500-square-foot caretakers cottage.

OUTDOOR SPACE The house is reached by a gated driveway and sits on a 4.7-acre lot (the current owners bought several neighboring properties and demolished a number of smaller homes on them). There is a pool and extensive landscaping, including a fountain, brick walkways, walls and arches, live oak trees and boxwood gardens.

TAXES $5,350 a year

CONTACT Tom Bossard, Carolina Real Estate Company, 803-640-2845; carolinahorseproperties.com

WHAT A 1967 house with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms

HOW MUCH $2.2 million

SIZE About 5,000 square feet

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT About $440

SETTING This house is in a rural area of rolling hills, farms and fields in Bucks County. It is less than two miles from Lake Nockamixon, and about three miles away from Kimberton Whole Foods, which has a cafe and grocery store with local and organic products. Doylestown and Frenchtown, N.J., are about 12 miles away and offer more restaurants and stores.

INDOORS The house was extensively renovated and expanded by its current owners, Laura Bohn, an interior designer, and Richard Fiore, a contractor. From the driveway, stone steps lead down to a blue Dutch door, which opens into a tiled foyer. To one side is a family room with a polished concrete floor, wood-burning fireplace and reclaimed mahogany wall paneling under a vaulted ceiling with exposed steel-tie rods. To the other side is the living room, which also has a concrete floor and fireplace, as well as large windows looking out over the landscape. A dining area open to the living room has built-in cabinetry and another fireplace elevated to eye level. An office area has built-in desks and a floor-to-ceiling installation of sculptural tree trunks.

The enormous kitchen has a floor of irregularly shaped bluestone, a large island with movable counter-height table, Corian and stainless-steel counters, Italian lacquered cabinets and premium appliances. A commercial refrigerator is tucked into a walk-in pantry. Adjacent to the kitchen is a screened porch with a spiral staircase that leads to a games room and a studio. The three bedrooms are in a separate wing, off a hallway with a wet bar and a laundry room. All have carpeted floors, vaulted ceilings, skylights and en-suite bathrooms. The master bedroom also opens onto a private deck.

OUTDOOR SPACE The house sits on a 13.23-acre lot of grass, trees and gardens, with its own pond. There is a pebbled terrace accessible from the kitchen and dining area at the back of the house and an attached three-car garage.

TAXES $11,219

CONTACT Charlotte Morrison, Kurfiss Sothebys International Realty, 215-896-4167; kurfiss.com

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$2.2 Million Homes in Vermont, South Carolina and Pennsylvania - New York Times

By Donna Thompson donna@timestelegram.com

ILION Plans to pave John Street in the village of Ilion were put on hold Wednesday due to the upcoming property demolitions that are scheduled.

Department of Public Works Superintendent Jack Sterling told the village board John Street was on the list of streets to be paved this summer using Consolidated Highway Improvement Program funds, but he questioned whether the work should move ahead given three of the houses scheduled for demolition under the Federal Emergency Management Agency buyout program are on that street.

"Theyll have track hoes and trucks in there," said Sterling, adding if the village paves the street this month, as planned, the street would likely be torn up during the demolition work and the street would have to be repaved. He said he had asked if those houses could be demolished first to allow the paving work to be done this season, but he was given no guarantee this could happen.

Trustee Kalman Socolof noted if there are asbestos problems involved, the work could be delayed.

Mayor Terry Leonard said he had asked Jessica Breiten, of the Herkimer-Oneida Counties Comprehensive Planning Program, about demolishing these properties first.

"There was no guarantee theyd be at the top of the list," he said.

If the paving is delayed too long, it wont be done this season, said Sterling.

The board directed him to patch John Street and select another street to pave using the CHIPs funds. John Street will be on the list for next year.

Breitens recommendation to shorten the streets where demolition of houses is to take place was also discussed. Sterling and Village Administrator James Kramas argued against the move. Shortening the streets would complicate snow removal, they said, and they noted the amount of money the village receives in CHIPs funds is based on the miles of streets. The board agreed.

A smoke test conducted as part of the inflow and infiltration study on the village sanitary sewer system showed some issues on Morgan Street and Columbia Parkway, according to Sterling. Engineers from Barton & Loguidice told him they were optimistic about the villages chances to receive funding for a sanitary sewer project. They plan to bring data to the board at a future date.

Sterling also reported the sidewalk program the village is offering is going well and the Benedict Avenue project was nearly complete.

He said there seems to be a lot of interest in the sidewalk replacement program in all areas of the village. The plan called for sidewalks to be replaced on and near the streets to be repaved under the CHIPs program. The sidewalk program is for residents who request it and are willing to pay for the work. DPW is also keeping a list of residents outside the designated CHIPs area in case the department can get to them, according to Sterling.

The village board voted at an earlier meeting to replace the water and sewer mains on Benedict Avenue on an emergency basis. Repairs to water and sewer pipes had been made numerous times and a recent water main break damaged the street. The board voted to take out a bond anticipation note to pay for the project after receiving a quote of $273,000 from CNY Construction. Because it was handled as an emergency, the village did not have to go through the usual steps for the project, according to village officials.

Breiten, along with Mark Carabetta, senior project manager, and engineer James Murac, both of Milone & MacBroom, met with the board prior to the start of the regular meeting to discuss plans to improve drainage in the Columbia Parkway area.

Marina

Harbor Master Don Sterling reported the marina would be offering a veterans discount if requested. Trustee Bridget McKinley asked that he post signs to let visitors know the discount is available.

The board voted to approve a negative declaration for the Consolidated Funding Application for a capital project at the marina. The village board is seeking funds for a project that would include paving the driveway and parking area in a way that would prevent runoff from flowing into the canal and river. The village also hopes to deal with underground fuel storage tanks.

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Paving of Ilion street delayed - The Times Telegram

A Terre Haute man was injured when he was thrown from his vehicle after it rolled over a retaining wall Sunday evening.

Danny Corbett, 73, was taken to an area hospital for non-life threatening injuries, police chief John Plasse said.

The incident occurred about 7 p.m. at Sycamore Manor assisted living complex. Corbett told police he had stopped his vehicle and got out to pick up something he had dropped. Corbett said he thought he had put the vehicle in park, but it began to roll forward so he tried to get back inside to stop it.

He was halfway inside the vehicle as it drove off the ledge and crashed below, throwing him to the ground. The retaining wall is about 6 feet high.

The vehicle continued for several feet before rolling to a stop.

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Terre Haute man injured when car rolls off retaining wall - Terre Haute Tribune Star

A 15 foot section of wall is missing at Watertown's Thompson Park. The sight leaves strollers in the park stunned.

"Just shocking. I haven't seen anything like it in all the years I've walked up here," said Tim Shaugnessy, passerby.

The city engineer says this was discovered last weekend.

There's little doubt what happened. A drain pipe ran through the lower part of the wall. If it was broken, Mother Nature did the rest.

"All these heavy rains may have been undermining that wall and washing out the soil through it. The fact that it went was probably just a matter of time, really," said Justin Wood, city engineer.

Any fix looks expensive, but the first steps include careful measurements of the damage and coming up with options, such as...

"Placement of embankment fill to build it back up or building it back up with a retaining wall and then looking at the aesthetics, of course, with the Olmsted design," said Wood.

The famed Olmsted Company designed the park around 1900.

With so much of this stonework throughout the park, all of it about a century old, will this collapse lead to a closer look at it?

"I think that's fair to say. There's an enormous amount of stonework up there that needs to be maintained. And so that's something we need to continue to look at," said Wood.

And continue to hope for kinder treatment from Mother Nature.

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Wet Weather Blamed For Wall Collapse At Thompson Park - WWNY TV 7