$223K to fix Arboretum wall

ARBORWAY—Repairs to a collapsed, historic stone wall in Arnold Arboretum will cost the City at least $223,000 and probably more, according to Boston Parks Department spokesperson Jacque Goddard.

“It’s pretty expensive,” Goddard said of the work, which is under way. “We expect that amount may go up.”

The 120-year-old stone wall bordering the Arborway collapsed in several places in May after heavy rains. Experts had warned for years that the wall was unstable. The collapse spilled large stones onto a path that has remained closed since then.

The City hired Structures North Consulting Engineers and Fleming Brothers contractors to fix the wall. The team has found other places in the wall where work may be needed, Goddard said. There is no exact timeline for the repairs, but they are ongoing and depend on good weather.

The Arboretum is operated by Harvard University as a scientific plant collection and is owned by the City as a public park. The Arboretum controls the land under a long-term lease, but the City is responsible for the walls.

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