For a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving, construction crews worked to restore the retaining wall around the South Orange Duck Pond.
The pond was partially drained to allow the work, and Village Administrator Julie Doran said none of the work will be visible once the pond is full of water again.
The Village allocated $170,000 in projected costs for the work in its 2025 capital budget, but the total cost, including the engineering services contract and the construction contract, came to $98,580, said Village Engineer David Battaglia.
“The scope of work included partially draining the pond, reconstructing collapsed retaining walls with a mixture of new and refurbished wall blocks, backfilling behind the reconstructed areas, and then topsoiling and seeding the surface,” Battaglia said.
In addition, he said, while the pond was partially drained and accessible, Public Works staff removed large debris by hand.
While this work was in the capital budget, the Village has also listed beautification of the Duck Pond as one of the future projects that could be paid for with the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Fund, which is funded through a tax levy. Voters approved a doubling of the tax levy from 1 cent to 2 cents per $100 evaluation of property in the November election.
The work included partially draining the pond, reconstructing collapsed retaining walls with a mixture of new and refurbished wall blocks, backfilling behind the reconstructed areas, and then topsoiling and seeding the surface. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
Water was partially drained to enable crews to work on the wall restoration project. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
Crews completed work to restore the retaining wall of the South Orange Duck Pond on November 24, 2025. (Photo by Laura Griffin)
