Residents Reflect On Anniversary Of Wall Collapse
 A year after a massive retaining wall failed dramatically at the Hills of Rivermist subdivision, there remains a tell-tale scar that runs through the heart of the neighborhood... McGinty said he's seen home values drop dramatically since the wall collapse, and now finds himself in a situation where he has no realistic shot of selling his home and breaking even, after watching his neighbors lose more than $15,000 on their investment. San Antonio Pulte-Centex Retaining Walls - And the Wall Came Tumblin Down

Residents Reflect On Anniversary Of Wall Collapse
Rivermist Neighborhood Still Dealing With Fallout From Slope Failure

SAN ANTONIO -- A year after a massive retaining wall failed dramatically at the Hills of Rivermist subdivision, there remains a tell-tale scar that runs through the heart of the neighborhood.

"You're just known as the place where the wall failed. And you'll always be known as that, no matter what kind of wall they put up," said Devin McGinty, who owns a home beneath the retaining wall.

McGinty said he's seen home values drop dramatically since the wall collapse, and now finds himself in a situation where he has no realistic shot of selling his home and breaking even, after watching his neighbors lose more than $15,000 on their investment.

"We'll probably have to stick through this the next five, six years to see how it all plays out," said McGinty.

Centex Homes, which built the subdivision, expects to have the new and improved retaining wall completed by June, said Valerie Dolenga, a company spokeswoman.

The new wall will feature a skeleton of concrete piers 20 feet below and above the ground and should be substantially stronger than retaining walls typically used in residential construction, Dolenga said.

About 30 homes were declared structurally unsafe after the wall collapse. Centex has repurchased 22 of those homes from their owners, and five families have elected to stay in their homes after necessary repairs were made, Dolenga said.

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