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owner reported that all three houses to the North of this property have water problems in the basement as well. The owner would like to remove the house from the site so that the vacant property could be developed. During the site visit, staff observed that in the front, the house is settling in both directions, causing the windows to slope in either direction. There is evidence of the porch settling as well. Staff observed the obvious settling in the basement. The owner showed us the cistern that was installed in the side yard to the North of the house that collects water piped from the rear yard and travels to the street to be released into the City sewer. This was part of the owner's previous efforts to remedy the water problems. Maintenance of the cistern requires periodic climbing down into the cavernous manhole to clean the "pudding -like gunk" out so that the water can proceed to the City sewer. Staff observed the flow of water into the cistern was a fairly good amount, considering there had been no rainfall in nearly one week. The walls in the cistern have a deep red, iron -like build up on them. Upon staff investigation for this report, it was discovered that this property sits on the exact location of where the Kankakee Mill Race, a man-made canal dug in the 1830s, was terminated at the St. Joseph River. A four storey grist mill stood from 1837 until the Race failed in the 1850s. After 1885 the land was the site of the Christian Soen's Brick and Drying Yards. Staff spoke with Carl Littrell, City Engineer to get his perspective on the location of the property in relation to the past use of the site. Carl reported that the soil is clay and was mined for bricks. The brickyard had built a series of canals flowing throughout the yard. In a past job testing soils, Mr. Littrell dug under several basements in this block of Riverside Drive and discovered trash, debris and water, all creating differential movements of the houses. In addition to the brickyard, the nearby location of the Water Works in Leeper Park because of the 100 or so artesian springs that have surfaced there, additional springs could be surfacing along Riverside Drive. Mr. Littrell concluded that the water problems at 503 Riverside could be explained by the past uses of site and/or due to the eternal springs in the area. In addition, the City would like to get the cistern disconnected from the City sewers and channeled into a location that would be more efficient for carrying water away from the property. Staff asked Mr. Littrell his opinion as to if the proposed vacant site would be buildable, in which he concluded that it would more than likely be buildable but that a geotechnical engineer should be consulted and knowledge about the site should be disclosed to prospective buyers. This property begins the district on the South side of Riverside Drive; although it is considered a contributing property to the district, the integrity has been altered by the addition of numerous replacement features. STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: V. GENERAL A. Buildings in the district should not be demolished except where a building poses a threat to the public safety, and demolition is the only alternative. Documentation of interior and exterior features of the original buildings, especially homes rated as 5