Rebuilding a 400-foot-long stone wall that borders a parking lot at the Metra train station could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a Hinsdale village official.

“It’s a big number,” said finance director Tim Scott, who delivered the news this week at a meeting of the village’s environment and public services committee.

He said depending on what the village decides to do, such a project could cost in the $300,000 range. He said it could involve digging down below ground to reinforce the concrete footing, tuckpointing and putting a new cap on the wall that is a well-recognized feature in the downtown business district.

Scott said the wall may last another year, but the village eventually will have to decide whether it wants to reconstruct or simply restore the wall, which would likely be less costly.

“It’s bowing,” he said. “It all hand-laid stone. It’s just not standing up to the test of time.”

Committee chairman Laura LaPlaca said the village needs to weigh the expense of fixing the wall with other capital projects.

“At a time when we’re striving to fix roads and have other capital projects that’s a very significant expenditure,” she said.

Besides enduring ice, snow and rain, the wall is subject to the stresses that motorists put on it. The wall borders a lot north of the train station where there is angled parking.

“We have to figure out a way that cars aren’t going to run into it,” she said.

The rustic-looking wall, which has been in place for decades, is no ordinary wall. LaPlaca said the wall is a well-appreciated feature in the business district.

“There’s a certain amount of historic significance (to it) and affection for it,” she said.

Scott said an option that the village may consider would be to divide the cost over a couple of years. Since this winter has been warm, he said the village may have a little more time to decide what to do about it.

“Infiltration of water, snow and ice makes the stones pop,” he said. “But we might get another season out of it.”