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Utility wants to demolish 110-year-old Indiana water tower

Posted September 17, 2019 7:00 am

The Associated Press

GARY, Ind. (AP) - A utility wants to demolish a 133-foot-tall (40.5-meter-tall) water tower that's been part of the skyline in northwestern Indiana since 1909.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports Indiana-American Water is in the process of building a new water tower in downtown Gary and has proposed demolishing the historic municipal water tower that Chicago engineer John W. Alvord designed for the city.

The distinctive white tower can be seen from miles (kilometers) around, but it's no longer used for its original purpose.

Indiana-American Water spokesman Joe Loughmiller says the 110-year-old steel storage tank "is beyond its useful life and can no longer be used." Loughmiller says the structure has been maintained, but inspections have found "significant ... deficiencies" that could jeopardize safety if it's not demolished.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com

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