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HAMMOND, Ind. (AP) - Hammond city officials have voted to spend $27,500 to determine whether a near full-sized replica of the Statue of Liberty built of foam can withstand the weather if it's placed on an island in Wolf Lake.
The city's redevelopment commission will pay an engineering firm to determine whether it's feasible to place the resin- covered statue where it would be visible from the Indiana Toll Road within a couple miles of Lake Michigan.
At 130 feet, the Statue of Liberty replica is nearly as tall as the original. It was built for a Griffith printing company that displayed it indoors at a recent convention in St. Louis.
The company owner donated the statue to the city. Mayor Thomas McDermott says the city will provide the base and lighting.
PHOTO: An artist's rendering shows what a 130-foot-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty will look like once it is in place near Wolf Lake in Hammond. Griffith-based Beryl Martin Co. built the 50,000-pound replica for a convention in St. Louis on Friday. After the event, the company will donate the statue to the city. CREDIT Northwest Indiana Times photo by Tony V. Martin
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