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(MILAN, Ind.) – The yellow water tower in the heart of Milan has been there for more than a half-century.
It will be demolished this morning, if the rain holds off.
The demolition is part of a $4.7 million project with a much larger goal in mind.
The Town of Milan will not only replace the outdated water tower, but will also improve drinking water for many years to come, while giving people another reason to come to town.
The tower being torn down Tuesday will be replaced with a tower in the shape of a basketball.
It will read, “Basketball Town USA. Milan, Indiana.”
The project doesn’t end there as town officials have also deemed it necessary to replace aging water lines, water mains and hydrants.
“Our water lines are 80 years old and in a lot of places, they're deteriorated and we just need to update a lot of the mains and a lot of the hydrants,” Town Council President Deb Shumate said.
They held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday afternoon where Shumate told The 812 that their biggest priority is fixing the aging water system, and ensuring clean, safe water.
Another priority is to bring tourists into town and visit local businesses.
The water tower displaying Milan as ‘Basketball Town USA’ is expected to drive tourism from near and far, town officials added.
