LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Liberty University plans to construct a 252-foot bell tower that would be the tallest structure in Lynchburg.

Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. tells The News & Advance (http://bit.ly/VqlGYA) that the tower will be an extension of a new student center that the university plans to build.

Preliminary plans include a bookstore on the tower’s lower level, nine floors of multi-purpose rooms and an open air observation deck. The tower’s third-floor terrace will be connected to ballroom space in the student center by a pedestrian bridge.

A replica of the Liberty Bell will be atop the observation deck.

The tower will require approval from the Federal Aviation Administration because of its proximity to Lynchburg Regional Airport. Liberty also must obtain building permits from the city for the tower and the student center.

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Information from: The News & Advance, http://www.newsadvance.com/

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