SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (AP) - Southfield officials are acquiring a beloved Marshall Fredericks’ statue as its current home - one of the country’s oldest shopping centers - shuts down.
A deal was finalized Thursday for the Detroit suburb to buy “The Boy and the Bear” from Northland Center court-appointed receiver for $500,000. The city borrowed the money from different funds and is holding fundraisers to recoup the cost.
A location hasn’t been determined but officials plan to publicly display it. The sculpture depicts a boy riding on a bear’s back and was at risk of being auctioned off.
An Oakland County judge ruled in February that a court-appointed receiver could begin closing Northland. The mall opened in 1954. It was enclosed in 1971 and has lost anchor stores and smaller shops in recent years.
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