Repair crews clear the air on Big John statue's return to Cape Coral

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Cape Coral’s beloved Big John statue, a community landmark, is undergoing final repairs before returning to Southeast 47th Terrace.

"I always like coming down the street and seeing Big John. When you wanted to give directions, you'll see the big statue of Big John in the parking lot. We always knew where to go,” said Jeanne Robertson in Cape Coral.

Big John has been a defining feature of the downtown Cape area, but was knocked down during Hurricane Ian.

“As he is such an icon for the downtown Cape area, we are extremely looking forward to him coming back to our plaza. It's how we describe ourselves as a plaza, as we are the Big John's Plaza,” said Kelley Bouge of Tropical Furniture Gallery.

The restoration work is being carried out by Design Studio Brand 1 Ink.

“Big John is in the final stages of its structural rebuild. I would say we're about seven days away from getting him inside the building,” said Clinton Strand, owner of Brand One Ink, on the statue going in for its paint job.

Strand also addressed misinformation circulating online, clarifying that a post claiming Big John has already returned isn't correct.

“That's a picture right after Hurricane Ian came through and snapped him. So, in this picture, you can see that there's a big post sticking through the top of his head, which no longer is there, but it's all been repaired. It's just a poor representation of his current standing,” Strand said.

The restoration process includes reinforcing Big John with stronger steel and a thicker coating to prepare him for future storms. Once the repairs are complete, the statue will undergo a paint job. Though it's not certain yet when he returns to the streets of Cape Coral, it will take about a month before he's done.

“Hopefully we can have a big party for him,” Bouge said.

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