Cape Coral's giant flag breaks after 3 weeks, repair costs unknown

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — Cape Coral's record-breaking American flag has been lowered for repairs just weeks after its unveiling.

The 6,000-square-foot flag lasted only three weeks before it was taken down. The city says there was an issue with the eyelet, leaving the flag dangling from the 250-foot flagpole.

"It's a joke. I mean, the engineering on that thing. It's like it's supposed to last, you know, a long time. And what did it last? 14 days," Paul Zielinski said.

"That was pretty quick. I know we get a lot of wind and sun and all that. I know that, but at the same time, was it really?" Wanda Jones said.

Zielinski estimated the flag weighs about 300 pounds. He said the grommet or eyelet failed, causing the damage.

The flagpole now stands empty, and neighbors are asking who will pay for the repairs. WINK News asked the city twice whether the repairs or replacement would cost taxpayers, but the city has not provided an answer.

"I was skeptical right from the beginning because it was supposed to be paid for by donations, and the expensive maintenance is going to be paid for by us, and here we need maintenance already, so that's not too encouraging," Jones said.

"Whoever engineered that thing, you know, I hope we're not paying for it. It should have been whoever designed that thing who should be replacing it," Zielinski said.

Despite the setback, neighbors say they want to see the flag fly again. Zielinski said he was hoping it would already be back up.

"I've come down the Parkway, and I do like it. I have to admit, I do like it. I don't like paying for it, but then somebody has to," Jones said.

The city told WINK News a replacement is on the way. However, the city has not said whether it will have to foot the bill for any repairs to the flagpole or hardware, nor who will pay if this happens again.