{"id":235137,"date":"2026-04-17T03:06:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T03:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/235137\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T03:06:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T03:06:08","slug":"cape-corals-first-shopping-center-up-for-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/235137\/","title":{"rendered":"Cape Coral\u2019s first shopping center up for sale"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n
\n
\n \/Cape News
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n Big John\u2019s Plaza, which served a new community\u2019s \u2018pioneer families,\u2019 a city landmark <\/p>\n

1 \/ 3<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The original Big John, who got his start as a bag boy at a Big John Foodway in Cape Giradeau, Missouri, was brought to the Cape by Jean and John Hollingsworth for their Foodway at the Cape Coral Shopping Plaza in 1969. At left is one of the many refurbishments the iconic city symbol has undergone. The latest version, whose shirt was graced with an American flag, was damaged by Hurricane Ian and is still being refurbished for its return home. FILE<\/p>\n

2 \/ 3<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Cape Coral Shopping Plaza, which became known to locals as Big John\u2019s Plaza, was dedicated Aug. 20, 1960. It brought a grocery store and more to a community still in its development stages. FILE<\/p>\n

3 \/ 3<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Cape Coral Shopping Plaza circa 1971. FILE<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

[expand]<\/p>\n

close
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

The very first shopping plaza in Cape Coral\u2019s history is up for sale.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Big John\u2019s Plaza, which provided early Cape residents with their very own grocery store in the then-fledgling town has hit the market, being sold by owner Elmer Tabor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

An iconic location in the city\u2019s history, Big John\u2019s Plaza welcomed residents in 1960 and has been a hub for business ever since, now home to 20 different tenants.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tabor, a member of one of the city\u2019s pioneer families, said it was simply time to sell the property that\u2019s been in his family since he bought it 36 years ago.<\/p>\n

Now 74, Tabor said he wants to \u201creally retire\u201d after wanting to put the plaza on the market four years ago before Hurricane Ian had other plans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had so much damage and I had to rebuild,\u201d he said. \u201cLast year, I enjoyed the first year of my retirement, so when I came back this winter, I thought, \u2018OK, now it the time.’\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the Century 21 listing and agent Jack Martin, the 2.02-acre plot has an asking price of $12,495,000.<\/p>\n

This long-established shopping center has witnessed the city\u2019s transformation and has evolved alongside it, maintaining its relevance and appeal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2019, Big John\u2019s Plaza underwent a complete renovation, being called a \u201ccomprehensive overhaul aimed at modernizing the plaza while preserving its unique character.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The renovation included structural improvements, aesthetic upgrades, and functional enhancements. The most significant upgrade was perhaps the new roof installed in 2023. This state-of-the-art roofing system not only improved the plaza\u2019s appearance but also enhanced its durability and energy efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got its own legacy,\u201d Tabor said. \u201cIt\u2019s been basically the center of town and the center of interest since it was built in 1960. You know, Big John\u2019s the shopping center and the owners of it has continued to support the Cape and the(Cape Coral Art Festival) continued to grow out of it and the Holiday Festival of Lights, and the tree lighting ceremony.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it really has been kind of an icon for Cape Coral all of its years and still will be.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tabor and other Cape Coral pioneers are hoping the new owners, whomever they may be, keep the integrity of the plaza and don\u2019t start from scratch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what we all want, quite frankly,\u201d Tabor said. \u201cAnd as I have talked to buyers and offers that I\u2019ve gotten on the shopping center, and you never can handpick somebody that\u2019s going to be buying your shopping center, but you\u2019re hoping that there will be one that continues the legacy on. My heart wants me to say, \u2018Let\u2019s try and find that Mr. Special buyer,\u2019 but we really don\u2019t know at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cape pioneer, real estate agent, and former Cape Coral City Council member Gloria Tate remembers her sister Donna being the first baby born in Cape Coral, pictured sitting at a store called Sun and Surf that was in the plaza.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s where you shopped,\u201d Tate recalled. \u201cThere was a grocery store so that we didn\u2019t have to go to North Fort Myers by way of Del Prado (Boulevard) and a dirt road on Pine Island (Road). We finally had our own grocery store. So it was very exciting for the family. It really was the nucleus of our city, and it\u2019s still part of our history today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m hoping that the next owner does not tear it down and does not redo it and keeps the integrity of the shopping center and the history of that shopping center alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tabor and Martin have confirmed there has been a large amount of interest in the plaza.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a huge amount of interest,\u201d Tabor said. \u201cThere really has been. You know, it\u2019s not a case that it needs to be bulldozed and (have) a new facility built there, but all those are possibilities down the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a super well-maintained the shopping center. Even though it\u2019s a 1960 shopping center, it sure as heck doesn\u2019t look it. Physically, it\u2019s a fantastic shape, especially after the hurricane. It\u2019s not a detriment or derelict by any means.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tabor said there are various tenants who have been occupying space at the plaza for decades, including some that have been there 40 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI call my tenants my family, because we all get along great. It\u2019s a great atmosphere,\u201d Tabor said. \u201cWe\u2019re hoping everything continues on the way it is. It\u2019s not going to be the Tabor family that\u2019s owning and operating up, but that doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t continue doing what it\u2019s done for the community and over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for the large Big John statue that has stood tall in the plaza nearly forever, Tabor made it clear that statue, which is currently being renovated, belongs to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s going to go and stand tall in the city parking lot as long as the city\u2019s going to allow it,\u201d Tabor said. \u201cIf some day, they don\u2019t allow it anymore, we\u2019re going to find a home for Big John. It\u2019s part of Cape Coral\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statue is currently at Brand 1 Ink being re-structured, upgraded, and refurbished, with special plans in the works for its return.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \/Cape News Big John\u2019s Plaza, which served a new community\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125582,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-235137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}