{"id":268476,"date":"2026-05-12T20:27:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T20:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/268476\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T20:27:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T20:27:14","slug":"will-big-john-return-latest-on-cape-coral-statue-why-taking-so-long","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/268476\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Big John return? Latest on Cape Coral statue, why taking so long"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where is Big John<\/a>?<\/p>\n

People ask Elmer Tabor and Clint Strand that question every week.<\/p>\n

And Tabor and Strand get it. People love the big, brawny statue<\/a> that stood guard for decades over Cape Coral\u2019s South Cape<\/a> Towne Center \u00a0\u2014 better known as Big John\u2019s Plaza.<\/p>\n

The popular \u00a0landmark \u2014 badly damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022<\/a> \u2014 has been gone for 19 months as it undergoes extensive, complicated repairs<\/a>. And people miss the smiling fiberglass giant and his arms full of grocery bags.<\/p>\n

That includes Tabor, himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was 18 when Big John hit town,\u201d says Tabor, 74, who owns the statue and the shopping center. \u201cSo to a certain extent, I grew up with Big John. He’s been an icon in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I will tell you that there was hardly a day to go by that you didn\u2019t didn’t see a family out there getting their pictures taken with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Big John: A Cape Coral landmark since 1969\"Clint<\/p>\n

Clint Strand (right) and Stephen James have been repairing Cape Coral’s hurricane-damaged Big John since removing the statue from its South Cape pedestal in November 2024. They’re doing the work at Cape business Brand 1 Ink and hope the statue can return later in 2026.<\/p>\n

Big John has been a Cape Coral landmark for more than five decades. He first came to Cape Coral in 1969 and took up residence outside the grocery store Big John’s Foodway.<\/p>\n

He’s one of 13 original statues made for the Illinois-based Big John’s grocery-store chain in the ’60s, and he\u2019s one of just four left in existence, Tabor says.<\/p>\n

Roadside America \u2014 a website that tracks kitschy tourist sites in the United States \u2014 lists Big John as one of its many “quirky attractions in Florida.”<\/a><\/p>\n

Technically, Big John’s home is called South Cape Towne Center, Tabor says. It doesn\u2019t matter, though: Most people still call it Big John\u2019s Plaza.<\/p>\n

But the shopping center\u2019s unofficial namesake has been missing since November 2024, when a 37-foot crane lifted the 28-foot-tall, 6,000-pound giant from his concrete pedestal and onto a flatbed truck.<\/p>\n

Then the statue was transported to his new, temporary home outside Strand’s business, Cape Coral screen-printing and sign company Brand 1 Ink.<\/p>\n

Since then, Big John\u2019s disassembled, fiberglass torso and legs have stood behind a fence in Brand 1 Ink\u2019s side yard \u2014 hard to miss by passers-by on nearby Southwest 10th Street in the Cape Coral Industrial Park.<\/p>\n

And those passers-by aren\u2019t shy about showing their love, either, says new Brand 1 Ink employee Stephen James, a fiberglass worker who\u2019s worked on major movie sets and was hired six months ago to work on Big John full time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey stop every day,\u201d James says. \u201c(They say) \u2018Go Big John!\u2019 They give me the high five. They pump their fist in the air. A lot of people stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those frequent visits can sidetrack his progress on Big John, he admits (and Strand discourages people from visiting for that reason). \u201cIt slows you down,\u201d James says, \u201cbut you don’t mind it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if people stay too long, James can just switch on his loud grinder, he says and laughs.<\/p>\n

They get the hint.<\/p>\n

When will Big John return to downtown Cape Coral? ‘Sometime this year’\"Big<\/p>\n

Big John smiles under a cloudy sky at Cape Coral business Brand 1 Ink. The popular, hurricane-damaged statue is being repaired there after being removed from its downtown Cape Coral pedestal in November 2024.<\/p>\n

Originally, Strand thought he and his crew could finish repairing the statue in a mere six to eight weeks. Then they removed some of his fiberglass shell and saw the rusted mess underneath.<\/p>\n

And the more they uncovered, the worse it looked.<\/p>\n

Since then, Strand has learned not to give people a firm estimate on when Big John will return to downtown Cape Coral\/South Cape. The last time The News-Press asked him, he said Big John might be home by Christmas 2025.<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, six months later, he\u2019s still not sure when the statue will return. He\u2019s only saying \u201csometime this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

But he hopes that means sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned a little while back not to give a promise date,\u201d Strand says. \u201cBecause every time I do, I miss the dates. And it’s just not fair to the community to raise expectations and then fail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Big John fan Tracy Turner looks forward to the statue\u2019s eventual return, whenever that is. She\u2019s lived in Cape Coral, on and off, for about 10 years. And she says the statue is a landmark \u2014 even if she knows him by another name.<\/p>\n

\u201cI call him Downtown John,\u201d Turner says. \u201cI always have. I’ve never known him as Big John.\u201d<\/p>\n

A part of Cape Coral’s history<\/p>\n

The Cape Coral resident has seen similar statues elsewhere in the United States. Big John and other fiberglass statues remind her of when she was a kid traveling the famous highway Route 66 and seeing giant dinosaurs and other kitschy roadside tourist attractions.<\/p>\n

So for her, Big John is more than just a Cape Coral icon and landmark. He represents her childhood and a nostalgia for the past \u2014 both her own and Cape Coral\u2019s.<\/p>\n

That’s why it was such a gut-punch when Hurricane Ian ravaged Big John in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like he got in a car accident,\u201d Turner says. \u201cThat’s how I felt. \u2026 I felt empty when it happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it’s so weird, but it was like: There goes the last of my memories of what Cape Coral is (and a connection to the city\u2019s history). He’s kind of a part of the dream that Cape Coral was. \u2026 Bigger than life, paradise.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Tabor wants to preserve Big John, too. It\u2019s a part of Cape Coral\u2019s history \u2014 a history he says city leaders don\u2019t seem interested in preserving as they tear down historic buildings to make way for new developments.<\/p>\n

So he wants to do his part to preserve at least this one thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I’m gone, I’m gonna leave a little bank account for him,\u201d Tabor says about Big John. \u201cSo he’s going to be properly maintained and taken care of, wherever he’s left standing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rust everywhere, cracked fiberglass and even a highway accident\"Cape<\/p>\n

Cape Coral’s hurricane-damaged Big John rests in two halves outside Brand 1 Ink, where it’s been being repaired since being removed from downtown Cape Coral\/South Cape in November 2024.<\/p>\n

But first, Strand and James have to finish repairing the damaged Big John at Brand 1 Ink. It\u2019s taking much longer than Strand expected, but he says it\u2019s coming along more and more every day.<\/p>\n

There was a ton of work to do on Big John after Hurricane Ian came through Cape Coral. Those category 4 winds\u00a0twisted his body, cracked his fiberglass shell and caused his U.S. flag-covered torso to break and slip down over his blue-jeaned legs. A steel support pole broke through the top of Big John’s head.<\/p>\n

Then Big John was damaged even more when hurricanes Helene and Milton came along. That included minor cracks in his fiberglass chest.<\/p>\n

Strand volunteered to repair the statue for his friend, Tabor, but it turned out to be a bigger task than he\u2019d anticipated.<\/p>\n

Strand thought he\u2019d just be repairing the fiberglass outer shell and adding fresh coat of paint. But underneath that fiberglass, he found rust everywhere. And they eventually uncovered even more damage, including an apparent traffic accident that chopped off the top of Big John’s head more than five decades ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis head got knocked off coming down from wherever he was built,” Strand said in 2025. “And in Atlanta, I guess, or somewhere in Georgia, (he) hit a bridge. \u2026 I had no idea. And we found a bunch of fiberglass filler on top of paint, which is basically a no-no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Cape<\/p>\n

Cape Coral’s hurricane-damaged Big John rests in two halves outside Brand 1 Ink, where it’s been being repaired since being removed from downtown Cape Coral\/South Cape in November 2024. The statue’s head and torso sits on a nearby forklift.<\/p>\n

All that rust and damage meant replacing most of the steel skeleton underneath the fiberglass and hiring another company to cut new 1-inch-thick steel support plates and a welder to work on the 3-inch steel tubes that required special \u201csaddle cuts\u201d \u2014 something Strand had never heard of before.\u00a0Strand has expertise in fiberglass work and previous experience doing collision repairs on vehicles, he says, but not much experience in metal work.<\/p>\n

Now they\u2019re expanding that original repair job, he says, and reengineering Big John\u2019s metal skeleton to make him \u201cbigger and stronger.\u201d That will help him better withstand the twisting and turning caused by hurricane-force winds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a huge factor in why he broke in the first place,\u201d Strand says. \u201cSo that’s being fabricated right now. \u2026 It’s a huge, monumental undertaking, so to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd as we’re going, we’re re-engineering and redesigning. And coming up with stronger components to make it so when we put Big John up, he’s good to go. The goal is to make him last another 60 years. That’s a huge task.\u201d<\/p>\n

New employee James has been working on Big John for 40 hours every week. He previously worked on movie sets in Hollywood and elsewhere, building props for \u201cThe Expendables\u201d and other movies, as well as TV and Broadway shows.<\/p>\n

It hasn\u2019t been easy, James says. Especially with such a big, heavy statue.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time you\u2019ve got to move him,” he says, “you\u2019ve got to get a forklift.\u201d<\/p>\n

Big John’s home, South Cape Towne Center, on market for $12.4 million\"Cape<\/p>\n

Cape Coral’s popular Big John statue stands guard over the plaza named after it in October 2024. Hurricane Ian damaged the steel-and-fiberglass statue, but its owner expects to get it repaired soon.<\/p>\n

Complicating things: The plaza nicknamed for Big John is now up for sale. Owner Tabor has retired to the Florida Keys, but he hopes whoever buys the place keeps Big John.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope it’s going to be somebody that \u2026 carries on the legacy the center has and supporting the Holiday Festival of Lights and the (Cape Coral) Art Festival and the community as a whole,\u201d Tabor says. \u201cIf we could find somebody to carry that legacy forward, it would be fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shopping center went on the market about two months ago. He\u2019s asking for $12.4 million, he says, and he\u2019s already been contacted by four or five interested parties.<\/p>\n

Tabor admits it won\u2019t be easy saying goodbye to South Cape Towne Center\/Big John\u2019s Plaza. He\u2019s had some of his tenants for decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s gonna be tough to finally sign the deal to close on it,\u201d Tabor says. \u201cBecause it has been part of the family, and the tenants are all part of my family. We’ve got a great relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Cape<\/p>\n

Cape Coral’s popular Big John statue was dismantled Sunday, Nov, 10, and sent off for repairs. The South Cape landmark was badly damaged by Hurricane Ian.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t worry, Big John fans: The big guy will survive, no matter what, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s not part of the sale,\u201d he says. \u201cBig John is mine. That’s like selling my wife or my daughter. \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not part of the shopping center. And so he’s gonna stay there. And if the city ever finds a developer to bulldoze that area like they did with The Cove, I’m sure Big John’s going to have to be moved.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s OK, though, Tabor says. He\u2019s already made arrangements to give Big John a new home, if necessary.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he has to be moved, I’ve got a place for him,\u201d Tabor says. \u201cHe’s gonna stay around Cape Coral. And the city council is never going to be able to bulldoze him like they did everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more about Big John on the Roadside America website: roadsideamerica.com\/story\/11725<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Charles Runnells covers arts and entertainment for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@usatodayco.com. Follow or message him on Facebook(@charles.runnells.7), Instagram (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells).<\/p>\n

Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press<\/a> and Naples Daily News<\/a>. Download the free News-Press<\/a> or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cape Coral\u2019s Big John statue has been missing since 2024. Here’s why.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Where is Big John? People ask Elmer Tabor and Clint Strand that question every week. And Tabor and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268477,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[47708,33752,209,211,210,115308,7921,87910,115310,115309],"class_list":["post-268476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-big-john","tag-cape","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news","tag-clint-strand","tag-elmer-tabor","tag-south-cape","tag-south-cape-towne-center","tag-stephen-james"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268476","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=268476"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268476\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}