28-Foot Cape Coral Statue Gets $44,000 Makeover After Hurricane Damage

The towering Big John will stand tall again at South Cape Town Center. Workers need two more months to finish the $44,000 restoration after Hurricane Ian struck in 2022.

"I've been getting a lot of calls about when John's coming back," said Elmer Tabor, owner of the Big John statue, to Gulf Coast News. 

Since 1969, this mighty steel and fiberglass figure has watched over the area. Brand1 Ink's repair bill shot up $10,000 past their first guess when they found more damage inside.

"We ended up pretty well having to replace all the steel on him,” Tabor said. “The steel, the welding, the painting, the graphics — the whole nine yards.”

Big John has been restored four times now. Until Ian, workers only had to touch up paint and patch normal wear.