Vulgar graffiti sparks uncertainty for Cape Coral development plans

For the second time in less than a month, the n-word has been plastered for all to see in the City of Cape Coral.

The first time was at a home, spray painted in red.

This time, it was posted at the old Golden Corral. The building is on busy Pine Island Road, just a few blocks from Sunsplash Family Waterpark.

WINK News reporter Amy Galo spoke with Jack Flechner, co-CEO of DMD Ventures, the company that recently bought the property with plans to convert it into a new Twin Peaks.

Flechner told WINK News they spent around $4 million buying it and plan to spend a few million more to convert it.

“We’re going to convert the existing building to a Twin Peaks,” explained Flechner. “And then on the corner we were going to do either a shopping like a little small strip center.”

But now, Flechner told WINK News, DMD Ventures is out hundreds of thousands of dollars after repeated break-ins and vandalism.

The newest vulgar graffiti spotted this week by drivers is just one of many problems.

Flechner said despite a fence all around the property, the doors had been busted, copper wiring had been stolen, people were living there and the roof is covered in racist and homophobic slurs.

“We’re having serious thoughts, second thoughts, about it,” said Flechner. “These people are making it very, very difficult to decide that spending many, many more millions of dollars makes sense if that’s how they’re going to treat us and our building and our property.”

Flechner said DMD Ventures is planning to paint over the latest graffiti.

“Obviously it’s pretty offensive, and certainly not something that we condone,” said Flechner.

As for their future plans with Twin Peaks, Flechner had this to say: “In the next couple months, we’ll probably make a 100% decision one way or the other. But you know, there’s no timetable. There’s no have to decide by a certain period of time. But we’re just trying to figure out what makes the most sense.”

He also added a message to those people doing the breaking in and vandalizing.

“Whoever is doing that to our property, and I’m sure they’re doing to others, please stop,” said Flechner. “It’s not the right thing to do, and you know, obviously it’s illegal. It costs money and it costs jobs. I mean, we would probably have 120 to 150 jobs just at the Twin Peaks. And you know, that may or may not happen, and if it won’t, it’s probably because of that.”