The massive American flag draped over the new Hudson’s building in downtown Detroit didn’t last long.
Just a day after unveiling the enormous banner Thursday, Bedrock removed the flag because of the wind, a company spokeswoman tells Metro Times.
But don’t worry, Detroit. The flag isn’t gone for good and will be back when the wind dies down.
It’s unclear if the flag will be unfurled by Veterans Day, which is Tuesday.
Detroit has been experiencing moderate wind conditions of 10 to 20 mph, according to the National Weather Service. The average wind speed in November is about 8.
The wind is expected to settle by Thursday.
The 141-by-85-foot flag was unveiled Thursday during the dedication of Nick Gilbert Way, the new public plaza outside the Hudson’s site named after Dan and Jennifer Gilbert’s late son.
The plaza opened with speeches from Dan Gilbert, Mayor Mike Duggan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield, who all celebrated the return of Old Glory to the former department store site.
The flag is a tribute to a Detroit tradition that began in 1923, when the original J.L. Hudson’s building unfurled what was then the largest American flag in the world. That one measured 230 feet long and 90 feet high and was displayed each year for Armistice Day, now known as Veterans Day.
Hudson’s later replaced the flag with an even larger one that covered seven stories and weighed about 1,600 pounds. It took 55 men to hang it.
The flag became a holiday symbol for generations of Detroiters and was eventually donated to the Smithsonian Institute in 1976.
The new version may be smaller, but it’s still believed to be the largest hanging U.S. flag in the country.
Once reinstalled, it will overlook Woodward Avenue.
