Detroit’s Broderick Tower has returned to its former glory. By this, we mean that the smiley face banner advert has finally been removed. This was not intentional as the banner was destroyed during the storm. As a result, the iconic whale mural has returned. However, it is not known for how long. As the banner’s destruction wasn’t planned, it is possible that it could return or even a different advert at some point.

Interestingly, the original mural was never meant to be permanently covered. Nonetheless, it’s been a few years since it wasn’t blocked by an advert so its future is not yet known. Still, the likelihood of it being fully painted over remains very unlikely.

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most iconic and powerful murals in Detroit City and is certainly one of a kind. These were originally painted by the artist Robert Wylands back in 1997 which is where the tower’s name comes from. The irony hasn’t been lost on us either as after the power of nature (through the act of a storm), the tower has been returned to its natural state (animals instead of smiley faces). As mentioned earlier, if you’re celebrating the removal of the advert then don’t celebrate too early as there is still a very strong possibility that this mural will be covered up again at some point.