NEW YORK—Staten Island will be home to the world’s largest Ferris wheel, with the 625-foot New York Wheel set to open late 2015. The wheel is anticipated to carry 4.5 million riders per year.
“The New York Wheel will be an attraction unlike any other in New York City—even unlike any other on the planet,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a release. “It will offer unparalleled and breathtaking views.”
Views of Staten Island, the Statue of Liberty, the harbor, and Downtown Manhattan are among the highlights.
A five minute walk from the Staten Island Ferry, the wheel will be built just north of the Richmond County Bank Ballpark in St. George.
The development will include a new retail complex and hotel on nearby sites. The development is expected create over 1,200 construction jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs
The first Ferris wheel was built for the 1893 Chicago’s Columbian Exposition by George Ferris, a Pittsburgh bridge builder, according to the Chicago History Museum website. The wheel carried 1,500 passengers at any one time and stood 265 feet tall,
As leisure expectations reach new heights, engineering feats rise to the occasion.
Erected in 1999, the London Eye became the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom standing some 443 feet tall. The Star of Nanchang, in China, was built in 2006 at 520 feet before being topped by the 541-foot Singapore Flyer built in 2008. The New York Wheel will raise the bar another 84 feet.
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