http://blog.northjersey.com/meadowla...into-the-game/
Observation wheel wars: Atlantic City’s modest plan to get into the game
FEBRUARY 18, 2015
BY JOHN BRENNAN
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Atlantic City’s council is expected tonight to approve a redevelopment plan that includes a zip line attraction, new restaurants, and an elevated walkway.
One part of the plan that already is approved and remains in the mix is a 205-foot observation wheel.
How big is that?
- The observation wheel planned for American Dream Meadowlands (it was announced as “Pepsi Globe” for Xanadu in Feb. 2008, before the worldwide economy and then the project stalled) is 286 feet. Well, it’s scheduled for 286 feet now (with late 2016 opening), and was 287 feet then. Maybe there was a Pepsi can atop the previous version?
- The London Eye, the mother of all observation wheels, is 443 feet.
- The Singapore Flyer, at 541 feet, held the record until the High Roller opened in Las Vegas last spring at 550 feet (I was out there on business last summer, and it is HUGE).
- But move over, High Roller, here comes the New York Wheel at Staten Island. A March 10 groundbreaking ceremony is planned for the 630-foot behemoth, which is scheduled to be part of a new hotel, retail and dining complex.
Observation wheels look like Ferris wheels, but don’t operate like them. They’re more like revolving restaurants – it takes quite a while to go around even once, so there is plenty of time to enjoy the views. The cars are also climate-controlled and larger than what one finds in a Ferris wheel.
The 28 High Roller cars, for instance, can hold up to 40 people apiece for a one-revolution ride that takes a half-hour.
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http://commercialobserver.com/2015/0...and-next-year/
BY JANE K. CALLAHAN
2/18/15
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Ferris wheels are cool … and Staten Island is going all out for theirs.
At 60 stories high, the New York Wheel promises to be the biggest Ferris wheel in the world—a good 50 percent bigger than the behemoth London Eye across the pond (both wheels share the same designer, Starneth).
The Wheel’s 38-minute-long go-round is the centerpiece of what will be a swath of green space designed by M. Paul Friedberg & Partners, consisting of a 25,000-square-foot playground and a six-acre green roof that will sit atop the main parking lot, to be used mainly for music events.
Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo said there was talk of a New Year’s Eve opening ceremony to usher in 2017. While a representative for the New York Wheel declined to comment, a source close to the project told Commercial Observer that that timeline seems “a bit aggressive.” For now, an invite-only groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for March 10.
Once it’s up and running, the Wheel will be able to hold 1,440 people per ride, totaling 30,000 visitors per day and over an expected 4 million visitors annually, according to the website. (The source who spoke with CO said that four major studies were conducted to come to this projection.) Mr. Oddo said the tickets are likely to cost around $25 a pop, and there’s apparently been discussion of providing discounted rates to Staten Islanders, à la Disney World.
The Wheel team is building onto current parking lots owned by the Economic Development Corporation to accommodate visitors coming by car, but the expectation is for most people to siphon in from Manhattan and the other boroughs on the weekends. On the weekdays, the 2.5 million tourists who take the Staten Island Ferry “will be the bread and butter” of the wheel, according to our source. A team of employees for the Wheel is slated to go on a world tour to promote not only the Wheel, but Staten Island in general as a go-to destination.
The $230 million Wheel, which is designed by Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, a Perkins Eastman company, and is being financed by multiple parties, including real estate developer Lloyd Goldman, The Feil Organization, and real estate investor Joseph Nakas, according to the Staten Island Advance. The Wheel has also seen $150 million in investments from 300 Chinese citizens, thanks to the EB-5 immigrant investor program, which grants temporary visas to foreigners who invest in the U.S.
Locals will see some of that money come back to the tune of $50,000 a year for 10 years; proceeds from the Wheel will go to the North Shore Foundation, which has yet to be set up.
The new attraction is expected to create about 350 construction jobs and 600 permanent positions, according to the Wheel’s website. The website also says the team is working to make the ride LEED-certified, but it remains to be seen if that is still doable.
Mr. Oddo said that the Wheel team and BFC Partners are working together to create a dock for a potential “fast ferry” at St. George.
The ride will be open seven days a week, year-round, with exceptions for severe weather, so visitors can get a bird’s-eye view of the city in every season.
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NEW YORK is Back!
“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
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