NEW YORK | (Staten Island) New York Wheel | 625 FT

[Duck From NY]

Originally Posted by NYguy

We'll expect weekly, and sometimes daily pics when this is under construction. It should rise dramatically.

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Can do. I'm sure my fellow Staten Islanders will also be happy to finally have a project on the island worth posting pictures of.

[NYC GUY]

Good to see Staten Island get an attraction.

[TechTalkGuy]

If there's one thing that this project will remind everyone is that:

Staten Island is the little island that could!

[Roadcruiser1]

Originally Posted by ablerock

I wonder if it will be built like the London Eye, ie horizontally and partially over water first. At 688' The New York Eye is 245' taller than the 443' Eye and in a somewhat similar awkward location (jammed between water and infrastructure/buildings), although it does have quite a bit more wiggle room with the parking lot area. Looks like it's approximately 450' from the Staten Island 911 Memorial to Richmond Terrace, or water to road, based on my unscientific Google Map measurements. But if they are definitely putting it right next to the water and do build it horizontally first, it will have to be out over the water. Any engineers here know why the London Eye or other Ferris Wheels are built horizontally first? I have my guesses but I'm just a lowly graphic designer.

Ferris Wheels are built in two ways. One is vertically.



And the other is horizontally which you demonstrated above. In construction terms it depends on the size of the project. A larger wheel might take quite a while to assemble vertically and would probably be constructed horizontally and erected while smaller wheels are built vertically since they are smaller, and it won't take long to life the pieces up, and to join them together.

For example watch this video of the construction of the Singapore Flyer.

• Video Link

[ablerock]

Originally Posted by Roadcruiser1

Ferris Wheels are built in two ways. One is vertically.


And the other is horizontally which you demonstrated above. In construction terms it depends on the size of the project. A larger wheel might take quite a while to assemble vertically and would probably be constructed horizontally and erected while smaller wheels are built vertically since they are smaller, and it won't take long to life the pieces up, and to join them together.

For example watch this video of the construction of the Singapore Flyer.

Whoah that was crazy, thanks for the vid (and info). Now I hope they build vertically. That will be way more interesting to watch!

[eleven=11]

Originally Posted by ablerock

Whoah that was crazy, thanks for the vid (and info). Now I hope they build vertically. That will be way more interesting to watch!

nice video of the flyer wheel ,

any pics or links of the new vegas wheel
i think it will be the worlds biggest ??

[Roadcruiser1]

Originally Posted by eleven=11

nice video of the flyer wheel ,

any pics or links of the new vegas wheel
i think it will be the worlds biggest ??

Here:
http://skyvuelasvegas.com/

It also will not be the world's largest wheel. New York's and Dubai's are larger.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by J. Will

I don't know. Maybe the millions of tourists that visit Dubai every year. A hell of a lot more than visit Staten Island.

I will admit my total ignorance on Dubai and their proposed wheel, but I find this statement very hard to believe.

The Staten Island Ferry attracts millions of tourists, including a huge foreign contingent, and is one of the top attractions in NYC. It's definitely one of the most iconic attractions anywhere in NYC (like in the top very few).

Obviously the wheel's placement next to the ferry is an effort to take advantage of the iconic location, the millions of tourists, and the Manhattan/harbor views. I would be very surprised if there were anything comparable in Dubai (though, again, I admit my ignorance).

[texcolo]

source

Dallas has had one since 1985. The Texas Star is 210' tall, has 44 gondolas, and is only open during the Texas State Fair.

I like the idea of a ferris wheel on Staten Island, my only qualm is that it's a little plain. Maybe if it looked more like the London Eye or the one going up in Moscow.

[NYdude]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I will admit my total ignorance on Dubai and their proposed wheel, but I find this statement very hard to believe.

The Staten Island Ferry attracts millions of tourists, including a huge foreign contingent, and is one of the top attractions in NYC. It's definitely one of the most iconic attractions anywhere in NYC (like in the top very few).

Obviously the wheel's placement next to the ferry is an effort to take advantage of the iconic location, the millions of tourists, and the Manhattan/harbor views. I would be very surprised if there were anything comparable in Dubai (though, again, I admit my ignorance).

I heard the Staten Island Ferry is NYC's 3rd most visited tourist attraction. I live not too far away and when I went on the ferry last summer, it was PACKED!

[NYguy]

nellcasey

[NYguy]

http://www.silive.com/northshore/ind..._leg_up_o.html

New York Wheel gets a leg up on Staten Island's new normal




Egg-shaped tower, circled, will hold the mechanicals for the ride, at an even greater elevation.


By Jillian Jorgensen
March 06, 2013

It’s not just owners and builders of homes who must cope with the new base flood elevations post-Sandy — so must developers of the mammoth New York Wheel.

The development — which is still awaiting city approvals — is in a Zone A flood zone that, like many across the borough, saw advisory base flood elevations climb. But developer Richard Marin said plans were under way to meet those new standards even before they were announced.

Before the new advisory maps were released last month, the base flood elevation at the site — that’s the height above sea level FEMA recommends in order to avoid damage in a 100-year-flood — was eight feet, Marin said. It has now increased to 11 feet. “We were always planning to build at a plus-10,” Marin said, which is higher than the existing base flood elevation. But after Sandy — and before the release of the 11-foot advisory base flood elevation — they decided to hike that to 12 feet, Marin said. “We didn’t do it in response to FEMA, we did it in anticipation of FEMA,” he said.

The 12-foot elevation puts the wheel development a foot above the 100-year flood zone, Marin said. But anything vulnerable to water will be even higher, he said. “Every spit of meaningful mechanical and electrical equipment is up at plus-25 or -30,” Marin said. “There’s nothing at plus-12.”

Moving that equipment required devising a plan that was both practical and matched the area’s design, Marin said. “ We’ve come up with a very creative idea for putting all of our mechanic and electricals up higher,” he said. They’re stored inside an egg-shaped structure designed to mirror the shape of the capsules riders will be inside, keeping things “thematically consistent,” Marin said.

“It’s a very nice artistic touch,” he said. “It looks like a sculpture and yet it takes all of our mechanics, and it’s a safer, sounder way to operate.”

Marin has already discussed some of the ways the development will be ready for storms — portions of it will be “bath-tubbed” like a submarine to allow water to flow in and out without damage, and the wheel will be able to withstand the winds of a Category 3 hurricane. New York City has never been hit by a storm bigger than a Category 3 — and the last time a Category 3 storm struck was in the 1930s. Sandy was barely a Category 1 when it hit Staten Island.

[TechTalkGuy]

By raising the height of the base, they effectively raise the height of the wheel.

Okay, I can go along with that!

[Hudson11]

http://www.newyorkwheel.com/

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Hudson11

http://www.newyorkwheel.com/

http://newyorkwheel.com/blog/lighting-the-wheel/

Lighting the Wheel

Lighting the wheel is an important and complex decision that involves taking full advantage of our amazing structure and Gateway location while being attentive to the community needs and wishes as well as the obvious regulatory, environmental and physical constraints.

We start by recognizing that shielding direct lighting from the Staten Island community is critically important. Furthermore, the harbor community from Brooklyn to Liberty State Park and including the harbor vessels themselves and even the nearby air traffic must be considered for whatever lighting program is planned.

The elements that can have lighting attached include the capsules, the rim, the cable spokes and the legs. There can and will be halogen up lighting to illuminate the wheel and the surrounding sky when we choose to have a light show. Also, the reflecting pond under the wheel, where we hope to have an array of “dancing” fountains will be illuminated.

Our technology will combine LED lighting and halogen spot and flood lights and will involve a great deal of computer programming that will flexibly accommodate the latest ideas for using the lighting to engage the New York community in any number of innovative ways (think about the use of the London Eye lighting with Twitter during the Olympic Games this summer).

We also expect to have wonderful fireworks displays throughout the year both on our own and in conjunction with the Staten Island Yankee game schedule. We are planning to incorporate elements into our wheel and terminal building to do some interesting things with fireworks.

The Great Wheel Plaza & Hall

The main entry of the Wheel will be on Bank Street facing the waterfront. This entry plaza will be directly across from and positioned to honor, but not interfere with the Postcard 9/11 Memorial and Plaza. It will be a grand plaza with the enormous wheel turning slowly above and a waterfall and bosque of trees with seating and a cafe.

Inside the terminal entry will be a Great Wheel Hall with 60 foot height and a sloping glass wall highlighting the wheel above. That Hall will provide visitors with an arrival space including coat check, rest rooms and ticket kiosk. It will also house the entry to the 4D Theater (explained in a future blog) and 16,000 sf of exposition space dedicated to our Sustainability Expo and an area or local artists to exhibit. To the left will be a grand staircase up to the main floor that will be reminiscent of other grand stairs like The Spanish Steps in Rome except this one will be both indoor and outdoor, separated by a glass wall and connecting the interior with the exterior.

The Flight Deck

With a ride cycle of 38 minutes, the New York Wheel will operate from 10am to 10pm during November through April and 10am to midnight for May through October. This means there will be 19 and 22 revolutions respectively and 684 and 792 capsules available each day. We think of these as scheduled flights, much as an airline would. The big difference is that while the wheel can be stopped or started with ease at any time, our intention is to operate it continuously throughout the operational day. Riders will board their flight perfectly on schedule and easily since the wheel moves t a very leisurely 10 inches per second.

Riders will board and unload along a 190 foot platform that is curved to match the arc of the wheel and its capsules. The wheel will turn in a counter-clockwise direction when viewed from the harbor (clockwise when viewed from Richmond Terrace). In this way riders will start with a view of the Kill van Kull, Bayonne Golf Club, Liberty State Park, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the Manhattan Skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge, Governor’s Island, Brooklyn Heights, Red Hook, the Verrazano Bridge and Narrows, the exciting new Harbor Commons and eventually the Richmond Bank Ballpark, home of the Staten Island Yankees…..and much, much more.

While our luxurious and technologically advanced capsules can accommodate up to 40 riders, it will be our practice to load them most often to a maximum of 80% or 32 passengers. This will make for a comfortable ride with lots of viewing and sitting space. The 38 minutes will go by all too quickly with so much to see across New York harbor plus a full array of technology tools to help you see and enjoy all the sights and their history. Each capsule will be equipped with free Wi-Fi to facilitate full social media interaction while “in flight.”

[World Citizen]

Any speculated date for start of construction?

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by World Citizen

Any speculated date for start of construction?

Next year.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2014, with the goal of hosting a grand opening by the end of 2015.

[uakoops]

That mechanical building looks exactly like the oculus of the Fulton Transit Center!

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by uakoops

That mechanical building looks exactly like the oculus of the Fulton Transit Center!

It does. It's supposed to mirror the pods...

Moving that equipment required devising a plan that was both practical and matched the area’s design, Marin said. “ We’ve come up with a very creative idea for putting all of our mechanic and electricals up higher,” he said. They’re stored inside an egg-shaped structure designed to mirror the shape of the capsules riders will be inside, keeping things “thematically consistent,” Marin said.

As far as light shows go...

Lighting the wheel is an important and complex decision that involves taking full advantage of our amazing structure and Gateway location while being attentive to the community needs and wishes as well as the obvious regulatory, environmental and physical constraints.

The elements that can have lighting attached include the capsules, the rim, the cable spokes and the legs. There can and will be halogen up lighting to illuminate the wheel and the surrounding sky when we choose to have a light show. Also, the reflecting pond under the wheel, where we hope to have an array of “dancing” fountains will be illuminated.

Our technology will combine LED lighting and halogen spot and flood lights and will involve a great deal of computer programming that will flexibly accommodate the latest ideas for using the lighting to engage the New York community in any number of innovative ways

I'm thinking, it would be nice to have a laser war accross the harbor with the Freedom Tower.

[Duck From NY]

Originally Posted by NYguy

I'm thinking, it would be nice to have a laser war accross the harbor with the Freedom Tower.

I loved the strobe light on the ESB this past New Years Eve, it looked epic from DUMBO. Would be nice to have the Wheel there to respond to it from across the harbor on NYE.

• Video Link