Families looking forward to their first spin around the giant New York Wheel will have to wait a bit longer as the opening has been pushed back to April 2018, according to DNAinfo.
The 630-foot Ferris wheel coming to the Staten Island waterfront was scheduled to open in late 2017. But while construction of the $580 million project is still expected to finish next year, the official opening has been delayed until April 2018 to give more time to test the structure’s safety.
“Big, trend-setting projects like the New York Wheel are generally challenging to schedule,” said the attraction’s CEO Rich Marin. “The most important thing is to be sure that all the things get done properly and that quality and safety are maintained.”
Developers are hoping that New York Wheel will become one of the city’s great landmark attractions. Located in St. George on the New York Harbor, the 630-foot tall Ferris wheel will be one of the tallest ones in the world and feature $7 million of LED lighting to create the most vibrant visual canvas on the NY skyline. It will have 36 pods, with each one holding up to 40 people for the 38 minute ride (each ride will cost $35 per person). It is estimated that more than 3.5 million people will visit the New York Wheel each year—and help increase tourism to Staten Island.
“What’s great is that people do come to Staten Island; they just have nothing to get off the ferry for,” Jonathan Bowles, executive director of the Center for an Urban Future, said to The New York Times. “People on the ferry are going to see this huge wheel beckoning, and lots of people are going to want to do it.” Get updates on the New York Wheel’s progress.
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