[NYguy]

Well, whether we're for it or against it, get ready because it's coming!


http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgo...&rc=1194&ndi=1

MAYOR BLOOMBERG UNVEILS PLANS TO BUILD WORLD'S TALLEST FERRIS WHEEL AND RETAIL OUTLET COMPLEX ON STATEN ISLAND’S NORTH SHORE

At 625 Feet, Structure Will Exceed Height of Singapore Flyer, London Eye and Plans for New Wheel on Las Vegas Strip; Expected to Carry 4.5 Million Riders Per Year.

470,000-Square-Foot Complex Will Feature Approximately 100 Designer Outlet Shops and a 200-Room Hotel;
Together, Two Projects Will Create Over 1,200 Construction Jobs and 1,100 Permanent Jobs

September 27, 2012

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today will unveil plans to transform Staten Island’s waterfront by building the world’s largest Ferris wheel along with a new retail complex and hotel on sites adjacent to Richmond County Bank Ballpark in St. George.

The New York Wheel will be built just to the north of the ballpark and be 625 feet tall – 84 feet higher than the Singapore Flyer, currently the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. It will also be taller than the planned ‘High Roller’ wheel for the Las Vegas Strip, which is set to rise to 550 feet. The New York Wheel will be comprised of thirty-six capsules, each able to carry up to 40 passengers with a max capacity of 1,440 people per ride. The wheel is expected to welcome as many as 30,000 riders per day during peak season and an estimated 4.5 million visitors per year.

The Mayor also announced plans by BFC Partners to construct Harbor Commons, a 350,000-square-foot retail complex featuring 100 designer outlet stores and a 120,000-square-foot hotel on the site to the south of the ballpark. Together the projects will generate a $480 million private investment, and create over 1,200 construction jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs. Mayor Bloomberg will mkae the announcement on the Staten Island waterfront and be joined by New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky, President & CEO of the New York Wheel, LLC Richard A. Marin, BFC Partners Donald Capoccia, Joseph Ferrara and Brandon Baron, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, City Council Member Debi Rose and CEO of NYC & Company George Fertitta.

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2012/0...rris_wheel.php

It's Official! Staten Island to Get World's Largest Ferris Wheel

Thursday, September 27, 2012
by Jessica Dailey

It happened—Staten Island is getting a 625-foot tall observation wheel. The mega project includes a 350,000-square-foot outlet mall and 200-room hotel designed by SHoP Architects, and it will be located on waterfront property in St. George next to the New York Yankees minor league baseball stadium. The wheel, which has been boringly named the New York Wheel, is estimated to cost $230 million, nearly half of the $500 million price tag expected for the whole project. Rich Marin, a former investment banker at Bear Stearns, is the CEO of New York Wheel, LLC, and BFC Partners will be constructing the hotel and retail complex.

The tourist ride will be taller than the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer, making it the highest in the world. Starneth, the same team that built the London Eye, is designing the wheel. It will have 36 capsules, each able to carry 40 passengers, which adds up to 1,440 people per ride. Rides would last 38 minutes, and the wheel would be operational 365 days a year, "weather permitting." For spring, fall, and winter, the ride would be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with longer hours in the summer. Officials estimate that the wheel will see 4.5 million riders every year, and construction could start as soon as 2014. They hope that it will be ready for a grand opening in 2015.

A 100,000-square-foot commercial building will sit beneath the wheel, and there will be a 950-space parking structure. The whole thing will be super eco-friendly—think green roofs, solar panels, and clean energy power—and it's aiming for LEED Platinum certification. BFC Partners was tapped to build Harbor Commons, the 350,000-square-foot designer outlet mall and 120,000-square-foot hotel designed by SHoP Architects (arguably the busiest architecture firm in NYC). The mall will have approximately 100 shops and "a gourmet dining destination" with several restaurants. The hotel will have a 15,000-square-foot banquet space, and there will be a 1,250-space public underground parking facility. The whole thing will be topped by "a sweeping sustainable green roof," and there will be "expansive open corridors to the water." Construction should begin in winter 2014, and the project should open by 2016.