A colorful addition to the Dallas skyline is one step closer to becoming reality. Imagine a Dallas version of the London Eye - a bright observation wheel where you can look out for miles.



The Dallas Planning Commission is expected to approve a zoning change request Thursday from the developers who want to build a more than 500-foot-tall observation wheel, called the Texas Odyssey, along the Trinity River, south of Downtown Dallas.

The developers envision the Texas Odyssey as a tourist destination. Visitors would step inside of a climate-controlled gondola and go on a 38-minute ride around the wheel.

The undeveloped 7 acre site in question is in the 1500 block of S. Riverside Drive south of Interstate 35E and west of the fast-growing Cedars neighborhood.

In addition to the wheel, which would be larger than the famous London Eye and more than twice the height of the iconic Texas Star Ferris wheel at Fair Park, the plans for the development include retail space, restaurants as well as a 1,000 car parking garage.

The official recommendation before the Planning Commission is that they accept the zoning change request.

If the development is given the necessary governmental approvals over the coming months, construction on the Texas Odyssey could begin in September 2019 and is expected to take approximately two years to complete.

Funding for the project is expected to come from private sources and not be supported by tax dollars.