In the past twenty years, the title for world’s tallest Ferris wheel has been broken six times. In 2017, the record will not just be broken again; it’ll be smashed by eighty feet. Upon its opening, the New York Wheel will be the tallest Ferris wheel in the world at 630 feet, with a 560 foot diameter. But this isn’t your typical fair ride; it’s a modern high-tech observation wheel. To find out more about the New York Wheel construction status and design process we talked to CEO, Rich Marin. Thanks to Rich and Tiffany Townsend for taking the time to fill us in on the juicy details!



C101: First off, why build in New York and how was Staten Island chosen as the final location?





The idea of a New York Wheel blossomed under former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, when the city realized the financial success of the London Eye could be duplicated in the Big Apple. The choice of Staten Island was made for several reasons. It brings jobs and prosperity to the island. The wheel will be located on New York harbor, which we consider to be the gateway to America. Visible from the wheel will be the Statue of Liberty, lower Manhattan and Ellis Island behind the Verrazano Bridge. New York Harbor is where immigrants landed, soldiers left for Europe in World War II and cruise ships depart for exotic locales.





C101: What’s the current New York Wheel construction status? Has vertical construction already began?



Construction began in May 2015 with construction expected to wrap at the end of 2017. The most recent construction milestone was the completion of the wheel’s foundation in June 2016. The next major construction milestone will be the erection of the legs – each of which weigh 500 tons and are 275 feet tall by themselves.



C101: What are some of the challenges with designing and building such a massive wheel?



Among the challenges of the project is the uniqueness and scale of the project itself, as it’s a very big, iconic structure – we are building something so big that it pushes the limits of physics and metallurgy. Another challenge was whether to use the metric system that many of the wheels are built in or the English system of weights and measures (we decided to use the English system). Sourcing the materials also has been challenging. It takes 7,000 tons of steel to erect the wheel.





C101: What makes the New York Wheel unique? How will it differ from other observation wheels?



A unique aspect of the project is that two contractors are involved on the same site — one contractor with global expertise around the wheel, heavy lifting and erection, and one that is very well-versed in local contracting practice.

C101: Where is the wheel manufactured?

Components for the wheel are designed and built all over the world:

A-frame brace: Holland and Czech Republic

A-Frame, hub/spindle, drive and restraint towers, capsules: Holland

Legs and cable spokes: Italy

Rim: Turkey

Bearings: Germany

IMBEDS: Canada

Lighting: Holland (Manufacturing) and UK (Design)

C101: What safety features will the wheel have? How is it designed to withstand the forces of Mother Nature?



Many redundancies are built into the wheel and our operations and security teams have the ability to monitor audio and visually on the capsules (including the ability to talk to guests) and grounds at all times.

C101: At what speed will the wheel turn and how long is a ride on the wheel?

The New York Wheel will spin at 10 inches per second with the ability to speed up/slow down as necessary. Each ride on the wheel will be approximately 38 minutes per rotation; each ride will be one rotation with the exception of the dining pods.

C101: Tell us more about the cabins. How big are the pods and how many capsules will the wheel have?

Each pod is bigger that a typical NYC micro apartment and weigh 30 tons each. The capsules remain stationary as the wheel rotates due to slewing rings. There will be 36 climate-controlled capsules including three bar capsules and one dining capsule. A standard pod can fit 40 guests, dining car can fit 16, and the bars can fit 25 guests. We are also in the process of developing the full in-pod experience (narration, etc).



C101: Are there going to be any other attractions around the terminal? Is it going to be like the Orlando Eye complex with SeaLife and Madam Tussauds?



Yes – The north shore of Staten Island – the St. George neighborhood is undergoing massive redevelopment. Also under development:



Empire Outlets: New York City’s first outlet mall with more than 100 retailers and a hotel (phase two) opening in late 2017 (http://www.empireoutletsnyc.com)

Richmond County Ball Park: Home to the Staten Island Yankees minor league team and voted the prettiest ballpark in America (http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t586)

Lighthouse Point: a mixed-use complex of commercial, retail and residential units (http://triangleequities.com/lighthousepoint)

St. George Theatre: One of NYC’s largest performing arts theatre’s hosting acts from around the world (http://www.stgeorgetheatre.com)

Flagship Brewery (http://theflagshipbrewery.com)

National Lighthouse Museum: (http://lighthousemuseum.org)

Snug Harbor Cultural Center: Regional arts center with 26 historical building, botanical gardens and 10 acres of wetlands on an 83-acre campus (http://snug-harbor.org)

Staten Island Museum: (http://www.statenislandmuseum.org)

C101: What is the overall New York Wheel construction cost of the project?

Approx $580 million including the wheel, terminal building, parking garage, and surrounding areas.

C101: How much will a ride on the New York Wheel cost?

A complete pricing list is not yet available, but a typically price range for a similar attraction is in the range of $30-$35 per person. VIP, fastpass and other ticketing options will be announced in the coming months.



C101: Where can our readers go to learn more information and stay updated?



Our website, newyorkwheel.com, which also offers a view from our EarthCam as it documents our entire New York Wheel construction process. Also connect with us on line via Facebook, Twitter (@thenewyorkwheel), LinkedIn and Instagram (@nywheel)

Thanks to Rich and Tiffany for taking the time to provide us these great details on the exciting New York Wheel construction project. We can’t wait to see the wheel start rolling.