9/11/2013
By Ivan Pereira
The world’s biggest Ferris wheel is one step closer to spinning on Staten Island.
The City Planning Commission approved plans for the New York Wheel Wednesday and it will now head to the City Council for approval. The 625-foot attraction, which is set to open in 2016, would be the largest Ferris wheel in the world and attract 30,000 visitors a day, according to its developers.
In addition to the wheel, a development project near the ride in St. George was approved. The development would create retail, green space and a hotel.
“It has been gratifying to see the support of EDC, City Planning, the Design Commission, the Borough President and the community,” Rich Marin, CEO of New York Wheel LLC, the group behind the wheel, said in a statement.
The Council is slated to vote Oct. 30 on the proposals, which have been touted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
