NEW YORK | (Staten Island) New York Wheel | 625 FT

[kingsdl76]

Do you guys think that the completion of this Wheel will be a catalyst for population growth and urban development on Staten Island? Maybe a similar, albeit smaller scale, effect that the Verrazano Bridge had? I realize that this isn't a transportation development like the Verrazano, but regardless, do you think it may have a similar effect??

[photoLith]

So they're going to unearth the time capsule in 2646? Something tells me the wheel will be a long long forgotten memory by that point, if humanity even exists in it's current form. I wonder what NYC will look like by that point. The Empire State Building would be over 700 years old.

[antinimby]

^ to give you an idea how long 630 years is...Columbus landed in America 524 years ago and look how much the world has changed since then.

[chris08876]

Originally Posted by antinimby

^ to give you an idea how long 630 years is...Columbus landed in America 524 years ago and look how much the world has changed since then.

Speaking of years... time to have the mind blown:

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft travels at 36,373 miles per hour (58,536 km/h). Launched from Earth in mid-January, 2006, it reached Pluto in mid-July, 2015 … nine-and-a-half years later. If New Horizons were aimed toward the Alpha Centauri system, which it isn’t, it would take this spacecraft about 78,000 years to get there.

Nearest star is 4.2 light years. Think about that time traveling there. And the galaxy is 100,000 light years across. The nearest galaxy is 2.2 million light years. The nearest habitable planet is close to 1000 light years away.

We are screwed if we ever have to leave Earth or the solar system for a new planet!

But other than that, 630 years is nothing. Hell, where only .008% to the closest star with the fastest man made object!



So in the meantime, we get to enjoy the city and life in general. But its also good to know that in time due, everything that we see will be gone. Everyone! Everything! Sort of a messed up humbling moment, but it can serve as a lesson to appreciate life. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

[NYguy]

• Video Link

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Another cool view...


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I can't wait to see this thing rise over the harbor...


http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf...construct.html

NEXT PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION


By Tracey Porpora
July 08, 2016


The next phase of work on the wheel will include building the wheel itself, from the bottom up.

"The next step is taking the wheel pad and having the pedestals that the legs stand on (erected). They each weight 110 tons. They are coming in from Montreal. They will basically form the foundation of the wheel," explained Marin last month at the first concrete pour.

"Then, in October the legs will be raised and the spindle will be put on. That's about a five month process to put the rim of the wheel on. It's a long process because they have to put it on with temporary spokes. They are big, red solid spokes," added Marin.

Other work, happening simultaneously, includes the second phase of construction for the garage. "This will take you from an 820 to 950 parking spot garage. We expect the garage to be (fully) complete by Dec. 1," he said.

Wheel developers are currently working on opening the first section of the garage, which has been delayed.

In addition, the main terminal -- that will be the hub of wheel operations -- will be built between now and November, said Marin.

[McSky]

Can't wait to see this wheel get destroyed in a monster movie. Then we'll know it's iconic.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by kingsdl76

Do you guys think that the completion of this Wheel will be a catalyst for population growth and urban development on Staten Island? Maybe a similar, albeit smaller scale, effect that the Verrazano Bridge had? I realize that this isn't a transportation development like the Verrazano, but regardless, do you think it may have a similar effect??

I think, yeah, to some extent, that plays a role.

The North Shore of Staten Island is already being rezoned for higher/denser development, there's a big mall being built next to the Wheel, two hotels under development, there's a cultural center being built, the National Lighthouse Museum is opening, etc.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by McSky

Can't wait to see this wheel get destroyed in a monster movie. Then we know it's iconic.

As a new icon of the city, it will have to be. That's when you know you've made it...

[325ccr]

Here are some new photos. From what I was told this week they are just starting to assemble it

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Speaking of years... time to have the mind blown:

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft travels at 36,373 miles per hour (58,536 km/h). Launched from Earth in mid-January, 2006, it reached Pluto in mid-July, 2015 … nine-and-a-half years later. If New Horizons were aimed toward the Alpha Centauri system, which it isn’t, it would take this spacecraft about 78,000 years to get there.

Nearest star is 4.2 light years. Think about that time traveling there. And the galaxy is 100,000 light years across. The nearest galaxy is 2.2 million light years. The nearest habitable planet is close to 1000 light years away.

We are screwed if we ever have to leave Earth or the solar system for a new planet!

But other than that, 630 years is nothing. Hell, where only .008% to the closest star with the fastest man made object!



So in the meantime, we get to enjoy the city and life in general. But its also good to know that in time due, everything that we see will be gone. Everyone! Everything! Sort of a messed up humbling moment, but it can serve as a lesson to appreciate life. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Speed records are made to be broken, and they will continue to be broken. Just to give an example (that I could quickly find) the land speed record in 1898 was 39 mph. 99 years later it was 763 mph. So in one century the land speed record increased nearly 20-fold.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_speed_record

Some time after our lifetimes, someone will figure out how to travel faster than the speed of light, making long distance space travel possible (lucky bastards).

This has nothing to do with a Ferris wheel, but it shows that what we've achieved to this point will look like nothing to people from the future (assuming our species lasts that long - see the above GIF).

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by 325ccr

Here are some new photos. From what I was told this week they are just starting to assemble it

Getting closer to the real action, thanks.

[NYguy]

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...arine-terminal

New York Wheel Shipment Marks Rebirth of South Brooklyn Marine Terminal


By Nikhita Venugopal
July 14, 2016

The arrival of a cargo ship in Sunset Park from Denmark late last month marked the reactivation of South Brooklyn Marine Terminal for the first time in years, officials said this week.

The BBC Scotland docked at the terminal June 28 carrying large crane parts to be used for the construction of the New York Wheel, a massive Ferris wheel that's expected to open next year on Staten Island's waterfront, according to the city's Economic Development Corporation.

The project is a part of an agreement between the city and Mammoet USA North, a firm that offers heavy lifting, transportation and hoisting services. The company has been hired to unload, stage and assemble the oversized parts of the New York Wheel at SBMT, along with employees of the Red Hook Container Terminal, the EDC said.

By early September, the second ship should arrive with more crane parts as well as pieces of the New York Wheel, such as wheel spokes.

http://www.6sqft.com/shipment-of-cra...rine-terminal/

The New York Wheel Gets Its First Shipment of Crane Parts





JULY 15, 2016
BY DANA SCHULZI

[325ccr]

Another crane (LR1300) has arrived

[Wayward Memphian]

Originally Posted by NYguy

https://www.instagram.com/p/BD6fU-FA...ph_ferrara_nyc






https://www.facebook.com/EmpireOutle...=page_internal

The developers should have gone with this concept. A different take on the observation wheel on the left and high thrill coaster and drop tower on the left. But Thrillcorp wasn't quite around when they where coming up with this.

[lbh]

devmap.io/developments/nyc-wheel

[mrnyc]

naah, i would rather have the ferris wheel in staten island. save the tower coaster thing for lic.

that is very exciting to see the wheel construction materials arriving!

[NYguy]

The crane itself will be visible across the harbor...


http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/...aterfront.html

Wondering what it takes to build a 630-foot observation wheel? A lot of heavy machinery.

A crane is now sitting, in parts, at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. In just a few short weeks, it'll be delivered to Staten Island's north shore, and assembled to a height of 465 feet, to help build the world's tallest observation wheel.

"I'm pretty much in awe everyday of how big this is," said Rich Marin of the New York Wheel.

...Since a so-called "big pour" of concrete took place earlier this summer, construction has accelerated. And while officials with the wheel say the project is on track to be completed by the end of next year, it likely won't open then.

"There's a lot of testing and commissioning work that has to be done, so we probably won't have our grand opening until the beginning of 18," Marin said.

They may not look like much now, but fenced-off sections mark the spots where the wheel's legs will eventually rise.
"There's about a whole building's worth of steel below each of those legs because of all of structure that's in the foundation," Marin said.

The legs are expected to arrive in October, and the body of the wheel is expected to rise early next year.

I don't mind the delay for testing. I had already built in at least 2 months from the time they open to the time I would actually get on the thing. Gotta work out the kinks...

[NYguy]

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf..._ny_wheel.html

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE:


First week of September: Four 110-ton pedestals, being created in Montreal, Canada, will be delivered to the Wheel site. They will serve as the base for the legs of the Wheel, said Marin. "They (the pedestals) will be delivered via the temporary jetty that we had a local company build for us," said Marin.

During the month of September: A special crane will be used to lift the pedestals off a water vessel on which they arrive, he said. "This crane will put them into place very carefully, and put them on top of all the embed screws that can be seen sticking up out of the foundation," said Marin.
Between Oct. 17 and Nov. 1: The lifting of the legs comes next. "This will be the first major Wheel lift that occurs. These are the four legs that rise up to 330 feet," said Marin.

End of 2016: The Wheel has an "A" frame. "These are large steel structures that will be transported from Holland, and the two 'A' frames get put on top; I think of them like caps," said Marin. "Those caps form the end of the hub and spindle, or axle."

December 2016: An additional 130 parking spaces will be available when construction of the parking garage is complete in December, Marin said.

January 2017: Arrival of the hub and spindle assembly, which is 1,500 tons, will occur in early 2017, said Marin. "It will be lifted into place with the bearing set in it. The bearing comes from Germany and the spindle comes from Holland. Every element of this Wheel was custom designed and engineered."

During 2017: Next, red temporary spokes will be assembled, "and you'll hang on the bottom of them a piece of rim steel that will be assembled at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal," said Marin."Everything that people will see on the Wheel that is white is a permanent part of the steel going up, but everything that is red or high-visibility yellow is temporary."

"Think of it like a curved piece of the pie crust. ...You just keep adding on these curved sections of rim and pushing it upward until you have a whole circle. ...Once that's done you start putting in the permanent cable spokes and taking out the red temporary spokes -- and you do that all very carefully," said Marin. "When you're done you have a completed Wheel that will balance on the hub and spindle."

Once the spokes are erected, the 36 capsules will be attached at the rate of "a couple per day," he said. "We plan to have the whole Wheel done by the end of next year."

During 2018: For the first half of the year, the Wheel will need to be tested and any fine-tuning work will be completed before the Wheel opens in April 2018, said Marin.

"We want to make sure all work is perfect before opening. We will spend a lot of time running and testing the Wheel. ...We have to test everything from how well the audio/visual system in the capsules work, how well the emergency equipment works, how clear we are as a team if we need to stop the Wheel in an emergency, etc...," said Marin.

In addition, all permits from the city must be granted before the Wheel can open, he added.

[TechTalkGuy]

It takes years to build a Ferris Wheel?

[mrnyc]

^ yes and no. i walked to the site yesterday. it appears there is a lot of site prep work to be done and they are building the other structures first. i saw a stop work order as well, but i think it was an old one. not sure. i did see workers around.