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

[manchester united]

New photos ?

[NYguy]

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[chris08876]

Higher Resolution Rendering:


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https://twitter.com/thenewyorkwheel
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From the Camera:

[NYguy]

http://www.silive.com/opinion/index....efit_from.html

Staten Island stands to benefit from tourist boom (editorial)



Construction of the NY Wheel has begun.

January 26, 2016

With tourism at a record high in New York City for the sixth year in a row, there is reason to expect a historic boom on Staten Island. We're nearing the heralded $1 billion renaissance on the North Shore.

Due to open in 2017 in St. George are two unique sites: the New York Wheel, a 630-foot high revolving observation platform, and the adjacent Empire Outlets, a collection of 100 stores in the city's first brand-name discount shopping complex.

The prospects seem bright for an economic windfall since millions of tourists arrive each year on the Staten Island Ferry, a world-class attraction known for its panoramic views of New York Harbor.

Soon they will have much more to see and do here.

Finally, there will be all sorts of reasons for visitors to get off the boat and look around before taking the return trip to Manhattan.

Country's most popular destination

The climate for success is established.

For international travelers, New York City is the most popular destination in the United States.

Tourism in New York hit a new peak last year with over 58 million visitors, including more than 12 million from foreign countries, according to statistics just announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"As the safest and most exciting big city in America, we have so many rich offerings that continue to make the five boroughs a global draw," Mr. de Blasio said.

Growth last year was led by the city's four largest international markets: Britain, with a total of 1.192 million visitors; Canada with 1.072 million; Brazil with 926,000, and China with 852,000.

Huge economic benefits

For New Yorkers, the economic benefits of tourism are huge.

The total spending by tourists in 2014 in the city: $41 billion; total wages generated here: $22.5 billion; total NYC jobs supported by visitor spending: 362,085.

The effort by Staten Island to obtain a bigger share of the wealth is driving North Shore development.

Spreading the wealth is the job of NYC & Company, the city agency that promotes tourism in New York.

Fred Dixon, the president and CEO of NYC & Company, pointed out: "The city continues to evolve, always offering fresh reasons to visit again and again, with more new developments on the horizon."

The New York Wheel

Perhaps the biggest reason is the $500 million New York Wheel.

Back in 2012, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled the plan to for the towering project to be built on city property near the Ferry terminal.

"The New York Wheel will be an attraction unlike any other in New York City — even unlike any other on the planet," he said. "It will offer unparalleled and breathtaking views, and is sure to become one of the premier attractions in New York City."

At this point, construction of the harbor-side Wheel is said to be about 35 percent complete.

The latest projections are for the Wheel to draw more than 4 million riders in 2017, its first year of business.

By comparison, the Empire State Building drew 4.3 million visitors in 2014. The Statue of Liberty draws about 3.5 million visitors per year.

Most of the riders on the Wheel are expected to arrive on the Staten Island Ferry, which already carries about 2.5 million tourists annually.

The price of a ride on the New York Wheel: $35.

Total revenue in the first year of business is estimated to be over $127 million, which includes money from a gift shop and parking.
Meanwhile, Empire Outlets is designed to lure both tourists and local shoppers.

It's billed by its developers as "the retail centerpiece of New York City's newest entertainment district of Staten Island's waterfront."

The complex will not only include stores, but also food and beverage offerings and a 190-room boutique hotel with a rooftop lounge overlooking the harbor.

Other sited being promoted

Other sites on the North Shore being promoted by NYC & Company include the Staten Island Yankees ballpark, Snug Harbor, the St. George Theater, Lighthouse Pointe and the Lighthouse Museum.

Tompkinsville's Flagship Brewing Co. has already become a new destination for those who want to get off the ferry and explore the North Shore on foot.
Owner Jay Sykes says roughly 20 to 30 percent of their visitors are out-of-towners.

"We're checking IDs from everywhere — Australia, England, China, everywhere," he said."We're even in Chinese and Japanese tour books."
Despite worries about congestion, which remain to be addressed, there is much to be gained from seeking to lure tourists to the North Shore of Staten Island.

The process is already well underway.

[chris08876]

Jewelry Exchange Opening at Staten Island’s Empire Outlets


Credit: http://www.empireoutletsnyc.com/

Diamond and jewelry exchange Jewelers on Fifth, which has an outlet at a New Jersey mall, will be opening a new store at the under-construction Empire Outlets in Staten Island, Commercial Observer has learned.

Joseph Girgis, an owner and partner at Jewelers on Fifth, told CO that he and his partner were interested in establishing a Staten Island presence after realizing that 60 percent of their clients at the Mills at Jersey Gardens mall in Elizabeth, N.J. were from Richmond County.

“I noticed that we have a lot of clients coming from Staten Island,” Mr. Girgis said. “There’s no one in Staten Island to serve the island there.”

Jewelers on Fifth signed a 10-year lease (with an option to extend for 10 years) at north of $100 per square foot for 3,817 square feet on the second floor of the 340,000-square-foot St. George retail outlet complex, said Joseph Ferrara, a principal at BFC Partners, the project’s developer. The jewelry exchange will be one of 100 retailers on site at the North Shore waterfront project. About 50 percent of the tenants have signed deals, Mr. Ferrara said.

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https://commercialobserver.com/2016/...mpire-outlets/

[NYguy]

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[photoLith]

Whoa what how'd I miss this? Freaking sweet

[mrnyc]

wheely big troubles?
cost overruns & investor infighting

http://therealdeal.com/2016/01/20/is...ut-of-control/

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by photoLith

Whoa what how'd I miss this? Freaking sweet

It's somewhat flying under the radar. It's one of those proposals people see, then forget about until the thing suddenly shows up.

Originally Posted by mrnyc

wheely big troubles?
cost overruns & investor infighting

http://therealdeal.com/2016/01/20/is...ut-of-control/

Already old news, but very much typical.

[Duck From NY]

Finally got down to the waterfront the other day

They put these little cut-outs in the construction barrier along Richmond Terrace:


From the East:




From the West:

[NYguy]

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

Here's a little treat for you all, " Attached is a photo that was taken this weekend of the specialty embed foundation for one of the Wheel’s legs.
This one leg will be 17 feet in diameter!"

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

[CCs77]

Not directly related to the wheel, but it made you wonder how will it work when it opens. The slowing in the number of tourist in WTC could be due to the seasonality, one million in four months of summer, then 1,3 million in winter and spring, is yet to be seen how it will work this summer, but I guess than in the first year a percentage is from curious new yorkers, just to see the new thing in town, but that likely won't show up at the same pace in the coming years.

Also, today there are three observation decks in NYC, by 2021, there would be 5, plus the Wheel, a total of 6 competitors for the views.

3.3 Million Were Expected at Trade Center Attraction; a Million Haven’t Shown Up
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/28/ny...n-up.html?_r=0

In New York City, it seemed like you couldn’t go wrong getting tourists’ heads into the clouds. Especially if, like One World Observatory, you could boast the highest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, atop the newly built 1 World Trade Center.

This week, the video wall in the Global Welcome Center, which displays a running tally of visitors, put the total number at just 2.3 million since the observatory opened on May 29, 2015.

And it appears that the river of tourists has slowed over time. One World celebrated its one-millionth visitor last September, four months after opening. But in the eight months since then, only 1.3 million have made their way to the attraction, perched 1,268 feet above city streets.

[chris08876]

Credit: Jay Fine/curbed

[NYguy]

• Video Link




http://gothamist.com/2016/06/13/obse...nd.php#photo-1

Developer Behind Staten Island's $500 Million "Observation Wheel" Insists He's Not Delusional


BY EMMA WHITFORD
JUN 13, 2016

Construction crews began pouring concrete this weekend for the foundation of Staten Island's $500 million-plus, 60-story New York Wheel, which project developer and CEO Rich Marin has described lovingly as a "populist attraction," even though one spin on the hulking tourist magnet will likely cost $35.

Marin defended the inevitability of his massive wheel this weekend, which was initially scheduled for completion this year (since then, he's had to turn to crowdfunding to make up the difference). Plans were wrinkled further last December, when the Real Deal reported that the chair of the project's board, developer Meir Laufer, filed suit claiming he was pushed out of the planning process and discriminated against because he is Jewish.

"I would challenge anybody who doesn't believe to come down here and look at the $250 million we have in the ground," Marin told DNAInfo over the weekend. Forcefully imposing his opinion on the assembled crowd he added, "We're either delusional or something if we don't think it's real at this point."

The wheel's foundation—which has been prepped steadily for the last 13 months—will eventually rest 150 feet long by 30 feet wide, supporting the 20 million-pound wheel, NY1 reports. It took 420 concrete trucks about 16 hours to negotiate Saturday's massive, 11-foot-deep pour.

There's another concrete pour scheduled for June 25th—the site is a few minute's walk from the Staten Island Ferry terminal—and Marin told reporters this weekend that the wheel's legs will likely be embedded this October.

As of this writing, completion is estimated for late 2017. In the meantime, developers are continuing to carry out their plans for Staten Island waterfront domination, which include a large outlet mall, hotels, and shops and restaurants inside what Elysa Goldman of Triangle Equities has described as a "historic waterfront village" at Lighthouse Point.

"Having a vibrant, diverse, hip waterfront and being a bedroom community are not mutually exclusive," Borough President James Oddo told residents last year at a panel discussion with Marin and his fellow developers. "We can have it all."

(Jay Fine for the New York Wheel)





https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/201...heel-put-place

First Section of Massive New York Wheel Put in Place





By Nicholas Rizzi
June 13, 2016

The first part of the massive Ferris wheel expected to bring hordes of visitors eager for stunning views of the city to Staten Island is in place.

Crews spent hours pouring concrete foundation at the first section of the New York Wheel on Saturday.

About 450 trucks poured 4,000 cubic feet of concrete into the wheel's base that will hold up the 630-foot, 20-million-pound structure when it opens, which is expected to be next year.

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

The legs of the NY Wheels that are being manufacted in Italy. (Photo courtesy of NY Wheel)










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

NEXT PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION

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.

"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 complete by Dec. 1," he said.

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

[gramsjdg]

"In New York City, it seemed like you couldn’t go wrong getting tourists’ heads into the clouds. Especially if, like One World Observatory, you could boast the highest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, atop the newly built 1 World Trade Center."

Say What!? More like the third highest observation deck in the western hemisphere after the CN Tower and Sears. Fourth if you count the original north tower. As is its a full 200 feet lower than the space pod on the CN Tower and nearly a hundred feet lower than Sears. If it actually were the highest, there might be something to boast about. Jeez.


The wheel is making good progress and I think it will be as popular as they are hoping simply because of the super unique views combined with the "ride" aspect which WTC-1 doesn't offer

[McSky]

Yes, those two observation decks are higher than anything planned for NYC, unless one is put very high up in One Vanderbilt. The Hines website offers this: "The building will be topped with a 60,000-square-foot observation deck that will occupy floors 57 and 58."

WTC 1 is at 1,250 feet, CN Tower is at 1,465 feet, and Sears is at 1,353 feet:


http://www.cntower.ca/en-ca/plan-you...ns/skypod.html


http://theskydeck.com/

[NYguy]

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

NY Wheel reveal: Here's what's in the time capsule

A time capsule with a dozen iconic symbols of Staten Island today was buried in concrete on Saturday for an anticipated 630 years to celebrate the start of construction on the actual New York Wheel.

Staten Island's first 21st Century time capsule was dropped with much fanfare into the final pour of concrete for the foundation by Rich Marin, president and CEO of the New York Wheel. Workers now will begin constructing the wheel itself, which is scheduled to open in late 2017.

The capsule is intended to remain buried in cement until 2646, marking one year from now for each foot in the wheel's height.

Marin revealed to the media that when Staten Islanders open the capsule some six centuries from today, they will find:

-Saturday's copy of the Staten Island Advance with its banner story about the time capsule for the New York Wheel.

-A New York Wheel shaped USB drive containing a video of how the wheel was built.

-A jar of honey -- one of the few foods that never decomposes-- produced on site at the URBY residential/commercial complex in Stapleton as part of the North Shore renaissance.

-A $10,000 gift certificate from Empire Outlets, New York City's first outlet center, for a lucky future shopper at the complex being built in conjunction with the wheel.

-A pin from Robbin's Reef Lighthouse. The only working lighthouse in New York Harbor stands one mile off shore from the site of the New York Wheel.

-A Ferry Rider's Guide; Staten Island ferryboats are expected to sail many of the patrons to the wheel.

-A miniature hard hat for Gilbane, the company overseeing the construction of the wheel.

-A small plastic Danny the Dolphin mascot representing the College of Staten Island.

-A brochure and pen from the Staten Island Museum, keeper of arts and artifacts distinctive to our borough.

-A Destination St. George brochure celebrating the neighborhood where the wheel is located.

-A letter from Staten Island Borough President James Oddo where he expresses his desire for world peace and other aspirations for future generations of Staten Islanders. "And I hope you still have baseball," the letter concludes.

-A press release commemorating the time-capsule burial.
Gilbane Building Company, the lead contractor, had more than 400 trucks accessing the site on Saturday to pour approximately 4,000 cubic yards of concrete into the 150-foot-by-30-foot foundation where construction began on June 11.

https://twitter.com/TheNewYorkWheel

[325ccr]

Mammoet's Liebherr LR 11350 and LR 1600 arrived in brooklyn last night. They are unloading all parts, then building the undercarrrage and house of the 11350 in Brooklyn. Then loading it on a ro-ro ship, and brining it to the island and building the rest here

[NYguy]

^ Thanks.

[NYguy]

http://untappedcities.com/2016/07/06...-construction/

A Look at the New York Wheel on Staten Island, Currently Under Construction


07/06/2016
anthony falco

On June 28th, Open House New York held one of its “Projects in Planning” panels, which highlights specific development projects taking place in New York City. This time, they hosted the team behind the New York Wheel, a 630-foot ferris wheel under construction on the Staten Island waterfront.


The New York Wheel is part of the larger plan by New York City and the NYCEDC to revitalize the St. George waterfront area on Staten Island. With the Staten Island Yankees, a 9/11 memorial and the North Shore Waterfront Esplanade already in place, along with a SHoP architects- designed retail and outlet mall, new developments at Stapleton and Lighthouse Point, it is hoped that this area of the borough can become a tourist destination by the wheel’s target opening in 2017.

“An important thing is to own the night,” said President and CEO of the New York Wheel Richard Marin. “After you’ve done Times Square and Broadway one night, we think we can own the second night.”

As for the actual wheel, its height will make it temporarily the tallest observation wheel in the world – the Dubai Eye will surpass it eventually at just under 690 feet, but it will not be completed until 2019, according to Marin. Furthermore, the observation wheel will have 36 pods with 40 people per pod. This equals to a capacity of 1,440 people on the 38-minute ride.

“That means the Empire State Building has an uplift capacity, with its elevators, of 1100 people per hour,” said Marin. “The new One World Trade Center observation deck has an uplift capacity of 1100 people per hour. We have an uplift capacity of 2200 per hour.”

As for how to get on the ride, the capsules will be nicer than the London Eye, according to Jonathan Cohn, principal at Perkins Eastman. They will have a similar arc shape, but be spacious enough to comfortably fit 40 people, who will all have a good view of the city’s skyline.

Finally, Marin is quick to point out that the Staten Island Ferry is the third most popular tourist attraction in New York: sitting comfortably behind the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. With a port already at St. George, this will certainly attract its fair share of people – if they have reason enough to get off the ferry.

The ferry plays such an important role that Marin specifically addressed driving to the vicinity. Even though they built a new parking garage, he is quick to point out how “crappy” it is to drive to the wheel.

“If no one drives to the wheel, I’d be a happy man,” said Marin. “We consider ourselves a harbor visiting experience. We’re not just running private ferries from midtown, but we will [eventually] run ferries from Queens, Brooklyn, Liberty State Park and New Jersey.

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