The New York Wheel is a 630ft tall giant Ferris wheel under construction in St. George, Staten Island alongside the site of the proposed Empire Outlets retail complex. Although the two projects are going through the approval process simultaneously and will share consultants on issues such as traffic and the waterfront, they are two separate projects, each funded separately. The ride is to operate every day of the year, except during adverse weather or maintenance, from 10:00AM to 10:00PM or 12:00AM, with extra hours during summer. A single ride is expected to last about 38 minutes.HistoryIn October 2008, Meir Laufer, the developer behind the New York Wheel, traveled to experience the London Eye and met with its lead engineer. He established a business relationship with them to bring a wheel to New York. On September 27, 2012, at a press conference headed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Wheel CEO Richard Marin announced that a deal has been worked out and the wheel would be located at the St. George Waterfront District.In announcing the New York Wheel, city mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a statement that read: "The New York Wheel will be an attraction unlike any other in New York City - even unlike any other on the planet. It will offer unparalleled and breathtaking views, and is sure to become one of the premier attractions in New York City and the latest exciting addition to our newly revitalized waterfront."Construction of the wheel was to start in the beginning of 2014 and end in 2015, but this has since been put back several times; in April 2013, it was reported to be July 4, 2016. On June 12, 2013 construction was approved by Staten Island Community Board 1, and on October 30 it was also approved by New York City Council, with construction to start in early 2014 and a grand opening planned for 2016, but as of October 2014, construction is now planned to start in early 2015 with an opening date for early 2017. On December 11, state economic development officials excluded the proposal from a list of 824 projects selected for state funding under a regional economic development program, saying it would not provide the overall economic benefit needed to qualify, however a spokesman for the project said it would continue to move forward.
