470,000-Square-Foot Complex Will Feature Approximately 100 Designer Outlet Shops and a 200-Room Hotel; Together, Two Projects Will Create Over 1,200 Construction Jobs and 1,100 Permanent Jobs
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has unveiled plans to transform Staten Island’s waterfront by building the world’s largest Ferris wheel along with a new retail complex and hotel on sites adjacent to Richmond County Bank Ballpark in St. George. The New York Wheel will be built just to the north of the ballpark and be 625 feet tall – 84 feet higher than the Singapore Flyer, currently the tallest Ferris wheel in the world.
It will also be taller than the planned ‘High Roller’ wheel for the Las Vegas Strip, which is set to rise to 550 feet. The New York Wheel will be comprised of thirty-six capsules, each able to carry up to 40 passengers with a max capacity of 1,440 people per ride.
The wheel is expected to welcome as many as 30,000 riders per day during peak season and an estimated 4.5 million visitors per year. The Mayor also announced plans by BFC Partners to construct Harbor Commons, a 350,000-square-foot retail complex featuring 100 designer outlet stores and a 120,000-square-foot hotel on the site to the south of the ballpark.
Together the projects will generate a $480 million private investment, and create over 1,200 construction jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs.
