ST. GEORGE — Building of Staten Island's Ferris wheel and outlet mall has been pushed back by the harsh winter.
Developers of the New York Wheel and Empire Outlets pushed back their joint groundbreaking ceremony from March 10 to April 16 because of the city's big freeze, they said.
“Due to this year’s incredibly frigid winter temperatures, we’ve decided to postpone our outdoor groundbreaking to a date where we anticipate we can comfortably stand outside for more than ten minutes," a spokesperson for the projects said in an email.
The delay was first reported by NY1.
The 625-foot Ferris wheel, expected to be the world's largest, is scheduled to be completed in 2017.
It will have four bar cars and a 20-seat restaurant so riders can dine and drink while they take in the view of St. George's waterfront. The site will also include a "4-D Theater Experience" simulating an underground subway ride from Staten Island to Manhattan, a route that doesn't exist.
The project will have more than 100 retail stores, a 190 room "boutique hotel" and restaurants. Nordstrom Rack was the first tenant announced for the mall.
