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City Council Approves Changes to New York Wheel Redesign

By Nicholas Rizzi | October 29, 2015 7:22pm
 The New York Wheel's redesign was approved by the City Council on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015.
The New York Wheel's redesign was approved by the City Council on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015.
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New York Wheel

ST. GEORGE — The City Council unanimously approved the changes to the New York Wheel design during their stated meeting on Thursday.

The 60-story observation wheel — which promises to be the largest in the world when it opens in 2017 — went through the city approval process a second time after architects had to change the designs of its parking garage and terminal building.

"This approval today will ensure that construction will continue as scheduled," Rich Marin, president and CEO of the Wheel, said in a statement. "With today’s Council vote, The New York Wheel will become the centerpiece for New York Harbor’s newest urban getaway, Destination St. George."

Aside from the approval, Marin also announced that cameras at Robin Reefs Lighthouse were turned on and people can watch the construction of the wheel live online.

The $500 million project initially cleared the city's lengthy Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) in 2013, but had to go through it again after the architects had to redesign the parking garage when tests found the original location had "substandard soil conditions," Marin said in a meeting in July.

The new design of the 950-unit garage calls to be open — instead of using mechanical ventilation — and added an extra level to fit more spaces, Marin said.

The design for the landscaped roof garden, which will now be open 24/7, and the playground were also changed.

The application still needs approval by the mayor before it's finalized.