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Work on New York Wheel's Parking Garage Slowed by Safety Fears: Developer

By Nicholas Rizzi | December 6, 2016 10:55am
 Developers delayed the opening of the full 950 spaces at the parking garage of the New York Wheel. The first 820 spaces opened in the summer.
Developers delayed the opening of the full 950 spaces at the parking garage of the New York Wheel. The first 820 spaces opened in the summer.
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DNAinfo/Nicholas Rizzi

ST. GEORGE — The New York Wheel has delayed the opening of its full parking garage because safety concerns have slowed construction, the developer said.

Developers planned to open the entire 950-car lot for the giant observation wheel this month but have delayed with no new completion date set, the Staten Island Advance first reported.

New York Wheel CEO Rich Marin said in a statement that developers delayed the lot's opening — which would allow drivers to self-park their cars — because of safety concerns during construction of the 630-foot structure.

"Our plan was to open the full garage in December along with the Nicholas Street ramp and the ability for significant self-parking," Marin said.

"This is challenging due to ongoing site construction and ensuring commuter safety in a facility still under construction."

He didn't detail specific safety concerns.

In August, the first 820 spaces in the lot were opened to the public after months of delays. The lot costs $8 per car to park and will be valet-only during construction.

Marin said an average of 200 people are using the spaces each day, with the busiest day having fewer than 400 cars, so the current lot should be able to meet demand.

"We have capacity available and the community is not using it yet," he said.

"We believe the existing facility with excess capacity, speedy and efficient shuttle service and timely valet retrieval serves the commuter community well until those new elements can be made available."

The garage is part of the $580 million New York Wheel project headed to St. George, which will bring the massive observation wheel to the waterfront when it opens in 2018.