New York Mayor Bloomberg Greenlights World's Largest Ferris Wheel To Be Built On Staten Island

Ever wanted to see the skyline of Manhattan from the top of a carnival ride? Well, in a few years you'll be able to, as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, 70, announced on Thursday plans to build the world's largest Ferris wheel in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island, where the Staten Island Ferry — the third largest tourist attraction in New York, drawing more than 2 million visitors a year — ports.

"The Ferris wheel will be Staten Island's Eiffel Tower," said Sen. Chuck Schumer about the projected 625-foot-tall ride, reports the New York Post. And it will be the largest Ferris wheel in the world — 183 feet taller than the famous London Eye, and 84 feet taller than current largest, the Singapore Flyer. Other nearby famous landmarks will be dwarfed, as well. The wheel will be 363 feet taller than the Coney Island Parachute Jump and 320 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.

And the Ferris wheel, which is projected for completion and opening on New Year's Eve 2015, is just the beginning. Beside it will be a 350,000-square-foot mall in which over 100 retail stores will open in 2016. "In 10 years, St. George will be Battery Park West," said Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro of the $480 million project.

The entry fee for the new gargantuan wheel is also expected to be the cheapest in the world at around $20 a pop.

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