Las Vegas Sun NewsLas Vegas developer breaks ground on 500-foot Ferris wheel project
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An artist’s rendering of the Skyvue complex near Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip.
Monday
23 May 2011
9:13 a.m.
The developer of a 500-foot Ferris wheel and amusement park across from Mandalay Bay held a media event today to launch the project.
The Clark County Commission approved the Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel project in March, and today with various public officials in attendance, groundbreaking ceremonies celebrated the clearing of the 11-acre site at Las Vegas Boulevard and Mandalay Bay Road.
The Ferris wheel is being touted as the largest in the Western Hemisphere and third tallest in the world. The project is also planned to include 200,000 square feet of restaurants, retail and entertainment uses.
The wheel will have 40 heated and air-conditioned passenger gondolas that each will hold 20 to 25 passengers.
The project is led by Las Vegas developer Howard Bulloch of Compass Investments.
It is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2013. A similar project proposed for the site stalled a decade ago.
The entire project will include 39.5 acres with 11 acres as part of the first phase. A 1950s-era motel will be demolished as part of phase one.
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10 to 1 this project never completes.
@Paul you're betting like a person who watches a blackjack game. You have nothing to win and nothing to lose.
Oh I thought the mega-google giant Caesars Empire was gonna do this?
Oh wait ...they were, it is just they moved to slow.. See .... bigger is NOT better !
I wish them luck. For now, construction jobs on this project then some jobs for people to work there. Bit by bit Vegas is adding to the market place as they always have.
Nice to see a man with money put his money where his mouth is and try to do something more for Vegas and I hope he makes money at it.
Those that bet against these projects have no stake in them and do nothing for Vegas. Easy to be negative when you have nothing at stake.
Are they going to mount the monorail cars from the bankrupt monorail on the wheel?
It amazes to me to see such bitterness and negativity every single time a project of any type is mentioned. It is great to see investors coming into our city and having faith in our city and its future (unlike many of our own residents). Diversity is the name of the game. If we had any economic diversity we could have weathered the storm alot better than we did. One investor wants to build arenas and stadiums and all you guys do is knock him and his vision around. Another investor wants to build an entire state of the art health and wellness community in Henderson and all we can say is "duhhhh, do we really need that?". The time to build anything is now! Skilled labor is abundent, construction material and equipment are affordable and when the economy does turn around, our city will be at the forefront. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, regardless of how idiotic they may sound but at the end of the day it all comes down to getting people back to work and attracting more than just gamblers to our great city.
The Hot Air Balloon ride across the street was a big hit. Oh yea it lasted two months. Why not just go to the top of the Strat? Developers, show them the money and they will build anything. As always the investors will end up with nothing. Hey, it's Vegas.
The engineers should consider a rotating base so that the direction can be adjusted in case of high winds - very common here. It is dangerous to have a structure that large and that catches that much air be perpendicular to the strong winds. By pointing the wheel upwind on high wind days it will be more safe and less stress on the structure. Remember what happened to the balloon?
Where are the people responsible for this soon to be catastrophe getting their information? The last time I checked that location, it was very close to the airport where these things we call "jet's" and "airplanes" take off and land. Has anyone thought about the noise they make? How about the risk of low flying aircraft? What about the summer heat? Did anyone mention that at the meeting? There is obviously still a bunch of "dumb money" floating around. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
This is a joke right? Who in their right mind would waste their money building this?
I guess they are screwing Harrah's yet again. Will Vegas have 2 big wheels?
@dukeofdeath- I am certain both the FAA and the developer are aware of the location of the ariport. The article also states that the goldolas are to be heated and air conditioned. These gondolas sound like they will be memorable place to hold bachelor/bachelorette parties, company sales outings or a variety of other events. I applaud the developer for going ahead with this ambitious project. Thank you Compass Investments.
Dukeofdeath did you read the article or just comment. I'm sure this project had to be cleared with the FAA being close to the airport, I don't think the brief noise will be a problem. Did you miss the part about heated and air-conditioned gondolas? There still is a lot of "dumb comments" floating around too.
Today's ceremony "celebrated the clearing of the 11-acre site." Completion in "the first half of 2013" puts opening 20 to 25 months from now.
Development of 11-acres is going to take that long? Oh, really?
Did they release details of their construction schedule? Have they selected a vendor to provide the wheel? Is it on order?
Or are they still trying to drum up interest in some sucker investors to be left holding the bag when this thing goes BK?
"Are they going to mount the monorail cars from the bankrupt monorail on the wheel?"
I heard it's going to be built from Fontainebleau parts. LOL
Seriously Sun Staff, some more info on this project should be included in an article like this. Maybe this is just a bait and switch project. First we submit a grandiose plan, then we demo all the existing detritus on the site, then we come back with our real plan.
More info please will go a long way toward silencing skeptics like me.
Nice to have the construction jobs. Vegas really needs a Major Theme Park AND Water Park (Chiefly Indoors) for locals - plus International Tourists with kids in tow. Se we don't have to go to LA for several days for something more Family oriented.
The wheel will surely be solar powered and pump water from deep inside the earth. I can't wait! Yes, I'm calling you Shirley.
This is going to be one attraction the southern point of The Strip needs. The north side has the Stratosphere and all of its goodies. The center sections have "The Sirens of TI" at Treasure Island, the volcano show at The Mirage and the beautiful fountain shows at Bellagio. With the new digital mapping projections being added to Tropicana and the already existing roller coaster at New York, New York, this new, upcoming Ferris wheel near Mandalay Bay will help draw crowds to the South Strip.
The noise from the airport is going to make this project a disaster. Who wants to go to an amusement park with all that jet noise. Not me. My prediction is that this is future Chapter 11 project.
Future Chapter 11 project.
The balloon ride didn't last on the same lot. The first high wind will make that ferris wheel sway and they will say it's too dangerous to continue operating. The county will shut them down. What will they build there next?
It is difficult for me, a Vegas tourist, to keep seeing the foolish ideas that keep popping up in Vegas. This is another attraction that isn't going to be self sustaining....how many times do you think people will pay for this? Most of your attractions and even the buffets have to use some kind of coupon or offer to stay alive financially...I remember when the Stratosphere tower opened and it was expensive to go up....now it is much cheaper and there is never the huge long lines....
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/03/ferris....
something you might wish to read
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jun...
something from the LV Sun you might wish to read