New York Wheel and Empire Outlets Ok'd

NEW YORK CITY-The New York City Council gave the green light on Wednesday for the much anticipated New York Wheel and Empire Outlet projects on Staten Island.

The City Council's affirmative vote was the final step in the public approval process for the mall and the 630-foot-tall Wheel.

“Today's final approval marks a major milestone for Staten Island and New York City,” said Rich Marin, CEO of New York Wheel LLC. “We're confident that the New York Wheel will take its place alongside other Big Apple landmark attractions such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. This ambitious undertaking will create enormous economic opportunities for Staten Island and the city in terms of job creation, increased tourism, and small business growth.”

Empire Outlets developer Donald Capoccia, principal of BFC Partners, said, “We are looking forward to building a project that will be a catalyst for the redevelopment of the North Shore, creating thousands of jobs for local residents and transforming Staten Island into a world-class destination for residents and tourists alike.”

The New York Wheel, located on the North Shore of Staten Island, will be the tallest observation wheel in the world at 630-feet or roughly 60 stories. The wheel will feature 36 capsules, each carrying up to 40 passengers, that will offer views of Lower and Midtown Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, New York harbor, and beyond both the Verrazano and the George Washington Bridges, for the duration of each 38-minute revolution. The attraction will accommodate as many as 1,440 people per trip, and will welcome as many as 30,000 visitors each day and an anticipated 4 million visitors per year, company officials state.

The $260-million Empire Outlets project, being built adjacent to the St. George Ferry Terminal, is a one-million-square-foot mixed-use retail hub that is designed by SHoP Architects. The project will include 340,000 square feet of prime retail space with up to 125 designer outlet retailers; a 200-room hotel; and a 40,000-square-foot food and beverage deck. In addition, developer BFC Partners will also build a 1,250-space structured parking garage below the retail and hotel components to accommodate commuters and tourists.

The New York Wheel is scheduled to begin construction in 2014 with a grand opening penciled for 2016. Construction for the Empire Outlets is expected to begin in the winter of 2014 and is anticipated to be completed in 2016.