Giant Ferris Wheel Could Spin On 125th Street In Harlem: Developer

HARLEM, NY — Plans are in motion to set a giant ferris wheel spinning on 125th Street, according to local organizers.

The proposed 180-foot Harlem Wheel would rise alongside the Hudson River as part of the Harlem Gateway Waterfront Initiative to transform the 125th Street piers into a tourist destination, a press release announced Tuesday.

"The multiphase plan kicks off this summer with the launch of a 90-person high-speed tour boat attraction," the press release reads. "A subsequent phase will see the construction of the Harlem Wheel."

A spokesperson from the Mayor's office told Patch that none of the agencies they spoke to have been involved with the ferris wheel project. Patch also reached out to the Parks Department and the city's tourism department NYCgo, but did not receive an immediate response.

The initiative is being led by Paradise Express Ferry, New York City's only Black-owned, Harlem-based commercial maritime operator, according to the release. Paradise's president Garry Anthony Johnson formerly served as chair of Harlem's Community Board 11's economic development committee and currently serves on the state's Cannabis Advisory Board.

A person familiar with the project told Patch that the city will run several attractions at the 125 Street West Harlem Piers, including "Harlem Rocket" speedboat tours and a Harlem Maritime Center & Museum.

The wheel would open in summer 2024 and could draw millions of riders — who'd pay between $15 and $20 a ride — every year, according to the Harlem Gateway Waterfront Initiative website.

"The concept behind it (ferris wheel), is that by creating an iconic structure such as the ferris wheel, you are able to visually draw from New Jersey, from across the GW bridge, from the West Side Highway, and you are able to attract them to the waterfront," Johnson told Patch.

Johnson also clarified that despite the initiative's website stating the wheel would open in the summer of 2024, it was "nowhere near approval on it getting built," and next summer was no longer a realistic opening date.

The wheel would create up to 50 year-round employment positions for Harlem/Washington Heights residents and about 200 construction jobs, organizers said.

Revenue would be shared with the operators and owner of the land that the wheel would be placed on — the Parks department and the Riverside Park Conservancy — according to the site.

"We think the development of this waterfront would be transformational to the community," Johnson added. "Columbia University has a brand new campus in the area, and they're staking their reputation on Harlem, so we think as a compliment to that, energizing the waterfront and creating jobs for a diverse community is the next step."

It is not the first time that a giant New York City ferris wheel has been proposed in recent years.

The 630-foot New York Wheel was slated to open in Staten Island in 2017, but was eventually scrapped by developers despite support from local council members, the Staten Island borough president, and residents.

Reports at the time said that investors had been frustrated that the city wouldn't support tax incentives on the construction and operation of the wheel.

West Harlem Piers Park is currently home to the Baylander boat restaurant stationed in the Hudson River, Dinosaur BBQ and the iconic Cotton Club.

The Fairway that closed in 2020 at 2328 12th Ave. near West 132nd Street has also left a large vacancy in nearby blocks.

Organizers say the Harlem waterfront project will be a boon to the community, bringing in tourists and celebrating Harlem history. They note the museum would be the first of its kind to recognize the contributions of people of color to maritime history.

"The Harlem Gateway Waterfront Initiative will stimulate local spending," reads an Harlem Water Front's website. "[It will] create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in the maritime, entertainment, and related sectors in the community, and encourage business growth along the waterfront."