RESTAURANT OWNER WANTS TO BRING OBSERVATION WHEEL TO BALBOA PARK

Prado’s Cohn says 148-foot tall attraction would boost foot traffic

One of the county’s highest-profile restaurateurs, beset by a pandemic eating into the health of his long-standing business, is taking on another sky-high challenge. David Cohn of the Cohn Restaurant Group, which operates the Prado at Balboa Park, is now working to convince stakeholders that the city’s historic landmark would greatly benefit from a temporary observation wheel erected immediately.

Thursday evening, Cohn pitched the attraction — what’s being referred to as the Balboa Park Star — to the Balboa Park Committee, the city’s official advisory group for park matters. The idea, recycled from one that was contemplated and rejected ahead of Balboa Park’s centennial celebration in 2015, is to work with operator Sky Views of America for a short-term in

stallation of the company’s 148-foot observation wheel, the R50 XL, in the park’s Plaza de Panama. And, if doable, Cohn also wants to offer visitors a food and beverage experience inside the 36 climate-controlled gondolas.

“(The Balboa Park Star) is not a Ferris wheel. It’s an observation wheel. ... The opportunity is to bring a world-class attraction to the heart of Balboa Park,” Cohn told the committee during its monthly, now-virtual meeting. “The views are amazing from the top of this wheel, and it’s a day and nighttime activity for locals, visitors, families, seniors and everyone in between. It’s also a very COVID-safe activity.”

What’s more, the forcharge experience would not come at a cost to the city or the park, he said, although exact terms with Sky Views of America have not been decided. Ticket prices would likely range from $12 to $15 per person, with discounts available to families, seniors and members of the military.

Although the yet-to-bevetted plan would seem an impossible feat to get off the ground in normal times, Cohn told the Union-Tribune that the pandemic presents an unusual opportunity for the city and park groups to forgo the typical bureaucracy for something that would boost foot traffic and buoy operating businesses.

“It’s been very, very quiet in the park. So I just started talking to a couple friends and said, ‘Gosh, there’s got to be a way to bring some people during COVID,” he

said. “I thought to myself, ‘(The observation wheel) didn’t work in 2015 ... but maybe, just maybe, the city and the park will look at it as, let’s do something to bring people back to San Diego’s crown jewel.’”

The attraction would theoretically be parked in the Plaza de Panama, near the San Diego Museum of Art, for three to six months, offering people a reason to visit in a way that is meant to promote social distancing and safety. Each gondola holds up to eight people — perfect for one family unit, the thinking goes — and the operator would not book the wheel to capacity, so cars could be cleaned while others are in use.

However, it’s unclear whether the Balboa Park Star will materialize — or can, given ever-changing state regulations. But Cohn and Sky Views of America are taking a now-or-never approach, meaning they’ll walk away from the endeavor if park groups or city officials balk at the prospect. The sense of urgency comes from the COVID-specific interest in the wheel, as well as other booked engagements that would make it unavailable.

Typically, new park projects originate from within the city’s parks division, are presented to the Balboa Park Committee and eventually are approved or denied by City Council. This particular effort may only require the committee’s approval and city permits. Still, critics have described the Balboa Park approvals process as slow, piecemeal and opaque. As such, the committee is in the midst of a strategic planning effort meant to identify short- and

long-term priorities, and improve the organizational structure.

Thursday, committee members, after receiving an information-only update on the Balboa Park Star, did not outright reject the observation wheel, with some openly embracing it, and others raising concerns around space, parking and state regulations.

“I’m really feeling like we need a lot more information and notice to really discuss with constituents. I did have a chance to brief ly share the proposal and get the perspectives of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership executive committee and it seemed like there was a fairly strong lean toward not supporting the project,” said Micah Parzen, who is the CEO of the Museum of Us (formerly the San Diego Museum of Man). “One issue, I believe ... is the state of California has indicated that you can’t go on rides at the moment.”

Chair Katherine Johnston encouraged her peers to explore the idea with open minds.

“I want us to be more innovative. No matter what the project is, it’s always the same challenges: Who benefits? How does it benefit the institution? What’s the parking plan?” she said. “And what ends up happening is we don’t really end up doing anything.”

Cohn and Ben Pickett, vice president of Sky Views of America, were encouraged to return to the committee next month and seek formal approval.