2012

The mayor officially announces plans for the wheel in September, touting an annual ridership of 4.5 million people and an opening date of

New Year’s Eve 2015. It will stand next to a 470,000-square-foot retail complex and hotel, together creating over 1,200 construction jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs. “The New York Wheel will be an attraction unlike any other in New York City— even unlike any other on the planet,”

says Bloomberg.