The massive observation wheel at riverfront development The Banks is leaving next month to head to San Francisco. But the Queen City will get a new, bigger wheel next year — and its spokeless, cable-supported design will make it unique in the U.S., officials say.
The current 150-foot wheel, which is portable, will come down March 2 and head to California to celebrate Golden Gate Park's 150th anniversary. Meanwhile, a replacement wheel supported by cables instead of steel spokes will go through the City of Cincinnati's planning and approval process. That wheel is expected to be 180 feet tall and will likely open next year.
The current wheel started operating at The Banks in September 2018 on a temporary basis. SkyStar indicated last year that the company would operate a wheel permanently at the riverfront park. SkyStar has a 20-year contract with Hamilton County to operate the wheel.
"We have become part of the Hamilton County community,” SkyStar Managing Partner Todd Schneider told the Hamilton County Commission. “We look forward to being a more permanent fixture at The Banks.”
The current SkyStar wheel will remain open until March 1.
