New York Wheel Project Suffering Infighting, Delays And Overruns

Staten Island's New York Wheel project is beset with problems, to the degree that it may not be finished at all.

The New York Wheel is planned to be a 630-foot-tall Ferris wheel on the north coast of Staten Island, designed by Mammoet-Stameth, which also designed the London Eye. It would be the tallest such wheel in the Western Hemisphere, boasting unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty.

After a protracted dispute with the developer (also named New York Wheel), Mammoet-Stameth staffers reportedly walked off the project in late May, prompting the eponymous development team to request a judge order work to resume, the New York Post reports.

Court proceedings brought to light a host of issues with construction, such as the original $300M price tag ballooning to over $600M, as well as faults with the legs and base that prompted the New York City Department of Buildings to order work to be stopped to address the issues. While the wheel was originally supposed to open this year, the latest update estimates completion in spring 2018.

New York Wheel alleges Mammoet-Stameth selected materials for the legs that were not approved by the DOB, and that delays and cost overruns were the fault of the European designer. For its part, Mammoet-Stameth blames New York Wheel's construction team for the shoddy fabrication of the base.

The two companies agreed on June 12 to a 30-day mediation period, but the Post noted a lack of activity at the site.

New York Wheel had estimated that upon completion, the attraction would bring in more visitors than the Empire State Building.