Smithsonian.com

Image: New York Wheel LLC

Move over Coney Island, stand aside London Eye: New York City is building the world’s tallest ferris wheel.

The New York Wheel will be 625 feet tall and hold 1,440 people at a time. Looking at Manhattan from Staten Island’s shore, the wheel is the city’s bid at building both jobs, tourism and the economy. The construction of the wheel will pull in a team of architects, engineers from New York City as well as consultants who worked on the London Eye.

There are, of course, some challenges. The Wall Street Journal explains how the New York Wheel will be different from the London Eye:

For one, there is its distance from Manhattan. The London Eye is just a 1,500-foot hop across the Thames from Parliament, offering up-front views of the historic city.

Meanwhile, Staten Island is roughly six miles from Lower Manhattan, making for a less impressive view of the skyline, as well as leaving more room for mist or rain to get in the way.

It’s unclear just when the wheel will be finished, as the final deal on construction was just announced Thursday morning. In the meantime, we’ll have to turn elsewhere for sky-high views of the city skyline.

More from Smithsonian.com:

A Salute to the Wheel