The Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel[4] (also capitalized SkyVue[5]) is an unfinished giant Ferris wheel near the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, US. Only the concrete pillars were built. Construction of the wheel and the proposed larger 3-phase project for the site — London, Las Vegas — was abandoned, and the plot was sold in 2020 and then advertised for sale again in 2022.[1][2]
| Skyvue | |
|---|---|
 Skyvue under construction, early August 2012 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Construction abandoned, plot advertised for sale[1][2] |
| Type | Ferris wheel |
| Location | Las Vegas Strip, Paradise, Nevada |
| Coordinates | 36°05′35″N 115°10′18″W / 36.093031°N 115.171732°W |
| Opening | Late 2012 (developer's original 2011 prediction)[3] |
| Height | 500 feet (152.4 m) (proposed) |
London, Las Vegas, as suggested by the official website, was to be a 38.5-acre property featuring 1,300 hotel rooms, a casino, the Skyvue wheel and 550,000 square feet of restaurants and shops—all of which would be architectural replicas of various British landmarks and neighborhoods.[6]
The Skyvue wheel, being "Phase I of London, Las Vegas" was intended to feature a large display billed as the "largest outdoor advertising LED screen in the world".[5]
History
editSkyvue was originally announced as being planned to be 476 ft (145 m) tall,[3][7] but was later reported to potentially be 490 ft (150 m)[5] or 500 ft (152.4 m).[8][9][10] Approved by Clark County Commission in March 2011,[11] it was announced at a media event and groundbreaking ceremony in May 2011 by Howard Bulloch of Compass Investments, who stated "we expect it to be up and running in time for New Year's 2012".[3][12] The Happi Inn motel was demolished to make way for the Ferris wheel.[13] It was originally expected to have 40 gondolas, each carrying 20-25 people,[4] but in March 2012, when 1,300 cubic yards of concrete foundations were poured it was reported that there would only be 32 gondolas, each carrying 24 passengers, and that it would not open until July 4, 2013.[14][15]
On March 5, 2012, Shotgun Creek Investments, headed by Wayne Perry, announced their involvement in the $300 million project. Shotgun Creek "invested tens of millions" into the project according to a statement from Skyvue.[16]
In May 2012, the estimated opening date was further put back to late 2013,[9][10][17] at which time it was also reported that construction of the two main support columns had reached a height of 60 ft (18.3 m).[9] In July 2012, it was reported that Skyvue was scheduled to open on New Year's Eve, 2013, and that its support columns, which had reached a height of about 61 m (200 ft), should be completed within a month.[18] In early 2013, Shotgun Creek made two loans totaling $9 million in the project.[19]
A March 2013 update indicated the spindle and yoke were being assembled off site and would be installed "shortly".[20] In July 2013, the developer stated "we anticipate construction to resume in the next couple of months".[21] The projected opening was delayed until mid-2015.[19] In January 2014, all scaffolding was removed from the columns, furthering speculation that the project would never be finished.[22]
By November 2015, the property and unfinished Skyvue had been put up for sale.[1] It was put up for sale again in 2020,[23] and was sold to Perry later that year.[24][25] He put the site up for sale in 2022.[26]
See also
edit- Voyager, a giant Ferris wheel proposed several times for Las Vegas, but never built.
- High Roller, a giant Ferris wheel built in Las Vegas next to The Linq casino and resort.
References
edit- ^ a b c Site of stalled SkyVue observation wheel for sale on the south Strip
- ^ a b SkyVue wheel plan grounded, but developer hopes to profit regardless
- ^ a b c High stakes for dueling Vegas observation wheels
- ^ a b Skyvue Las Vegas to Soar 500 Feet above Strip - For Immediate Release
- ^ a b c skyvuelasvegas.com Archived 2012-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ London, Las Vegas project overview
- ^ Colorado's Leitner-Poma to build cabins for huge observation wheel in Las Vegas
- ^ Las Vegas to build world's tallest observation wheel Archived 2015-10-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c Developers begin next construction phase for SkyVue's 500-foot wheel
- ^ a b SkyVue Las Vegas Observation Wheel Completes First Phase Of Construction, Breaks Ground On Retail & Dining District
- ^ Las Vegas developer breaks ground on 500-foot Ferris wheel project
- ^ Dueling mega-Ferris wheels in Vegas
- ^ "Strip motel razed to make way for Skyvue observation wheel". Las Vegas Business Press. 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
- ^ SkyVue sets foundation in Las Vegas Archived 2013-01-24 at archive.today
- ^ SkyVue wheel developers begin pouring foundations
- ^ Investor gives rivalry of wheels a new spin
- ^ A New Kind of Branding Spin
- ^ Caesars pushing forward with High Roller observation wheel
- ^ a b Bulloch's big wheel long shot, and getting longer
- ^ Skyvue Las Vegas current state Archived 2013-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ On one end of the Strip, a giant wheel takes shape; on the other, a construction site sits quiet
- ^ And, Now Your SkyVue Scaffolding Update...
- ^ Segall, Eli (2020-05-04). "Abandoned property on Las Vegas Strip for sale again". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ^ Segall, Eli (2020-07-31). "Investor in failed Las Vegas Strip Ferris wheel project taking ownership". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ^ Segall, Eli (2020-08-08). "No word yet on plans for site of failed SkyVue project". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- ^ Segall, Eli (2022-05-14). "Failed Ferris wheel project site on Strip for sale again". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
External links
edit
Media related to Skyvue at Wikimedia Commons
