It was announced today that the skyline of New York City is about to get a brand new addition.  Plans have been approved to build a 625 foot tall wheel on the shoreline of Staten Island.

Unveiled today, the 625 ft, $230 million dollar New York Wheel will tower over both the Singapore Flyer and the London Eye.  The wheel is expected to carry 4.5 million visitors each year when it is built on a site next door to the New York Yankees minor league baseball club stadium.

Pickingyourseat.com’s very own Rich Marin is CEO of the project and a formal announcement by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected around 12:30pm EST today.

The Wheel will have 36 capsules, each able to carry up to 40 passengers with a maximum capacity of 1,440 people per ride, or 30,000 riders a day during peak season.  The New York Wheel is expected be open seven days a week, 365 days a year, weather permitting, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the fall, winter and spring. Rides will last 38 minutes. In the summer, and on special occasions, the Wheel will stay open longer.

A big congratulations to Rich and his team on this monumentous occasion.  Construction is expected to begin in 2014 with an opening date targeted for late 2015.