SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Plans for a temporary observation wheel in the heart of Balboa Park have taken a step forward to becoming reality.
Thursday, the Balboa Park Committee voted 7-1, with one member abstaining, to support plans for the temporary Balboa Park Star attraction, which were originally introduced by the Cohn Restaurant Group and Sky Views of America back in October.
In a statement from the Assistant Deputy Director Christina Chadwick of the city's Parks & Recreation Department, while the idea has gained the committee's support, a number of potential impacts still need to be sorted out before the wheel is installed.
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"The Park and Recreation Department has identified a number of potential operational impacts that must be contemplated in order to fully appreciate the feasibility of this project, and given the Balboa Park Committee’s conceptual approval tonight, we will now be moving forward with the goal of getting this installation up and running on a temporary basis," Chadwick wrote.
Some of those outstanding issues involve the site plan, public safety, liability, permitting, and institutional outreach.
Ultimately, the hope is to see a Sky Wheel installed on a short-term basis in Plaza de Panama to attract more visitors back to the park, pending coronavirus-related restrictions on businesses, museums, and attractions.
The gondolas on the observation wheel would be enclosed, climate-controlled, and sanitized after each ride. Local, state, and federal safety protocols amid the pandemic would also be observed and masks would be required.
Tickets for the wheel are estimated to run $12-$15 per rider and would be sold online and at the attraction.
