Not Your Average Ferris Wheel

Not Your Average Ferris Wheel 

Las Vegas is a city known for excess and luxury. We have the highest concentration of celebrity chefs, world renowned artists who come to perform and have become synonymous with hospitality. If you want it and have deep enough pockets, we will find a way to get it to you. Who would have ever doubted that we would put up the world’s largest Ferris wheel? No one at Jeff Allen Sports!

Over the past few years two major Ferris wheel projects have been proposed and designed to decorate the famous Las Vegas Strip. However as of right now, only one of them seems to be keeping to its promise and hype- the High Roller. This monster wheel will be in Caesars Entertainment’s newly developed Linq project, an outdoor shopping and dining experience that will elevate the experience as we currently know it to be in Las Vegas. While it is a popular style layout for California, it has little success in Vegas due to the extreme heat that we experience here during the summer months. But let’s be honest, there will probably be misters every few feet to keep the patrons nice and cool.

Some of the revealed big name tenants for the new Linq are Ghirardelli, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Yard House and Polaroid FOTOBAR. There are currently 18 companies who have confirmed presence in the new project but the site says that there will be more than 30 retailers and restaurants to explore.

The gigantic wheel will be 550 feet up in the air and will be 520 feet long. Each of the 28 glass enclosed cabins can accommodate up to 40 people. One cycle will take about 30 minutes so when the time comes you should choose people you actually want to be stuck with for half an hour. Not to be pessimistic, but this probably would not the best idea for a first date. Can you say awkward? Unless of course it is not going to be the first time you will be alone with them for that amount of time.

The High Roller will be the largest Ferris wheel in the world upon completion until someone else dares to knock it off its pedestal. Who knows, the darer may even come from our own city just down the street from where the High Roller will stand. As of now though, the staff members off Jeff Allen Sports have their doubts “Not too sure about the Skyvue ever really happening” says Mike of Jeff Allen Sports, “I mean they keep saying that it’s coming, but haven’t they ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? Seems like an empty promise to me”

What is Skyvue? It is proposed to be a similar retail/entertainment/dining area with a Ferris wheel/LED screen across from Mandalay Bay. It was supposed to open for New Years 2012, but is currently still nothing more than 2 giant poles sticking out of the ground. No one is intentionally rooting against them, but the eyesore that it currently is doesn’t do anyone any good. There seem to be a lot of problems surrounding this project financially which is the biggest reason it has been at a standstill. The SkyVue team assures the public that it will continue on and will open eventually. This is of course when they are not hiding from the public.

Should the project really take off it would be a great welcoming sight to see as it is not too far from the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign. That side of the strip really needs some TLC; it really is not very welcoming as it is right now. The dingy strip malls and motels that line the entrance which could be cool if they were kept up at all are a sad reminder of the extreme ends of the spectrum between luxury and poverty. With people coming to Vegas to forget their problems it seems a bit ironic that the first things they see as they are welcomed to the city are run-down buildings and 2 odd looking sticks coming out of the ground. If the Skyvue would get their act together it would be a big win for that side of the strip.

Without a doubt as the finishing touches go on the High Roller it is clear that it will be the wheel to beat. Since it will be the largest wheel in the world, we can only imagine the beautiful views the passengers of the glass carriages will be able to see. Also, what will they do in the air for 30 minutes? Is there a possibility of having dining options while aboard the wheel? There is so much excitement building up as the big unveil is set to open later in 2013. Plus they are bringing Brooklyn Bowl out of Brooklyn and onto the Strip! The staff of Jeff Allen Sports cannot wait to see this new development hit the ground running.