Thursday, August 18, 2011

'Et Tu, Caesars?' - Vegas Big Wheels Collide

Two Las Vegas high rolling honchos are vying to be the desert town's big wheel - literally.

Since May, Sin City developer Compass Investments has been building a gigantic retail/restaurant/ entertainment project anchored by a roller coaster & the 'Skyvue Las Vegas Super Wheel' - a 500' ride that would dwarf UK's ever so popular 'London Eye'.

Standing on one end of the strip (directly across from Mandalay Bay), the Super Wheel's forty 25 passenger gondolas will have an unblocked/breath taking view of the richest desert real estate in the world.

Opening date: late 2012 or early '13.

Mr. Ferris would approve.

But since England's Eye hosts 3 million plus riders per year, the sound of possible ker-ching-ing cash pricked up ears halfway down the strip.

Guess what those innovative Caesar Palace folk just announced for their back yard - a gigantic retail/restaurant/ entertainment project anchored by the 'Las Vegas High Roller'. A 550 foot 'you-know-what' that will not only dwarf the Skyvue, but  be the tallest in the world. Opening date: 2013. Ouch!

If only Mr. Ferris got residuals.

Vegas business mavens mostly agree that although one world class wheel would be a plu$, the town 'ain't big enough for  2'.

But so far both Compass & Caesars are lustfully staring at the Brit Eye's profits & neither is blinking.

Does this mean that Vegas is doomed to have two big wheels? Not necessarily so.

According to Overhead Bin @ MSNBC.com, there have been at least 3 Vegas mega wheel projects announced over the past decade. So far, none have been built, so all this wheel jabber could just be spin.

If that's the case, 'Ferris fans' out to ride the biggest still have to jet halfway around the globe for a whirl on the 541' Singapore Flyer.

For those who like their thrills a little closer to home,  Dallas' Fair Park boasts the less than half as big Texas Star that at 212' is the biggest in the USA.

But you have to move quickly - it's only running for October at the Texas State Fair.












No comments:

Post a Comment