Tampa City Council Backs New Ferris Wheel Project To Draw Visitors

Tampa's City Council took a bold step forward Thursday, with four members backing plans for a towering observation wheel. The vote marks the start of an ambitious push to add a striking feature to the city's waterfront vista.

The project details remain under wraps. No word yet on the wheel's size, cost, or exact spot in the downtown area. The council chambers buzzed with questions about these key points during the brief discussion.

“The Wheel Over Water is another opportunity for us to accept private investment, without tax dollars, to create an icon,” resident Geoff Guidera told council members, per The Tampa Bay Times. “To create something to do, to give people a reason to come back, to share a photo that says, ‘Tampa is worth visiting.'”

On Oct. 23, council members cast their votes. The decision came quick and clean. Yet the path ahead still needs mapping out.

This marks just the first tick in a long box of needed approvals. The wheel's future spins on getting more official nods, though which ones stay unclear from current facts.

Big wheels turn profits in other cities worldwide. London's Eye pulls millions each year. But Tampa's vision stays fuzzy without more facts to judge its chances. The council must still work out how this wheel fits into the city's growth plans.