Why not a new Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier?
So today, the front page of the Chicago Tribune has an article about Navy Pier’s upcoming $278 million redevelopment plan, you know, the one that’s been in talks for like 3 years now? I guess they finally agreed that phase 1 of the project will cost a cool $166 million and be done by 2015. Which is just an absurd amount of public money to spend on a sightseeing spot for out-of-towners. $278 million… it’s like you having tonight’s winning Powerball lottery ticket and spending the lump sum to plant trees at Navy Pier so more people from Iowa will come to take a couple pictures and buy some overpriced fast food. Ridiculous. Here’s where I normally would go off into a rant where the money should have been used to keep CPS schools from closing, but its a lost cause, they already spent a year drawing up pictures of the proposal:
You know what they should have done as part of the redevelopment?
A new Ferris Wheel. Like, a real Ferris Wheel. The kind they made back in the day. Everyone at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago got to ride in a MASSIVE Ferris Wheel that used train cars for riders. It was twice as tall and could carry 10x as many people as the scrappy one currently sitting on Navy Pier. And now, riders are strapped into a couple of kiddy high-chairs with windows up to the ceiling so you can’t throw your gum or pennies or stuff out the window. It’s a terrible ride and I can’t believe people drive all the way from Iowa to go in it. Use some of that $200 million and build a real Ferris Wheel again.
photo via: spudart.org
I like the mock-up of the two Ferris wheels. The height of the 1893 one would terrify me. But cool idea, and I agree that the planned redevelopment of Navy Pier is colossally wasteful.
sorry for the late reply! that photo was actually borrowed (with permission) from http://www.spudart.org/ another great site with a lot of Chicago stuff!