Two Ferris wheels were supposed to sit on either side of the Ohio River by now, but both projects are on hold.
The SkyStar wheel at The Banks was taken down in 2020 and supposed to be back up by March 5, 2021. Similarly, the SkyWheel in Newport was supposed to be open in May, 2021. There has been no developments on either project though.
Tanya O'Rourke
Todd Schnieder with SkyView Partners, reached out to Hamilton County officials in December, 2020 about the SkyStar wheel and asked to "keep the door open" to the development moving forward in the future.
However, Bridget Doherty, Hamilton County's communications manager, said this was the last communication the county had with the organization. "At this point in time, we do not have a commitment from Skystar to move the project forward," she said.
Creative Commons
File image of the SkyWheel, an 187-foot tall Ferris wheel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Newport City Manager Thomas Fromme said the SkyWheel is a private development and the city only issued the permit to build the wheel.
"That permit expires by the end of July," Fromme said. "We are not sure what their future plans are."
