Shovels are in the ground on the North Shore in Staten Island

Much has been written on these pages about the pending construction of the New York Wheel on the North Shore and what it will do for Staten Island. We’ve talked the project itself and its direct impact on tourism; we’ve talked its ripple effect on businesses in the immediate area; and we’ve even talked about how others outside the immediate zone can capitalize on the project.

Until now, though, the Wheel has been just that — talk. In September 2012, Richard Marin, the Wheel’s CEO, announced at a press conference with then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg that the Wheel was coming. But now, we can see with our own eyes that it really is happening.

Construction fences were erected around the site last month, and shovels have hit the ground — the first step in an estimated two-year-long construction process that will see the world’s largest observation wheel open sometime in 2017.

Wheel officials will be back in front of the City Planning Commission next week because the developer has proposed changes to the original plan that includes increasing the height of the parking garage and eliminating wind turbines and solar panels on the site, in addition to other items. This may just be a formality, but we hope the changes don’t hold up the project any longer.

We’re very excited to see what the Wheel has to offer, and we’re especially excited to see what it will be able to do for our beloved Island.

Staten Island for so long has needed a project such as the Wheel to bring visibility to the borough. This is not to say other projects such as the Empire Outlets or the Staten Island Marine Development or the Teleport didn’t vastly improve the Island. It’s that, quite obviously, those projects don’t have the sex appeal the Wheel does to outside influences.

So while we always advocate for any project that improves our borough, and there have been many recently, we are simply over-the-top ready for the Wheel to open.

Is it 2017 yet?