A 213-foot observation wheel could be coming to downtown SA area. Here’s where things stand.

The project cleared a hurdle with the Historic and Design Review Commission on July 16.

SAN ANTONIO — The downtown San Antonio area could soon see a new high-rising attraction following conceptual approval by a city panel.

ICON, a Maryland-based development firm, won the unanimous green light from the city’s Historic and Design Review Commission to build 213-foot “observation wheel” in a 1.3-acre parcel of St. Paul Square currently used for parking. The plans also call for an event plaza, carousel and mini-golf course to create a pedestrian-friendly area near the heart of the city. 

Though non-binding, the OK given at the commission’s meeting last Wednesday, means the project’s design team can continue to develop construction plans and schematics ahead of final approval, a spokesperson for the city said. It’s unclear at this point when that presentation could happen. 

The project is separate from Project Marvel, the city’s ongoing plan to develop a downtown sports and entertainment district, but it represents another effort to revitalize the tourism-favored heart of the Alamo City. Gabriel Velasquez, who sits on the 11-member Historic and Design Review Commission, said the project harkens to a previous era of downtown. 

“This is not alien in any way, shape or form,” Velasquez said. “It in fact pulls us back to the era of the Hemisfair and some of those things that used to be part of that landscape that are perhaps finding their way back. It’s a fun way to look at San Antonio.” 

At its current proposed height, the observation wheel referred to in design renderings as “Grandisimo” – essentially a Ferris wheel in all but name – would still be less than a third the size of the Tower of Americas but visibly taller than nearby Sunset Station buildings. 

Last month, City Council approved a zoning change for the area of 123 Hoefgen to facilitate the potential development of the attraction. 

The project would still have to adhere to certain guidelines, including ensuring that any new buildings (the proposal calls for “several one and two-story structures”) reflect the historic context of St. Paul Square. City staff have also recommended “a traditional stucco finish” to the development’s foundations.

Conceptual renderings for the project tease a two-level development that also includes an entryway and retail shop, with the event plaza sandwiched by the mini-golf course on one side and observation wheel on the other. 

ICON has participated in similar projects in other U.S. cities, including the development of observation wheel attractions in Kansas City,  St. Louis and National Harbor in Maryland. San Antonio’s stands to be taller than all three of those. 

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