U.S. Thrill Rides wants to build a San Diego version of Seattle's Space Needle on the downtown waterfront, and the company is making its pitch to the San Diego Unified Port District board on Tuesday.
The company is one of five developers making presentations for waterfront attractions to the port commissioners.
“SkySpire San Diego” would be a 250-foot tall cylinder-shaped tower, topped with a restaurant that offers 360-degree views of San Diego Bay. Passengers would be lifted to the top in enclosed gondolas that spiral to and from the observation deck.
The Port of San Diego didn’t solicit ideas, said Revekka Balancier, the agency's communications and marketing manager, but the board will decide if any action should be taken.
“There has not been any study at this point for a location or for an environmental impact (report), so they’re not at the stage where they would select anything. They’re just going to listen to the developers present their ideas,” Balancier said.
The other four proposals are Ferris wheels of varying heights.
A 450-foot Ferris wheel, proposed in January for the Embarcadero, was rejected by the Federal Aviation Administration. A Ferris wheel of that height would create obstruction issues for air traffic, but one that were 277 feet or lower could be approved, the FAA said.
