Vegas to feature world's tallest Ferris-style wheel

7/26/2012
BLADE STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

LAS VEGAS -- Casino giant Caesars Entertainment says it has obtained a key county permit allowing it to build the world's tallest observation wheel in a planned retail, dining, and entertainment complex on the Las Vegas Strip.

The proposed wheel would stand 550 feet tall. It would be higher than the nearly 443-foot London Eye and the 541-foot Singapore Flyer, and taller than a 500-foot wheel being built across the Strip from the Mandalay Bay resort. That one is called SkyVue.

Caesars officials called the amusement and transportation system permit a crucial step toward opening the so-called "High Roller" attraction next year. The Ferris-style wheel is part of a planned $550 million development on the Strip near the company's Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace, and Flamingo Las Vegas casinos.