Center in the Square is exploring a proposal that could add a new element to downtown Roanoke's skyline: a Ferris wheel.
Center in the Square was the centerpiece of the late 1970s civic movement to revitalize downtown Roanoke. The multistory building was renovated and relaunched, home to a planetarium and science museum and performing arts theatre.
Now, more than 40 years later, Center in the Square is considering adding a Ferris wheel to its attractions. Tara Marciniak, President & General Manager of Center in the Square, says the idea came out of the old Ferris wheel at Lakeside Amusement Park in Salem. She initially thought about locating a Ferris wheel in Market Square, next to the center, but there were too many complications.
"At first I was just joking and I said, 'Well fine we own the building, we have security in the building, we'll just put it on the roof,'" Marciniak says. "And the more I thought about it, I wondered how crazy that really was."
The facility's architect said it might actually work, given the strength of newer construction on the center's upper floors. And if they partnered with the city, they could use the adjoining parking garage.
After all, a decade ago, the city allowed the Hampton Inn to add a location atop a parking garage just down the street.
So now, Center in the Square is trying to scrape together funding to study the idea of adding a Ferris wheel as the focal point of a "Sky Garden" with fountains and gathering spaces.
If it comes to fruition, the Ferris wheel would join the neon H&C Coffee sign, the Dr. Pepper sign, the modern architecture of the Taubman Museum of Art, and the iconic Mill Mountain Star as features on the city skyline.
"Things that have movement to them they just attract the eye," says Marciniak. "We don't really have that particular aspect on our skyline, but a Ferris wheel will constantly have either lights strobing or the wheel turning itself, I think that would add a dynamic new layer to the landscape."
Marciniak thinks the Ferris wheel would add more vibrancy and attract more people downtown. The next step is raising $250,000 for a feasibility study. She hopes state lawmakers will help out when the General Assembly convenes later this week.
