Ferris wheel will spin in Golden Gate Park for 4 more years after all

SAN FRANCISCO - The Ferris wheel in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park will stay through 2025 after all.

In a 6 to 5 vote, by the board of supervisors on Tuesday, the majority of the board sided against supervisors Connie Chan and Aaron Peskin who challenged San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission's approval of the attraction for four more years. 

Chan and Peskin had sought to limit the contract with SkyStar Observation Wheel from four years to one, citing concern over the ride's deal with the city's Recreation and Parks Department and their ties to the nonprofit San Francisco Parks Alliance, which is linked to the city's ongoing corruption scandal. 

The attraction was initially installed in the park as part of Golden Gate Park's 150th anniversary celebration in 2020. The wheel was slated to spin for one year, but the pandemic brought the wheel to a halt. 

SkyStar briefly opened last October for six weeks at limited capacity and again earlier this month when San Francisco re-entered the red tier. 

The Ferris wheel was allowed to extend their contract beyond the originally agreed upon time frame as a way to recoup some of the earnings lost due to the pandemic. 

Chan and Peskin wanted to bring to light city laws that require the board to approve structures and buildings in Golden Gate Park and Union Square. They also highlighted how Rec and Park's contract allows SkyStar profits to be diverted to the nonprofit San Francisco Parks Alliance.