This year’s pandemic has put a serious damper on fun, forcing us all to sacrifice some of our favorite activities in order to keep everyone safe.
Luckily, we live in a world full of creatives who have come up with clever unconventional solutions for such unconventional times. Live music cancellations have been met with drive-ins and even epic bubble concerts. Homeowners came up with quirky and inventive ways to safely hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Even our electoral system adapted to the times, allowing for record numbers of voters to cast their ballots early and via mail-in ballots.
The concept has already seen success in major cities across the world like Budapest, Vienna and Amsterdam. For obvious reasons, the park has been much less frequented in recent months, and the restaurant group believes this would be the perfect way to bring people back to enjoy this iconic San Diego greenspace.
Cohn Restaurant Group is calling the attraction The Balboa Park Star. The wheel would hold 36 climate-controlled gondolas, each able to seat 8 passengers and equipped with wireless communication and sound systems. There would even be some VIP gondolas available for those with a taste for luxury! The whole structure would be just under 150 feet tall. It would go up in Plaza de Panama and it would take just two weeks to set up or take down.
The project is still in the approval process, but Cohn Restaurant Group has already presented the idea to the Balboa Park Committee and the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership Board. In an interview with San Diego Eater, co-founder David Cohn said he hopes for final approval by the City of San Diego by the end of November.
[Featured image: Sharosh Rajasekher via Unsplash]