Tampa City Council held the first of two public hearings on a proposed development agreement that would allow a 250-foot observation wheel—branded “Wheel Over Water” or WOW—on a city-owned parcel that is leased to the Florida Aquarium.

Why it matters: The proposal would require City Council approval in addition to review by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration because the wheel’s 250-foot height would exceed Channel District limits (175 feet). Developers say the privately funded attraction would add an estimated half million riders a year and share revenue with the city; residents and nearby property owners urged more detail on lighting, noise, traffic and the street-level design.

Developer presentation and project details
Tony Miller, the project developer, told council the wheel would be 250 feet tall with 27 enclosed gondolas that seat roughly 10–15 people and that a typical ride would last about 20–30 minutes. He said the privately financed project would cost about $20 million and that the ownership group has sourced an existing wheel in Munich to refurbish and ship to Tampa to shorten the construction schedule and reduce cost. Miller said the project expects to serve roughly 500,000–600,000 riders annually and would offer a family-oriented attraction with tickets in the neighborhood of $20 for adults.

Attorney Jim Schimberg, representing Tampa Bay Wheel LLC, said the development agreement before council covers only the requested height increase; an amendment to the aquarium’s lease and a consent to a sublease will be brought back to council at the second public hearing, scheduled for Oct. 23. Schimberg said the ownership group will reimburse the aquarium for lost parking revenue and has agreed to a revenue-sharing arrangement with the city once a break-even threshold is reached.

“This is a $20,000,000 investment. We are not asking for any support, and in fact...we are actually gonna enter into an agreement that's gonna include revenue share back into the city,” Tony Miller said during his presentation.

City staff and regulatory steps
City legal and planning staff told council the airport and FAA approvals are required because of the Channel District’s 175-foot height limit; staff said the aviation review and FAA process have been followed and the FAA has issued an initial determination. Abby Filley, administrator for development and economic opportunity, said exhibits describing street-level landscape and mitigation can be attached to the development agreement draft and that final lease terms remain under negotiation and will be presented alongside the DA on Oct. 23.

Public comments: support and concerns
Public comment included both supporters and opponents. Supporters said the wheel would be a family attraction that builds on the Channel District’s waterfront amenities and helps convention and cruise business. “It’s a $20,000,000 private investment, not taxpayer funded,” said one resident who asked council to support the project, noting potential benefits to local businesses and tourists.

Opponents and nearby residents pressed for more detail on several points:
- Lighting and night-time impacts: Residents asked for firm limits, dimming profiles and cutoffs to avoid light intrusion into nearby homes and high-rise units. Developers said lighting would be architectural uplighting, predominantly white, programmable and capable of being dimmed or turned off at specified hours. Staff and the developers committed to showing a street-level lighting plan before final approval.
- Noise: Speakers and council members asked about operational and mechanical noise; developers said the wheel’s drivetrain and gondolas are ‘‘whisper quiet’’ and that most activity will be enclosed in climate-controlled pods. Several residents nevertheless asked for explicit sound attenuation measures to be included in permitting documents.
- Street-level design and public space: Council and residents asked the developer to present detailed, site-specific landscape and placemaking plans for the small footprint the project will use. Developers said they have been working with a landscape and urban-design team and will submit street-view exhibits and a landscape plan as DA exhibits for council review.
- Parking, traffic and storm-event procedures: The developer confirmed the project will reimburse the aquarium for 50 parking spaces during the lease term, and proposed a contingency plan for severe weather: removable gondolas or temporary dismantling and off-site storage during major storms. Council asked for guarantees in the lease that the city would not be left with an unusable structure or encumbrance if the operation ends.

Process and next steps
Council members asked staff and the developer for additional written material to attach to the next hearing: a landscape/streetscape plan, lighting and operational-hours limits, a noise profile and the proposed revenue-share formula tied to a stated break-even threshold. City legal confirmed those lease terms and the consent to sublease will be returned for the Oct. 23 hearing together with the final DA.

Councilwoman Hertek and other members urged the development team to hold targeted meetings with residents in nearby high-rises and townhouses during the interim. The developer and counsel said they would schedule follow-up outreach and provide the requested exhibits to staff in advance of the second hearing.

What council decided today
No final council vote was taken today; the meeting served as the first required public hearing on the DA. The second public hearing and the lease/sublease vote are scheduled at the City Council meeting on Oct. 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., when council will consider the DA together with the lease amendment and a sublease consent.

Ending
Council and staff repeatedly asked the developers for additional, exhibit-level detail on lighting, street-level design and noise abatement before the Oct. 23 hearing. Developers committed to more resident outreach and to providing the landscaping, lighting and operational plans for council and staff review before the final vote.