Dallas could be getting Ferris wheel-type ride

DALLAS — Dallas could be getting another towering Ferris wheel-type attraction in an effort to boost downtown tourism.

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Dallas County commissioners on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a 174-foot "observation wheel" near the John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza. The president was assassinated in Dallas in 1963.

The proposal is backed by Great City Attractions, which has developed similar observation wheels across Europe, and the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. Each air-conditioned gondola would provide audio information, in multiple languages. Riders would pay up to $15 each.

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An engineering study, paid for by the city and Dallas County, will determine whether the proposed site, atop an underground parking garage, could support the structure.

The 212-foot Texas Star Ferris wheel is a feature of the State Fair of Texas, which runs through Sunday.