The 150-foot SkyStar wheel was supposed to have a lengthy stay in Golden Gate Park to celebrate its 150th anniversary and while it arrived back in March it couldn't open to the public until October. It then shut down at the end of October due to a new public health order. Now SF's Rec & Parks officials intend to propose an extension on SkyStar's one year permit that's set to expire in March 2021.
It was expected that 500,000 people would ride the wheel between March 2020-March 2021, but in its 39 days open only 65,693 riders boarded it. An extension would give people time to actually enjoy it and SkyStar a chance to recoup on lost ticket sales. However, there's pushback to such an extension. The Sierra Club has already lobbied to get the wheel to turn off its LED lights between 9-10PM each evening of operation & the local Audobon Society has noted that birds might collide with the wheel, or that it could throw them off their migratory track.
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We'll keep you updated on the future of this observation wheel.