After a ten-day auction on Ebay, the iconic Pacific Wheel ferris wheel has been sold to Grant Humphreys, a real estate developer from Oklahoma City. Yep, you read that right, it was sold on Ebay...and it wasn't cheap! Grant payed $132,400 for the historic landmark that has been a fixture on the Santa Monica Pier since 1996, the year it made its beachside debut.
Interviewing Grant on the ferris wheel, while it was spinning, was a first for me! Honestly, you can't beat that ocean view. But he talked about how excited he is to take the Pacific Wheel back to his hometown of Oklahoma City...base and all. Now let's talk about that base. It's going to cost even more than the actual wheel! Grant says that his total bill...wheel, base, transportation of the wheel, refurbishing....will add up to half a million dollars.
Grant, who's the father of four little ones and one on the way, says it's money well spent...especially since this ferris wheel has so much history. It has appeared in over 300 TV shows, movies and commercials and over the last 12 years, it's given a ride to over 3 million people!
Last night at 9pm, the Pacific Wheel took its last spin. Starting this morning, the breakdown process begins. It's going to take five days to get the old wheel off the pier and 2 1/2 weeks to build the new one. The new 1.5 million dollar ferris wheel will keep the "Pacific Wheel" name and will have half twice as many lights as its predecessor. Mark your calendars because Pacific Park says the new and improved ferris wheel will be ready by May 22nd. On that day, they'll be offering free rides to the public. You can watch my story on the right side of this page under "KTLA Live Report" or on KTLA.com.
