ITS logos still proudly advertise the Manchester Evening News, but the Big Wheel has already rolled on to Dresden.
The popular city centre attraction has finally found a new home in the eastern German city after it was uprooted from Exchange Square early last month.
And council bosses who wanted to see it back for Christmas will have to act quickly - its owners are insisting that they need a deal in the next two weeks or they'll turn their backs on the city.
The 60ft-ferris wheel, which was designed especially for Manchester, was moved from Exchange Square to make way for the World Cup on the big screen.
The decision turned out to be a controversial one for the council after 89 per cent of people came out in support of the Big Wheel and only one match was actually screened in the square following safety fears.
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Since being dismantled owners World Tourist Attractions shipped it all the way to the Saxony city of Dresden and reassembled it in the city centre.
The major tourist attraction takes its place alongside the Blaues Wunder, the Blue Wonder, which is a large dam. John Lowery, a manager at World Tourist Attractions, said: "It was sad that we had to leave Manchester, and we really wanted to stay, but it just wasn't meant to be.
"We really want to come back at Christmas, and we know that the council was keen on having us back, but they really need to make a decision in the next 14 days and bring it to us, because we will need to make arrangements to bring it back."
City centre supremo Coun Pat Karney said: "We are in the middle of making our plans for Christmas and we are considering if we will be able to accommodate the wheel."
Should Manchester City Council bring back the wheel? Have your say.
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It's an absolute disgrace that the wheel was kicked out of Manchester. All the reasons given by the council were pathetic, as the debacle surrounding the screening of the World Cup in Exchange Square showed.
Manchester City Council - get your bloody act into gear and bring it back - the wheel became a welcome part of the Manchester skyline - much more so than the abomination known as the Arndale Tower.
Pat Kearney - "we're considering if we'll be able to accommodate the wheel" - you said you couldn't for the World Cup and ended up with an empty Exchange Square all Summer - genius!
What is wrong with the council? Do they not know how to run a city? Find somewhere for the wheel, and do it quick. Or come up with an alternative attraction, one that's permanent and more innovative than simply a big wheel. In either case, pull your finger out!
JUDGING FROM THE DEBACLE OVER THE MONTHS WITH THE WHEEL , IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE REGENERATION OF MANCHESTER HAS HAPPENED DESPITE THE PRESENCE OF PAT KARNEY ET AL NOT IN SPITE OF !
I don't mind, it's only a wheel.
John Prescott running the country and Cllr Karney in charge of central Manchester. Now that's what we call the silly season!
The wheel should never have been moved we all know that but does Manchester Council?
Boring Boring Boring!! Forget a big wheel and come up with something different and innovative to maintain a 'different' city centre Manchester. If we want to be a 'world class' city then let us be individual. Every city of any note has a big wheel and they are all a poor immitation of the London Eye. Come on Mr Karney, get thinking!
In Pat's defence it should pointed out that the space where the wheel was is now generating ??2,000 per hour from the iron fist litter policing initiative.
How can MCC say that its a future looking council? Its big on large projects that cost the ratepayer massive amounts of money "Urbis/b-of-the-bang that brings nothing into the city only a few people who laugh at the b-of-the-bang ,and yet they mess around with something that has brought money and a attraction to the city??
THE Blaues Wunder is actually a Large Bridge in Dresden running over the River Elbe and not a Dam as the MEN have stated in your recent article re the Big Wheel