The Rube would have liked to be in the meeting where the design firm first said to the Toys R Us execs, now here's where we put the 4-story Ferris wheel!. Or maybe it was the execs' idea.

Riders share each car with a different toy franchise Mr. Potatohead and Toy Story characters are seen at rear.

The company opted to gut and redo an old building (called adaptive re-use by historic preservationists), which was called the Bow Tie Buildingat one time (the Rube is trying to find out why), and housed a pair of run-down theaters at another.

Viewpoint: Toys R Us, Times Square. 12/13/01 10:27 PM.