Previous studies have reported the existence of two counter-rotating stellar disks in the early-type spiral galaxy NGC 7217 .
We have obtained high-resolution optical spectroscopic data ( R \approx 9000 ) with the new fiber-based Integral Field Unit instrument VIRUS-W at the 2.7 m telescope of the McDonald Observatory in Texas .
Our analysis confirms the existence of two components .
However , we find them to be co-rotating .
The first component is the more luminous ( \approx 77 % of the total light ) , has the higher velocity dispersion ( \approx 170 km s ^ { -1 } ) and rotates relatively slowly ( projected v _ { \mathrm { max } } = 50 km s ^ { -1 } ) .
The lower luminosity second component , ( \approx 23 % of the total light ) , has a low velocity dispersion ( \approx 20 km s ^ { -1 } ) and rotates quickly ( projected v _ { max } = 150 km s ^ { -1 } ) .
The difference in the kinematics of the two stellar components allows us to perform a kinematic decomposition and to measure the strengths of their Mg and Fe Lick indices separately .
The rotational velocities and dispersions of the less luminous and faster component are very similar to those of the interstellar gas as measured from the [ O iii ] emission .
Morphological evidence of active star formation in this component further suggests that NGC 7217 may be in the process of ( re ) growing a disk inside a more massive and higher dispersion stellar halo .
The kinematically cold and regular structure of the gas disk in combination with the central almost dust-free morphology allows us to compare the dynamical mass inside of the central 500 pc with predictions from a stellar population analysis .
We find agreement between the two if a Kroupa stellar initial mass function is assumed .

^ { \dagger } This paper includes data taken at The McDonald Observatory of The University of Texas at Austin . ^ { \diamond } This paper contains data obtained at the Wendelstein Observatory of the Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich .