By: Hellen Zaboulani
In January, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his administration was canceling all contracts with the Trump Organization, including rights to operate the Wollman ice skating rink in Central Park, as well as three other popular attractions in NYC’s public parks. Recently, the city Parks Department followed through, issuing a competitive request seeking proposals from other companies who would like to manage the celebrated skating rink. Applications for the contract must be received by March 12.
As reported by the NY Post, the mayor justified this, saying that the former Republican President incited supporters who invaded the US Capitol building, and claimed that this alleged incitement violated city contract rules which prohibit criminal behavior by operators. On Sunday, De Blasio spokesman Bill Neidhart said that city lawyers already sent a letter to the Trump Organization notifying it of the “severed ties”. “Trump has been impeached from operating the ice rink,” Neidhardt said. “The RFP will determine who will take over Wollman Rink.”
Trump Organization has held the contract with the city for over three decades. In fact, in the 1980’s when then-Mayor Ed Koch undertook and botched the reconstruction of Wollman Rink, it was Trump, who swooped in and saved the project. Trump successfully rebuilt the multimillion-dollar project in time for the fall of 1986 within a new pricetag of less than $3 million. In addition to the Wollman rink, the Trump Organization has long operated three other major NYC park attractions including: Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in The Bronx, Lasker Rink at the northern end of Central Park, and the popular Central Park Carousel. The contracts, which are all being canceled, are worth a total of $45 million.
Eric Trump, the president’s son and a top executive for Trump Organization, says that the city’s move to cancel existing contracts is illegal, and vowed to fight it in a court of law.
“Yet another example of Mayor de Blasio’s incompetence and blatant disregard for the facts,” he said in a statement. “The City of New York has no legal right to end our contracts, and if they elect to proceed, they will owe The Trump Organization over $30 million. “This is nothing more than political discrimination, and we plan to fight vigorously,” Eric Trump said.
Parks Department spokeswoman Crystal Howard commented to say, “We are working on next steps to find a new concessionaire to operate Wollman Rink, and will have more to say soon.” The Trump Organization did not respond to a Post request for comment.
