One of President Trump’s oft-told success stories is his 1980s turnaround of a storied ice-skating rink in Manhattan’s Central Park that he no longer controls.
Last winter, just before Mr. Trump took office, his company — which features the rink’s resurrection on its website — submitted a bid to regain control of the property, known as Wollman Rink.
New York City officials, however, do not seem inclined to award the contract to Mr. Trump’s company. The city is now preparing to allow the existing rink operator, a firm affiliated with Related Companies, to retain control of the site, according to two administration officials. One of the officials said the firm’s bid offered more revenue for the city than the Trump Organization’s offer.
The concession award, which still requires additional bureaucratic scrutiny as part of the city’s complicated concession review process, is not yet finalized. But the outcome is not expected to change.
A spokeswoman for the Trump Organization had no immediate comment.
Kayla Parker, a spokeswoman for Related Companies, said, “Wollman Rink is an iconic New York City landmark and, alongside our new partner, CityPickle, we submitted a comprehensive bid to be able to continue the work we’ve done to welcome thousands of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world for years to come.”
A City Hall spokeswoman would not confirm or deny that Related was about to win the contract.
“While we are continuing to work through this process for Wollman Rink, as we do with all of our concession contracts, the Adams administration has been clear that we will always prioritize the needs of New Yorkers and make the best use of taxpayers dollars,” said Sophia Askari, a spokeswoman for Mayor Eric Adams. “That is the case with the Wollman Rink award. We will share our selection officially once it has been finalized.”
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The post Trump Organization Is Poised to Lose Bid for Central Park Skating Rink appeared first on New York Times.
