Parks department halts naming rights sales

The Department of Parks and Recreation is no longer counting on a fundraising plan that would have sold off the naming rights to city-owned properties like the McCarren Park pool and the Central Park tennis center. According to the Post, the agency removed the plan from the budget last week because of a dearth of prospective bidders. “It’s not a viable idea in this economic climate,” Benepe said. “We don’t budget for what we can’t attain.” Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe first proposed selling naming rights in mid-2009 as an attempt to raise revenue for the cash-strapped agency. The McCarren Park pool was reportedly asking $3 million for rebranding, while the Central Park tennis center was asking $5 million. Parks officials said they would likely revisit the plan next year in the hopes that the properties will command better prices by that time. [Post]