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New York

Central Park ice rinks stay open amid Trump Org contract spat

City Hall reversed course on closing rinks early

A photo illustration of Donald Trump at the Wollman Rink in Central Park (Getty/Illustration by Kevin Rebong for The Real Deal)
A photo illustration of Donald Trump at the Wollman Rink in Central Park (Getty/Illustration by Kevin Rebong for The Real Deal)

In a rare win for the Trump Organization, the ice-skating rinks at Central Park that bear the former president’s name will remain open for the next few months, after being slated to close on Sunday.

City Hall announced on Sunday that the Wollman and Lasker rinks will stay open under the current management, Trump Organization, for the remainder of the season, the New York Times reported.

“But make no mistake, we will not be doing business with the Trump Organization going forward. Inciting an insurrection will never be forgotten or forgiven,” said Bill Neidhardt, press secretary for Mayor Bill de Blazsio, in a statement.

In response to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Mayor Bill de Blasio said last month that the city would terminate the rinks’ management contract with the Trump Organization, which is owned and operated by the family of former President Donald Trump. The firm’s contracts were already due to expire in April.

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The Trump Organization, which has run the rinks since the 1980s, told the New York Times that the city ordered the company to vacate the rinks by Feb. 26. The company then set Sunday as the last day, but after pushback from skaters, City Hall decided to keep them open.

The firm also operates the Central Park Carousel, which has remained closed due to the pandemic. The city is also exploring its options for ending another Trump contract, for a golf course in the Bronx, which runs through 2032.

[NYT] — Akiko Matsuda

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Bill De BlasioCentral ParkDonald TrumpPolitics