Wollman, Lasker Rinks To Stay Open Despite Trump Contracts: City

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Two popular ice-skating rinks in Central Park will remain open through the end of the season, city officials said on Sunday, quelling concerns that the rinks would close early after the city canceled its contracts with the Trump Organization.

The announcement came two days after the Trump Organization announced in a letter to customers that Wollman and Lasker rinks would shut down abruptly on Sunday to comply with Mayor Bill de Blasio's move to cut ties with Donald Trump's businesses in the wake of the Capitol riot.

"Despite our appeals to the City to allow us to continue operations through the duration of the skating season ... the City rejected our efforts," the letter reads. "Therefore, in order to comply with the City's mandates, it is with great sadness that our last day of operations will be this Sunday, February 21, 2021."

The city had terminated the contract effective Feb. 26, even though it was set to expire anyway at the end of April, according to the Trump Organization. Pointedly, the letter asked patrons to "direct any questions or concerns" to de Blasio's parks commissioner, Mitchell Silver.

Dejected families took to the ice Sunday afternoon for what they thought would be their last skate of the winter, and an online petition against the shutdown racked up thousands of signatures. Then, Sunday afternoon, mayoral spokesperson Bill Neidhardt told reporters that the rinks would remain open under the Trump Organization's management "for the few weeks left in this season.

"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," Neidhart said.

Earlier this month, the city put out requests for proposals (RFPs), seeking new operators for Wollman Rink, near the park's southern end, and Lasker Rink, which is near Harlem.

Meanwhile, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer argued in a letter to the mayor that the rinks should be turned over to the Central Park Conservancy, saying that the nonprofit has a strong fundraising record and an unselfish mission.

"This is not just about moving on from the newly-terminated concessionaire," Brewer wrote. "It is about the opportunity to choose a business model that supports the public good over the profit motives of a commercial operator who takes money out of the Park in the form of a return on investments."