The Trump Organization’s bid to regain control of Central Park’s iconic Wollman Rink, which he operated during the 1980s, is expected to fail. As first reported by the New York Times, the city is set to keep the current operator in place after the firm offered more revenue than the Trump Organization, two officials in Mayor Eric Adams’ administration told the newspaper. While the concession award is still moving through the city’s review process, the outcome is not expected to change.
Trump first moved to reclaim the property last winter, when his company submitted a bid for the concession and promoted the rink’s revival on its website. The president has long highlighted his role in refurbishing and reopening the rink in 1986. His company went on to operate it for more than three decades.
After the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, New York City moved to cut ties with the Trump Organization and cancel three of its contracts, including Wollman Rink. The company’s contract expired later that year, and a group of investors that included Related Companies took over operations.
Losing the bid would further set back Trump’s efforts to regain those properties, which also included the Central Park Carousel and Ferry Point in the Bronx, now operated by Bally and the site of a controversial casino proposal.
The current contract runs through 2027, and the city last year began soliciting bids for a new 20-year concession to operate the rink.
Sophia Askari, a spokesperson for the Adams administration, told the Times the concession award for Wollman Rink has not yet been finalized.
“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,” Askari said. “That is the case with the Wollman Rink award. We will share our selection officially once it has been finalized.”
There had been speculation that Adams might support Trump’s effort to retake the rink after the Justice Department dropped federal corruption charges against the mayor following months of outreach to the president.
Similarly, Adams’ decision to veto the City Council’s rejection of a key rezoning for Bally’s Bronx casino bid has drawn scrutiny, as the Trump Organization stands to receive a $115 million payout if the project moves forward.
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