Business Group To Take Over Wollman Rink As City Spurns Nonprofit

CENTRAL PARK — The city said Tuesday it has chosen a new manager to lead Wollman Rink in its post-Trump Organization era: an eclectic group comprised of a real estate developer, a luxury gym and a sports company.

The decision appears to spurn the Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the rest of the park and which put together a proposal to take over the rink while spending $50 million to improve it.

Wollman Rink, opened in 1950 near the southern end of Central Park, had been run since 1987 by the Trump Organization, which was credited with refurbishing it after years of decay. But the city canceled the contract in January, over then-President Trump's role in the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

After putting out a request for proposals in February for a new rink operator, the Parks Department said Tuesday that it had chosen a group led by the developer Related Companies; the company Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers; and Equinox, the gym chain.

The selection comes in spite of the Conservancy's pleas, as well as demands by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer that the city hand over the rink to the Conservancy. Brewer cited the organization's nonprofit status and record of strong fundraising, saying it would be the rink's best steward.

"I'm very disappointed," Brewer told Patch on Tuesday. "It's not just a business group — my God, it's like big, huge corporations."

But leaders of the new group, called Wollman Park Partners LLC, say they have ambitious plans for the space, with recognizable names signing on as vendors and a push for "inclusivity and accessibility" in its programming.

Melba's Restaurant, a soul food staple in Harlem, will serve as a partner and food vendor, according to Tuesday's announcement. Other community partners include the YMCA, Ice Hockey in Harlem, Figure Skating in Harlem, The Boys’ Club of New York and Green City Force.

As part of its winning bid, the new managers agreed not to take any profits, with any net proceeds from the rink going to its community partners and paying for programming and rink upkeep.

The group also plans to renovate rink facilities including its kitchen, seating area and landscaping, and create community programs to invite underserved groups to use the rink.

In its own proposal to the city, the Central Park Conservancy had pledged to "rebuild the rink and operate it with a new focus on expanded public access and community programming."

The nonprofit would have been a "sounder financial and social alternative" to a typical commercial operator, which would "prioritize its own profitability," Conservancy President Betsy Smith wrote in a message to donors in April. (The city disputed that, saying the Conservancy would not be ready to host skating this winter.)

In a statement, the Conservancy said it "remains committed to working in collaboration with our City partners and with their concessionaires to make sure the Park is a beautiful, clean, and welcoming community space for all Park visitors"

Before it is finalized, the winning bid will be subject to a public hearing on July 21 at the Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center in East Harlem. If approved, the group will manage Wollman for five years.

"Wollman Park Partners will enhance the rink by investing net profits into facility upgrades, on-site partnerships with community organizations, and programs that serve all New Yorkers," Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver said in a news release. "We thank them for their equitable vision to revitalize this beloved Central Park attraction."

Tuesday's announcement included a rendering that appeared to show the rink during summertime outfitted with a stage. Off-season plans for Wollman have not been announced, and the Victorian Gardens theme park that used to fill the space in the summers has said it likely won't return.

Other city attractions in need of new management following the Trump Organization's canceled contract include the Central Park Carousel, Lasker Rink, and Ferry Point Golf Course in the Bronx. The city has not announced new management for any of those.

Previous coverage:

• Central Park Conservancy Makes $50M Pitch To Operate Wollman Rink
  
• Give Wollman Rink Back To Central Park, Borough Prez Says
• NYC Severs Trump Contracts Over 'Insurrection,' De Blasio Says