The Trump Organization is actively lobbying Mayor Eric Adams’ office in an effort to secure the contract to manage Central Park’s Wollman Rink, as confirmed by two sources to THE CITY. This comes at a time when former President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is working to dismiss the mayor’s corruption case, applying pressure on Adams to finalize the contract.
The city issued a solicitation for bids shortly after Trump’s reelection victory in November, coinciding with a $120 million proposal from the Central Park Conservancy to renovate the rink and improve parts of the park.
However, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi and Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue chose to reject the conservancy’s generous offer and did not respond to their follow-up. Following this inaction, the Department of Parks and Recreation published a public notice on the morning of November 13 calling for bids to operate the rink.
Within hours, a Trump Organization executive was reported to have expressed the company’s intention to pursue the contract, indicating prior knowledge of the bidding opportunity.
Should City Hall award the Wollman Rink concession to the Trump Organization, it would once again tie the iconic tourist spot at the edge of the famed park to the Trump brand.
For years, Trump has touted Wollman Rink as evidence of his business acumen.
In the 1980s, the Koch administration struggled for years to refurbish the dilapidated rink. After investing $20 million over six years, the efforts failed. Enter Donald Trump, the emerging developer, who pledged to complete the project in six months for $3 million and instead finished it in four months for just $2 million.
Trump’s company managed the rink for decades until Mayor de Blasio terminated the contract following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot by Trump supporters. Last year, a judge found the company liable for over $363 million in a civil suit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, centered on alleged financial misrepresentations by the company in tax filings.
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Councilmember Shekar Krishnan (D-Queens) recently reached out to Adams, voicing “deep concern” regarding the potential return of the Trump Organization to manage Wollman. They also questioned why his administration dismissed “an extremely exciting and compelling proposal from the Central Park Conservancy.”
Mutual Interests
Since December, scrutiny has intensified on Adams’ relationship with Trump, particularly after President-elect Trump stated he was contemplating a pardon for Adams, claiming the Biden Justice Department was treating the mayor “pretty unfairly.”
This was followed by a meeting between Adams and Trump near Mar-a-Lago on January 17, which the mayor insists did not involve discussions about his ongoing legal issues. However, just days later, on January 31, the mayor’s criminal defense team met with then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and Manhattan federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., to discuss a possible dismissal of the case.
Bove filed the dismissal request on February 14, seeking to drop the corruption charges while leaving open the possibility of future prosecution. This was soon followed by an awkward media appearance by Adams, where he praised his partnership with the Trump administration. In a concerning remark, “border czar” Tom Homan noted he would be closely watching Adams to ensure he upheld his commitments to assist Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Several federal prosecutors refused to support the dismissal effort and resigned in protest, alleging that the agreement to drop the charges in return for the mayor’s cooperation on immigration constituted an illegal quid pro quo. Four of his top deputy mayors—including Joshi—announced their resignations, and various public figures have accused Adams of being a “hostage” to Trump.
Since these events, the mayor has been notably cautious, refraining from negative comments regarding the Trump administration. For example, during a recent press briefing, when asked about Canada’s threat to impose a 25% surcharge on energy imports to New York due to Trump’s tarifficating maneuvers—potentially increasing utility costs for New Yorkers—Adams deflected, stating, “When you talk about tariffs and who’s going to decide the tariffs and a war that’s going to go back and forth on the tariffs, that’s the role of the federal government. I don’t control that.”
Spurned Gift
After former Mayor Bill de Blasio canceled the Trump Organization’s contract for Wollman Rink in 2021, the Parks Department sought new bids, ultimately granting the concession to a joint venture that includes The Related Companies, one of the largest real estate developers in New York. That agreement is due to expire in June 2026, prompting City Hall and the Parks Department to consider future options.
The Central Park Conservancy, a well-funded nonprofit that has invested millions into improving the park, has played a crucial role in these discussions. One of their significant upcoming projects is a $160 million replacement for the ice rink and swimming pool, previously known as Lasker Rink, located in the park’s northeastern section. The conservancy has committed $100 million to the new facility, named the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, with the city covering the remaining $60 million.
Last summer and fall, lobbyists for the conservancy approached Joshi and Donoghue to discuss the “future of Wollman Rink,” as city lobbying records indicate. On September 18, the conservancy met with city staff, proposing a $120 million gift aimed at replacing the rink and addressing ongoing stormwater flooding and accessibility problems in the park’s southeast corner.
City staff reportedly pushed back during this meeting, questioning how much it would cost taxpayers. The conservancy indicated that they would need a $30 million commitment to “unlock” the necessary funds through philanthropy.
In an October 18 letter obtained by THE CITY, Conservancy President and CEO Elizabeth Smith made a final proposal to Joshi and Donoghue, suggesting that “re-envisioning the entire southeast corner, including the rink and the surrounding landscapes…would significantly benefit the Park and the City more than merely rebuilding the rink.”
Smith addressed the administration’s worries about losing the $3 million in annual fees from the rink, assuring them that they could “design a fee structure that makes sense for the city.”
“We are not a corporate entity seeking a shortcut to extract money from the city; rather, we aim to give money to the City,” she wrote.
Weeks passed without any response. Then, at 9 a.m. on November 13, just days post-Trump’s electoral win, the first public notice was published in the City Record, calling for proposals to operate the Wollman rink.
By 2:27 p.m. that same day, Trump Organization Executive Vice President Ron Lieberman was quoted in the New York Post saying, “We are going to respond to the RFP. I am submitting a proposal. We ran Wollman Rink flawlessly for decades.”
Sources confirmed to THE CITY that the Trump Organization did submit a bid for the concession. The company did not address inquiries from THE CITY regarding when they first learned of the City’s RFP or provide any information about their subsequent discussions on securing the Wollman Rink concession with the mayor’s office or the Parks Department.
THE CITY repeatedly reached out to the mayor’s office and the Parks Department, seeking information on their communications with the Trump Organization both before and after the RFP was released. No response has been received.
When asked last week about the timeline for selecting a winner, a Parks Department spokesperson replied, “Parks is currently reviewing all proposals.”
