Two ice skating rinks owned by the Trump Organization that were set to close after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the termination of all contracts with former President Donald Trump’s organization will remain open after the city received several complaints about the closures.
“New York City kids deserve all the time on the ice they can get this year,” de Blasio spokesman Bill Neidhardt said in a statement. “The Wollman and Lasker rinks will stay open under current 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.”
The Trump Organization had announced that Sunday would be the last day the two rinks would be operational, citing a need to close the rinks and gather all of its property before a forced closure was imposed by the city.
“Despite our appeals to the City to allow us to continue operations through the duration of the skating season — which would not only save the jobs of nearly 250 individuals who work or otherwise provide services Wollman and Lasker Rinks, but also allow us to continue to provide the numerous public skating sessions and skating and hockey programs that we host on a daily basis — the City rejected our efforts,” the Trump Organization said in a statement.
3 OF 4 CONTRACTS DE BLASIO IS ENDING WITH TRUMP ORGANIZATION EXPIRE IN COMING MONTHS ANYWAY: REPORT
The former president’s son Eric Trump slammed the city’s decision not to grant an exemption for the rinks.
“The city is saying, in effect, ‘We don’t care if it destroys the skating season. We want you out now,’” Trump, who is the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, told the New York Post. He added that “this is one of the only things that kids can do” for outdoor winter recreation.
“The mayor is absolutely petty. This isn’t about us. This is about the people of the city who come here to skate and disabled kids who joined hockey teams and others who joined skating school and take lessons every week,” he added.
In a Sunday statement, Trump accused de Blasio of closing the rinks in an attempt to get back at political opponents.
“Why — to try and get back at a person who sits on a different side of the political aisle who now lives in Florida,” Trump said. “Let’s cancel kids’ hockey programs, skating schools and shut them down six weeks early. … That will show Trump.”
The mayor justified the decision to close the rinks as part of a larger effort to cut off all contracts with the former president’s business.
“Trump has been impeached from operating the ice rink,” a de Blasio spokesperson said when announcing the closures.
Bids to renew the contract were not due until March 19, leading some to question why the city was taking such early action on the closures.
“As lifelong Democrats, we are disappointed that de Blasio would play politics and shut down a COVID-friendly activity for city kids,” said Gideon Katz, a critic of the mayor’s decision to accelerate the closing of the facilities.
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The rinks serve casual skaters and host youth hockey competitions, a welcome outdoor reprieve for many amid almost a year of lockdowns imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
