Lasker Rink
40°47′47″N 73°57′17″W / 40.796464°N 73.954626°W
Lasker Rink, dedicated as the Loula D. Lasker Memorial Swimming Pool and Skating Rink was a seasonal
History
Early history
In 1962, the New York Parks Department announced plans to build a swimming pool and
Lasker Rink was known to New Yorkers as being less crowded and less expensive than Wollman Rink, Central Park's other ice skating rink at the southern end of the park. Over the years, Lasker and other facilities in northern Central Park, which was surrounded by poorer neighborhoods, were generally not as well maintained as facilities in southern Central Park, which was surrounded by wealthier neighborhoods and had more tourists.[7] Several events such as a 1969 ice-skating competition were intended to draw public attention to the facility.[8]
Trump and M&T concessions
In 1986, real estate developer Donald Trump made an offer to New York City mayor Ed Koch to rebuild at no cost the deteriorating Wollman Rink in return for a franchise to operate the rink and an adjacent restaurant to recoup his costs.[9][10] As part of the agreement to keep operating Wollman Rink, Trump agreed to also take a concession for Lasker Rink, and the Trump Organization won concessions for the rinks in 1987.[11] The Trump Organization held the concession until 1995, when M&T Pretzel Inc. outbid Trump for a six-year contract to operate Wollman and Lasker skating rinks.[12]
A Trump-owned subsidiary, Wollman Rink Operations LLC, won another concession in 2001 to operate the rinks until April 30, 2021.[13][14] Wollman Rink Operations LLC is owned by DJT Holdings LLC which was owned by the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust for the duration of Trump's presidency.[13] In 2019, the Trump Organization removed the Trump name from most signs and logos at both Wollman and Lasker Rinks without giving a reason.[15]
On January 13, 2021, New York City mayor
Renovations
Plans for renovating Lasker Rink dated to 2015.[7] In November 2015, a few weeks after the start of the 2015-2016 skating season, faulty drainage forced an emergency closure of Lasker Rink; at the time, the rink was planned to remain closed for the rest of the season.[22] After repairs to the rink progressed at a faster rate than originally expected,[23] it reopened two weeks after the initial closure.[24] A $150 million project to replace Lasker Rink with a new facility was officially announced in 2018. Initial plans called for the project to be completed by 2023.[25]
Updated plans were published in 2019, in which the rink would be closed between late 2021 and 2024. Some $150 million was to be budgeted to the project, but the renovation itself would cost $110 million, while proposed new programming would cost $40 million, The city had budgeted $50 million and the
Use
The Lasker facility was used as a swimming pool in the summer and a skating/hockey rink during the winter.[1] In the winter, Lasker Rink was open from late October through March for public skating, skating schools, and ice hockey. Over the years the ice surface had different configurations, but most recently was outfitted with two rinks, which were 195-feet by 65-feet, which is slightly smaller than the standard 200-feet by 85-feet National Hockey League hockey rinks. The rinks used artificial refrigeration to maintain the ice.
Between 2019 and its final operating season in 2021, 87% of Lasker Pool and Rink users were New York City residents. Nearly half or 45% were from the immediately surrounding neighborhoods such as Harlem, East Harlem, and Manhattan Valley, while 26% came from other Upper Manhattan neighborhoods and the Bronx, and 16% came from elsewhere in the city,[7]
Programming
Lasker Rink was host to an annual charity adult hockey tournament, The Central Park Classic, taking place over Presidents Day weekend, ran by the Canadian Association of New York, which drew teams from all over the northeast, including teams from Canada. Funds raised were donated to area youth hockey programs, including Ice Hockey in Harlem.
Some of the hockey programs that operated at Lasker Rink include:
- Central Park Ice Hockey used the two rinks where adult hockey leagues played 4 on 4 ice hockey. Teams were able to be coed and were separated based on skill level.
- Ice Hockey In Harlem (IHIH), a non-for-profit that combined classroom diligence with hockey. Volunteers acted as coaches.[31]
- The Central Park North Stars, a special needs hockey team. They played in the Special Hockey International League.[32]
- Various private schools, such as St. David's, St. Bernard's, Buckley, and Browning hosted programs at Lasker.
- The NyIcecats, founded in 1999 by Sabbath observant Jewish families, which offered hockey to kids of every age, skill level, and religious background.
Similar setups
Lasker Rink was the only convertible ice rink/pool facility in the United States for many years.[1] McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, had a similar set up in 2013 and 2014.[33][34]
A similar indoor pool/rink, the Kobe Port Island Sport center, was built in
References
- ^ a b c "Central Park Is Open for Skating". New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. December 11, 2001. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ "NYC Dept. of Parks".
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "$110 Million to Fix Central Park Section Far From 'Billionaire's Row'". The New York Times. September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ Freedlander, David (September 29, 2015). "A 1980s New York City Battle Explains Donald Trump's Candidacy". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ Daley, Suzanne (June 6, 1986). "Trump to Rebuild Wollman Rink at the City's Expense by Dec. 15". The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ Lambert, Bruce (September 17, 1995). "Hot Dog Kings Outbid Trump For Wollman". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
- ^ ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
- ^ "Audit Report On The Compliance Of Wollman Rink Operations Llc With Its License Agreement And Payment Of License Fees Due". New York City Comptroller. July 5, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ Shanahan, Ed (October 10, 2019). "Trump's Company Wipes His Name From New York City Skating Rinks That It Runs". The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (January 13, 2021). "New York City Will End Contracts With Trump Over Capitol Riot". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "NYC to Sever City Contracts With Trump Organization Over President's 'Criminal Act'". NBC. January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Barnard, Anne; Kvetenadze, Téa (February 21, 2021). "Central Park Ice Rinks Remain Open Despite Rift With Trump, Mayor Says". The New York Times. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
- ^ Siese, April. "Central Park ice rinks to stay open for remainder of season following dispute with Trump Organization". CBS News. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ Matthews, Karen (July 6, 2021). "New operator chosen for NYC ice rink formerly run by Trump". Associated Press. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Gartland, Michael (July 6, 2021). "With Trump out, NYC awards control of Wollman Rink to Related, NJ Devils' owners". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- ^ Durkin, Erin (July 18, 2018). "Central Park's Lasker pool and ice rink set for $150 million makeover". nydailynews.com. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ a b Cohen, Li Yakira (September 18, 2019). "Central Park's $150M redesign focuses on north end improvements". AM New York. Newsday. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Glasser-Baker, Becca (September 18, 2019). "Central Park to get new, improved pool and ice-skating rink". Metro US. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ Weaver, Shaye (March 19, 2021). "See how different Central Park's Lasker Rink will look after its reconstruction". Time Out New York. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ Garber, Nick (March 11, 2021). "Harlem Meer, Lasker Rink Revamp Set To Start In Central Park". Harlem, NY Patch. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
- ^ Garber, Nick (September 15, 2021). "Harlem Meer, Lasker Rink Renovations Break Ground In Central Park". Harlem, NY Patch. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Lena (December 20, 2000). "Hockey; Program for Youngsters in Harlem Opens Books and Opens Doors". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2007.
- ^ Northstars
- ^ "Mccarren Park Rink on Ice". Retrieved January 30, 2016.
- ^ "McCarren Park Pool is Brooklyn's hottest ice skating destination . . . for now". New York Daily News. November 25, 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2022.