May 20, 2012- Rink complex under construction. (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)
Brooklyn’s biggest park could soon have a major cash cow to help clean up the mess left there by massive budget cuts, the New York Post has learned.
As complaints pile up about massive maintenance problems at Prospect Park, the nonprofit organization running the 585-acre green space is currently ironing out plans with the city to operate an under-construction, $74 million ice-skating rinks project there.
Such a deal to run Lakeside Center when it opens next year would mean a major windfall of at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in new revenues for the Prospect Park Alliance, which has seen its $12.3 million budget chopped by $1.1 million since 2007.
During that time, the popular park has also seen staffing drop, which critics say helped jumpstart problems like littering, rotting lakeside trees, lake pollution -- and even animal sacrificing rituals.
Paul Nelson, an Alliance spokesman, said the anticipated “sole-source licensing agreement” with the city to run Lakeside makes sense because it’ll benefit the park’s 10 million annual visitors.
“Whatever we get will go back into the park, which has lost a lot of funding because of the economy, ” said Nelson, adding a private vendor could “just pocket most of the profits.”
At Central Park, Donald Trump runs two popular ice rinks that raised $6.6 million in revenues last year. The city got back just $2.2 million for its general fund, which pays for police, firefighters and other expenses.
At Prospect Park, the stakes aren’t as high, but profits at Lakeside are still expected to dwarf the former Wollman Rink there.
In 2010, Wollman Rink generated $512,000 in revenues during its last year of operations with $232,000 from entrance fees heading back to the city’s general fund and the remaining $280,000 from other concessions going to the Alliance for park maintenance.
Under the new plan, the Alliance would collect all the revenues and put it towards maintaining the park.
However, there are critics.
“It'll set a bad precedent where high-profile parks have another way to get more funding and are treated better than ones in poorer neighborhoods,” said Geoffrey Croft of the NYC Park Advocates. “Prospect Park needs more funding, but it should be through the city’s general fund like everything else.”
Franchise and Concession Review Committee
NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
No. 1: IN THE MATTER of the intent to seek Franchise and Concession Review Committee approval to utilize a different procedure, pursuant to Section 1-16 of the Concession Rules of the City of New York, to negotiate a Sole Source Concession Agreement with Prospect Park Alliance, Inc. for the operation and maintenance of the Prospect Park Lakeside Center including two skate rinks during the winter, a roller rink during the summer, a café and adjacent rooms, boat rentals and possibly bicycle rentals at Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
Read More:Brooklyn Blog - New York Post - May 17, 2012 - By Rich Calder
Prospect Park's Lakeside Rinks to Get City Backing
Brownstoner - May 17, 2012
Lakeside Center Could be Prospect Park's 'Financial Windfall'
Prospect Heights Patch - May 17, 2012
A Walk In The Park - March 20, 2012
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