The Trump Organization has sold its prized lease on a golf course at Ferry Point Park in New York City, a Bronx course known for its view of the Manhattan skyline.
The Trump Organization announced it had transferred its lease to Bally’s Corporation following several years of controversy with the Democrat-run city’s parks department.
Bally’s Corporation, a gaming and entertainment company, paid big money for the right to run the 18-hole course known as Trump Golf Links Ferry Point, according to Trump’s middle son Eric.
Eric Trump, the Trump organization’s executive vice president, confirmed the lease transfer… and took a swipe at the parks department.
“While we had no prior intention of selling this trophy asset, Bally’s Corporation stepped in and made us an exceptional offer,” Eric Trump said in a statement.
“After the City wasted hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money in its prior failed attempts to complete this project, at the request of Mayor Bloomberg and the NYC Parks Department, The Trump Organization delivered to the people of the City of New York what has been widely recognized as one of the most magnificent public golf experiences anywhere in the world,” he said.
Under the new deal, Bally’s will take over full operations, management and maintenance of the golf course, removing the Trump Organization from any involvement with the property, according to the comptroller’s office.
Bally’s had already negotiated a deal to buy part of Trump’s lease, The New York Times reported in February.
As of Friday, the final terms of the agreement had not yet been released publicly. The city’s parks department owns Ferry Point Park, but it rents out certain sections.
Take a look at the grounds —
We are proud to announce the monumental sale of Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, our award-winning public golf course in New York City. Under The Trump Organization’s leadership, Trump Ferry Point received the golf’s industries highest accolades, including “America’s 100 Greatest… pic.twitter.com/BtHZxNxfjn
— The Trump Organization (@Trump) September 12, 2023
TRUMP LINKS DONE: The Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in Throgs Neck will no longer bear the Trump name, as the former president's organization has sold the golf course to Bally's casino chain. https://t.co/59DDXbJ9XJ pic.twitter.com/tZArQKZWmT
— News12BK (@News12BK) September 9, 2023
Sunrise from Ferry Point Park 🌅 #nycparks pic.twitter.com/8wfZH9DgZ7
— Matt Vincent (@fadedfast) January 28, 2023
The deal appeared to mark a resolution in the Democrat-led city’s battle to rid the course of its association with the former Republican president, whose bold-faced name has for years greeted drivers passing the course on the Whitestone Bridge.
Following the 2021 Jan. 6th riot at the Capitol, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to scrap the contract with the Trump Organization. He claimed the legal authority to null a contract with someone accused of inciting insurrection.
A state court rejected the mayor’s argument last year in a ruling allowing the Trump Organization to operate the course through the expiration of its lease in 2035. The city never appealed.
Still, the PGA began pulling tournaments from Trump’s course. Even Bally’s promised in February to scrub Trump’s name off the front, according to the Times.
News of the Trump Organization’s decision to sell its operating rights drew cheers from some New York Democrats.
In a statement, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said he was “delighted that Trump’s name will no longer deface city parkland.” Lander is one of the few candidates to have won an election after being endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
“We are supportive of the transfer of the Ferry Point Golf Course to Bally’s, and we are confident they will deliver a high-quality golfing experience to New Yorkers,” Dan Kastanis, a parks department spokesperson, said in a statement.
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.