The Wollman Rink is already taken and so is the Delacorte Theater, but if you’ve got about $5 million to spare, your name could grace Central Park’s sprawling tennis center.
Got only $2 million? How about sponsoring the Chelsea Recreation Center or the ball fields at DeWitt Clinton Park?
They’re all part of a plan to raise revenue for the city in these harsh times by convincing corporations or wealthy individuals to part with big bucks to have their names attached to selected park facilities.
The Post obtained a list of the first seven available facilities, and they include three that don’t yet exist: the restored pool in Williamsburg’s McCarren Park ($3 million); the track and field house proposed for Ocean Breeze Park on Staten Island ($2 million); and the sports facility being built at Mill Pond Park near Yankee Stadium in The Bronx ($2 million).
Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe stressed that the price tags are targets subject to negotiation and represent “what similar facilities have commanded in the past.”
He acknowledged that getting those funds today won’t be, well, a walk in the park.
“Given the economy, securing either philanthropic or corporate naming rights will be difficult right now,” he said.
Still, his agency is taking bids to gauge the market.
“Parks remain attractive opportunities for people who want to do good work,” said Benepe.
The evidence of what a few million dollars can accomplish is visible to anyone driving across the RFK-Triborough Bridge and passing by Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island, constructed with a $10 million donation from the billionaire financier.
Icahn’s name stands out in letters the size of a small building.
That particular perk isn’t part of any park deal.
“There is no advertising allowed in parks,” explained spokeswoman Jama Adams.
So the millions you plunk down will get you a nice little plaque, perhaps with a corporate logo. All the money goes directly to the city’s general fund.
Eric Smallwood, vice president of Front Row Marketing Services and an expert in naming rights, was initially enthusiastic about the possibilities when told that the city was looking to team up with parks sponsors.
But when he got the details, Smallwood said the city was really soliciting philanthropic donations.
Will it work?
“If somebody is willing to give you the money, it works,” he said.