Trump Out as Operator of City-Owned Bronx Golf Course as Bally’s Takes Over
By Mark Hallum September 8, 2023 2:21 pm
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Embattled former president Donald Trump is relinquishing control over the Trump Golf Links Ferry Point in the Bronx, paving the way for new owner Bally’s to secure a possible casino license for the site.
Following a lengthy legal dispute with New York City, which owns the golf course and leases it to the Trump Organization under a 20-year lease signed in 2015, Bally’s has purchased a lease transfer from the Trump Organization for an unknown amount, the New York Post reported.
The New York City Parks Department and Comptroller Brad Lander signed off on the deal on Thursday, with the comptroller’s website indicating that Trump’s reign over the links will end Sept. 21.
“I am delighted that Trump’s name will no longer deface city parkland,” Lander said in a statement.
Bally’s announced back in February that it was hoping for an agreement with the Trump Organization to use 17 of the 300 acres of the course in its bid for one of the three downstate casino licenses being considered by the New York State Gaming Commission.
The golf course will continue to be operated as such, but the name will change to Bally’s Links, according to the Post.
“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,” a spokesperson Parks Department said in a statement.
As part of the deal, Bally’s will buy 17 acres of the site to use for the casino and buy another 17 acres near the site to donate to the Parks Department, the Post reported.
Only 10 acres would be used for the casino while the rest would likely be employee housing, Bally’s said in February.
The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while Bally’s could not be reached.
The chances that Bally’s will be awarded one of the state’s coveted casino licenses has become increasingly slim, with multiple developers and their gaming partners making a slew of competitive proposals.
Some of them include Stefan Soloviev’s Soloviev Group and Mohegan eying undeveloped land in Midtown East; Hudson’s Bay Company, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, hoping to turn the top three stories of 611 Fifth Avenue into a gaming floor; Related Companies and Wynn Resorts planning for the western portion of Hudson Yards; Thor Equities, Saratoga Casino Holdings, The Chickasaw Nation and Legends looking to the Coney Island, Brooklyn, boardwalk; Point72 Asset Management’s Steve Cohen planning a gambling house next to Citi Field; and SL Green Realty, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and Caesars Entertainment wanting to add a boutique gambling experience to Times Square.
Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.
