Monday, January 28, 2008

NYC Considering Selling Naming Rights to Central Park Zoo - Will RIOC Do Same For Roosevelt Island Tram?

Tram Image from New Yorkology


PLUS

Pepsi Race Car Image from Pepsi Collector

EQUALS

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1/25 NY Post is reporting that the NYC Parks Department is seriously contemplating selling naming rights to corporate sponsors for some of their major attractions. According to the Post:
That group includes the zoos that draw in thousands of visitors annually, the amphitheaters that pack in summer revelers, the gigantic swimming pools or scores of tennis-court clusters.
And:
Under this program - which would raise an estimated $3 million a year - entire parks wouldn't be renamed, so Central and Prospect parks would keep their monikers but attractions within them could be renamed for a price.
This reminded me of a series of earlier posts regarding corporate sponsorship and naming rights to the Roosevelt Island Tram using the example of the potential sponsorship being considered, though ultimately rejected, for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I speculated that given the costs associated with the operation, continued maintenance, and future $20- 25 million repair of the Roosevelt Island Tram, the temptation must be great to find alternative additional revenue sources such as corporate sponsorships or advertising even though there is a current ban on such practice by the NYC Council. There is a poll on the issue of corporate sponsorship of the Tram on right hand column. To date of the 150 votes cast, 89 think it is a good idea and 61 a bad idea. What do you think?

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