By STEPHEN GROVES
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has ended the lease settlement for 3 public golf programs in Washington, a transfer that provides President Donald Trump an extra alternative to place his stamp on one other piece of the nation’s capital.
The Nationwide Hyperlinks Belief, the nonprofit that has operated Washington’s three public programs on federal land for the final 5 years, mentioned Wednesday that the Division of the Inside had terminated its 50-year lease settlement. The Inside Division mentioned it was terminating the lease as a result of the nonprofit had not applied required capital enhancements and failed to satisfy the phrases of the lease.
Whereas it was unclear what the Trump administration’s plans are for the golf programs, the transfer provides Trump, whose personal firm has developed quite a few golf programs within the U.S. and overseas, the prospect to remake hyperlinks overlooking the Potomac River and in Rock Creek Park and a website that’s a part of Black golf historical past.
Officers for the Nationwide Hyperlinks Belief mentioned in an announcement that they had been “devastated” by the choice to terminate the lease and defended their administration of the programs. They mentioned $8.5 million had gone towards capital enhancements on the programs and that rounds performed and income had greater than doubled of their tenure managing the programs. The nonprofit has agreed to maintain managing the programs in the intervening time, however long-term renovations will cease.
“Whereas this termination is a significant setback, we stay stubbornly hopeful {that a} path ahead could be discovered that preserves reasonably priced and accessible public golf within the nation’s capital for generations to come back,” the officers added.
The Division of the Inside’s choice comes as Trump rebrands civic areas in Washington and deploys Nationwide Guard members to the streets for public security. The Kennedy Middle added Trump’s title this month after the middle’s board of trustees — made up of Trump appointees — voted to alter the title of the performing arts area designated by Congress as a memorial to John F. Kennedy. Trump can also be within the midst of a building mission to construct a ballroom on the White Home’s East Wing, and he has put his title on the U.S. Institute of Peace.
