Page 119 - Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success

trum_c23.qxd 11/30/07 4:01 PM Page 98

T R UM P: N E V E R G I V E U P

There was opposition at first, from citizens complaining
that “Trump was not fit for the Jones Beach scene,” and the
Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities made it
clear they feared what the size of our new building would do to
the visual balance of Jones Beach. When they realized how
involved I was in the building plans and the fine details, and how
concerned I was over the impact of the development on the com-
munity and the environment, they were reassured. I even
brought out a piece of marble, Breccia Oniciata, to show them. I
thought it would look great, and it will. It’s the same marble I
used at 40 Wall Street; it’s sepia and really beautiful.
There will always be naysayers to anything you try to do,
but this is a good example of how you can help your commu-
nity. When they realized how this project would revitalize the
local economy, and how beautiful it would be, the negativity
lightened up, and most people think it’s going to be fantastic.
They’re right. It will be a win-win situation for everyone. I told
people I wanted to bring this historic site up to the gold stan-
dard it deserves, to make it a destination point worthy of its
amazing history.
What we are doing is replacing the old Boardwalk Restau-
rant with a beautiful 36,000-square-foot facility that will have
Atlantic Ocean and park views. There will be a catering hall and
restaurant. We will have social and corporate catering, a restau-
rant, a lounge, and a ballroom. It will restore Jones Beach to
prominence in the life of New York City. In fact, New York can
expect to make around $75 million from it over the next 40
years. The building will belong to the state. Not a penny of tax-
payer money will be spent.
Our long-term lease required special legislation, which was
not a surprise. We’re in good company, however—only one other
New York parks contract has a term that long—and that’s Nia-
gara Falls. We had to deal with a lot of roadblocks, but we pre-
vailed, and it will be a fantastic site.

98