Ed Koch

August 30, 2018

In 1988, Donald Trump wanted to repair the Williamsburg Bridge, but the Mayor said no thanks

In addition to thinking he could own the Empire State Building and build the tallest building in the world, Donald Trump also had a pipedream of single-handedly repairing the Williamsburg Bridge in 1988. Yesterday, Gothamist's Editorial Director Jen Carlson tweeted a series of stories from the time detailing how the Donald presented the city with a proposition to get the necessary repairs (the then-85-year-old bridge was closed due to cracked and corroded beams) done quicker and cheaper. According to the Associated Press, "Trump said the deal could work the same way as [Central Park's Wollman Rink] construction in 1986 - he would advance the money, get the job done and be reimbursed for costs."
So how'd he screw this one up?