A greasy Big Mac could be the only thing standing in the way between ice skating in the shadow of San Francisco City Hall.
The San Francisco Rec and Park is negotiating a lease to open a seasonal ice skating rink in front of city hall but its operator, United Skates of America, needs to find a $350,000 sponsor first.
But that is a concern for some Recreation and Park commissioners, who worry about corporate entities taking over public space.
San Francisco's Recreation and Park Commission heard a proposal last week to install a seasonal ice skating rink -- and possibly a year-round in-line skating rink -- in front of city hall.
United Skates of America, which owns and operates skating rinks across the country, wants to install the blast from the past on Larkin Street in the Joseph L. Alioto Performing Arts Piazza.
Commission President Mark Buell said the commission wants to make sure they don't pave the ice for Ronald McDonald to be skating around. The San Francisco Examiner reports:
When Recreation and Park Commission President Mark Buell heard about that clause he said, “I just want to be sure we don’t have blatant advertising in our parks,” and noted that an extreme case would be McDonald’s golden arches illuminating City Hall.
But the commission was assured that once the plan came to them for final approval, they would also get some say on how corporate ads would be placed. Sorry Ronald.
