Another day, another video released by the town to overhype and exaggerate the bloated and delayed town square project. This one features a Grace Wong:
I would expect the town’s back patting videos to showcase a greater diversity of voices instead of multiple from a singular organization that just so happens to be the very one that strong mayor powers were used to extend their funding.
Ms Wong mentions watching people skating at the Rockefeller Centre in New York City and proclaims “we will have that here.”
Wow. We are so lucky to have the rink from Rockefeller Centre right underneath our own Eifel tower!
Let’s investigate the accuracy of Wong’s bold comparison.
From the plans the rink at town square is shown as 610 square meters:
If we look at Rockefeller Center rink its surface is 37 m by 18 m = 666 square meters, so similar in size.
The rink at town square shows a 100 person capacity, where this site lists the rink at Rockefeller Centre to have a greater capacity of 150.
To ensure public safety how has the town decided to monitor the capacity of ice surface at town square when in use?
Skaters at the Rockefeller Centre also have to register and pay a fee to use the rink, each getting 40-60 minutes of time on the ice:
Of course you can always be upsold the VIP package for an additional 30 minutes, skate rental, complemntary hot beverage and 20% of merch:
Given that the town didn’t sell naming rights to the rink for peanuts on the dollar is it envisioned that this ice surface will ever be restricted to pay-to-play access to contribute to the town’s already increasing finding gap, and huge operating budget for the square?
Likewise will the town seek to minimize the availability of rink to the public for similar pay-to-play events down the road?
After all wasn’t it Rockefeller himself that once said “I have ways of making money that you know nothing of.”
Here’s another question about inclusivity vs exclusivity.
Is the rink accessible?
No, I’m no taking about parking which the town continues to self congratulate at every turn about how they are exceeding the minimal requirements:
Is the rink itself accessible?
If not, why not?
The reason I’m asking is because the one at Rockefeller Centre is:
I’m asking because just the other day Aurora’s “strong” mayor posted this:
If there is going to be such self congratulations about supporting inclusive practices and promoting accessibility in ALL aspects of community life, complete with an official town “office of the mayor” crest, then does this amenity live up to this claim? Yes or no?
Did the town, under the leadership of this “strong” mayor work together to create an accessible ice surface, as evidenced can be accomplished at the Rockefeller Centre as to remove the barriers that hinder Aurora’s disabled population from fully participating? Yes of no?
If you set out to make something and then share videos of others referring to it in the context of something that is already great, what exactly have you done to make this iteration better?
Is this feature of Town Square an example of copying something good and making it great? Or like so many of Aurora’s recent capital projects has the opposite happened?
Rockefeller once said “Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.”
The distinction is “next to”. Rockefeller knew you actually have to do the important thing first.
#OversellUnderdeliver
#NationalAccessAbilityWeek
#WeakAssMayor
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