Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino was set to sign two agreements this morning, handing over management of Playland to an outside company and leasing a renovated bathhouse on its boardwalk for use as the home of the Westchester Children”™s Museum.
Astorino was scheduled to sign the agreements in front of members of the press on the Playland boardwalk, joined by representatives of the museum and Sustainable Playland Inc., a Rye-based nonprofit that the county executive chose to “re-invent” the county-owned amusement park.
The 10-year deal with Sustainable calls for the group to invest $34 million into the park. Under the terms of the lease with the museum, the location will operate under the umbrella of the management company. Astorino said the public-private partnership will continue the tradition of the park by maintaining historic rides while adding new attractions and investing private capital into the park, which regularly runs in the red.
“Since 1928, Playland has been part of the identity and fabric of Westchester County,” Astorino said. “This is a winning formula for saving Playland today and for future generations.”
Sustainable”™s proposal includes the addition of outdoor ball fields and an indoor field house, a renovated indoor ice rink and new restaurants. The museum plans to open its doors in two years.
