Iconic Playland park's opening remains a mystery as taxpayers already on hook for $36M in management flap
Westchester County taxpayers are already on the hook to pay as much as $36 million to the park's former management company, Standard Amusements — as government officials had no answers for the county-owned park in 2025 except to say they 'intend' to open it in some form.
'Our intention is to get as much of the park open and accessible to the public as possible,' said county Legislator Catherine Parker, who lives near the waterfront park which was featured in the Tom Hanks movie 'Big.'
'I believe we will have at least – I don't know if it's going to be Kiddie Land or what it's going to look like, I don't know if anybody knows that right now because we're still unwinding the whole Standard Amusements debacle.'
County Executive Ken Jenkins said Wednesday night during an annual 'State of the County' speech that it's his 'intention' to open iconic Playland Park for the 2025 season – but provided no details after the park's former operator walked away from its deal to run the historic landmark in February due to alleged contractual violations by the county.
'Playland is more than just a park, it's a cherished treasure, the crown jewel of Westchester County. A place where memories are made and community thrives,' the Democrat said as he bashed the deal signed by a former administration.
Westchester has hosted a job fair in hopes of attracting staff, including lifeguards. That means a pool and beach on the property will be made accessible, but Parker warned, 'The amusement park is another story.'
A county spokesperson said Thursday officials 'were still assessing the situation' at the Art Deco park.
'Once we have a clearer timeline and plan for the summer, we'll announce it to the public,' the spokesperson said.
The nearly 100-year-old park usually opens up by late May and has only been closed for an entire season once, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The messy divorce between Standard and county, which officially took effect on Feb. 20, is already going to cost the county big with Jenkins calling on lawmakers earlier this month to approve borrowing up to $36 million in bonds to pay Standard.
He said lawmakers should take quick action so the county avoids 18% interest payments that would begin after 90 days from the time of the split, according to a April 17 memo first reported on by The Journal News.
The tens of millions of dollars is what Standard invested in the nearly-century-old park and is owed under the deal the two sides had, county attorney John Nonna told The Post.
Nonna said if the county is found responsible for the contract falling apart during an arbitration hearing later this year, it would owe Standard between $12 million and $21 million.
'We don't think we're in default,' he said.
But the lawyer added the county will attempt to recoup some money during arbitration by insisting the operator failed to maintain the amusement rides. It's not clear how much money that could be.
Jenkins and his predecessor, now-US Rep. George Latimer, have long decried the public-private contract signed by former county executive Rob Astorino with Standard. Latimer, when he first took office in 2018, tried to back out of the agreement, leading to a lengthy and costly court fight.
Standard Amusements said earlier this year it was dropping Playland, arguing the county didn't live up to a contractual obligation to fund and complete renovations.
Jenkins has countered that the county has poured about $150 million into park upgrades in recent years.
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