The way forward for Rye Playland may be very a lot in play.
That is after Customary Amusements, the personal firm managing the park, notified Westchester County that it will be terminating their settlement — simply three years right into a 30-year deal.
In 2022, Customary Amusements signed the three-decade contract to take over operations on the amusement park, which is situated on county-owned land and had been run by the county for almost a century, beginning in 1928. The settlement referred to as for sure charges and capital enhancements.
A spokesperson for the corporate informed NBC New York that the failure lies on the ft of the county.
“For over a decade, we have tirelessly worked to revitalize Playland. Unfortunately, Westchester County has once again failed to live up to its end of the bargain,” the spokesperson mentioned. “By its own admission, the County has missed the contractual deadlines, despite our consistent flexibility and patience, including a blanket one-year extension on all their project deadlines.”
However Westchester County disagreed.
“It is Standard Amusements—not the County—that is in default of the Playland Management Agreement. Their claim of working to revitalize the Park is an outright falsehood,” a press release from the county begins. “The County has invested $150 million {dollars} to improve and restore Playland, whereas Customary Amusements has repeatedly uncared for its tasks and mismanaged the Park. Simply ask anybody who has endured a go to to Playland beneath their disastrous management.”
The county mentioned it would discover all avenues to guard taxpayer funds. So what does it imply for the park in Summer time 2025?
“I hope though that the county will be able to get Playland up and running for the 2025 season because it’s really a gem for Westchester County residents,” mentioned Catherine Parker, a Democrat from Rye on the Westchester Board of Legislators. “We should absolutely part ways with Standard Amusements. It has not been a great relationship right from the very beginning.”
The county board of legislators met late Friday afternoon to overview all their choices.
For its half, Customary Amusements mentioned “While we will no longer be the Park’s steward, we are committed to facilitating a seamless transition of Playland management responsibilities to the County.”
