County leaders discuss what's next for Playland amidst dispute with Standard Amusements
The future of Playland Park is up in the air. It stems from a dispute between Westchester County and the company that manages it.
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The future of Playland Park is up in the air. It stems from a dispute between Westchester County and the company that manages it.
RELATED: Taken for a ride: Playland's future in jeopardy amid war of words
Just like many people in and around Westchester County, Deirdre Curran has a lot of memories at Playland.
"I grew up going to Playland, my mother went there went it first opened. I worked there in the 80's. It's part of the community," says Port Chester resident, Deirdre Curran.
But now, Westchester County leaders are trying to figure out its fate.
"Someone is going to have to decide how we move forward for Playland's sake," says Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker.
The company that currently manages Playland, Standard Amusements, is seeking to terminate its 30-year contract, just three years in, citing the county's alleged failure to meet construction obligations.
However, Westchester County officials are firing back and accusing Standard Amusements of neglecting its responsibilities and mismanaging the park.
Standard Amusements won't be operating Playland for the upcoming season.
County leaders are now trying to figure out their next move.
"We want to ensure for all our residents that Playland is here to stay. We hope we can manage the park in 2025," says Parker.
Parker tells News 12, it might be tricky but it's worth it.
"Playland has been traditionally our number one employer for youth in Westchester County," Parker explains.
As of Friday night, no decision was made on what's next for Playland.
County leaders say they will be having more discussions and meetings in the coming weeks.
Full statement from Standard Amusements:
"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. And once again, the County is publicly pointing fingers and misrepresenting facts instead of working towards solutions.
In November, we alerted the County that we were terminating our agreement based on their complete failure to meet the construction obligations under the contract. 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.
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. We sincerely hope—for the sake of Westchester County residents and visitors, our 40+ employees, and ultimately the taxpayer—that the County changes its attitude and decides to prioritize the Park and stops wasting time and money trying to spin and misdirect the public."
Full statement from Catherine Cioffi, Communications Director for Westchester County:
"For nearly 100 years, the people of Westchester County have cherished Playland, and since 2018, the County has made every effort to ensure this beloved park thrives for future generations. 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. The County has invested $150 million dollars to upgrade and restore Playland, while Standard Amusements has repeatedly neglected its responsibilities and mismanaged the Park. Just ask anyone who has endured a visit to Playland under their disastrous leadership.
We strongly reject Standard Amusements' Notice of Termination, as they do not have the legal right to terminate the agreement as the County has met all our obligations under the agreement. In a clear breach of the Playland Management Agreement, Standard Amusements has stated that they will not operate Playland in 2025 laying off hard working men and woman. It is clear that they have no business running the Park and took all of the residents of this County for a ride.
Standard Amusements’ poor performance is evident through the following failures:
Inadequate Ride Operation: Numerous rides were closed throughout the seasons, a violation of industry standards.
Insufficient Maintenance Staff: The lack of adequate staffing affected both daily operations and preventative maintenance.
Unresolved Maintenance Issues: Several repairs identified in the October 2024 safety audit remain unfinished.
Withholding Money from County: Standard Amusements is withholding money from the County citing delays in project completion. Despite the County providing proof that all projects, including the Switchgear, were completed.
While Westchester County Government has invested $150 million dollars in Playland, once again, Standard Amusements is prioritizing their own interests over the hard-earned dollars of County taxpayers. This situation was created by the Astorino Administration that saddled the County with an agreement that benefits Standard Amusements to the detriment of County taxpayers.
The County stands firm in its commitment to holding Standard Amusements accountable for their mismanagement and will explore all avenues to protect taxpayer funds.”
