Westchester County Picks Private Operator For Playland

RYE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Westchester County has selected a new private operator to run the Playland amusement park in Rye.

According to the tentative 15-year deal, announced Tuesday by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Standard Amusements would pay the county $2.25 million for the park and invest another $22.7 million into improving the facility over the next five years. The county would also receive annual payments of at least $300,000 and a 7.5 percent cut of the profits after the company recoups its investment.

Astorino called it a win for taxpayers.

"No longer are we going to have this drain of Playland," he told CBS2's Meg Baker. "We're going to have revenue coming in. We're going to have what's really going to look like a brand new park."

Standard Amusements plans to add new rides -- potentially a small waterpark for kids -- as well as restaurants and games and upgrade the park's physical plant while trying to maintain Playland's family-friendly feel.

Nicholas Singer, partner and co-founder of Standard, said there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the 87-year-old Playland. He said it just needs some "TLC," WCBS 880's Paul Murnane reported.

"Not Six Flags-style major rides, but family-type entertainment rides to give people an urgency to visit," Singer said.

Standard will turn to United Parks, led by CEO Jack Falfas, an amusement industry veteran, to handle the park's day-to-day operations.

It's the county's second attempt at revitalizing the historic but money-losing park, which the county itself has been operating.

"It's been very difficult for the county to put the resources into this gem that is needed," Astorino said.

In 2012, the county announced a deal with Sustainable Playland Inc., but the agreement fell apart after it was met with opposition by county legislators and some neighbors in Rye.

Standard Amusements was a runner-up in the last round of bidding.

Some residents have expressed concern over how decisions were made regarding the past in the past.

"There has been no transparency or public input up until now," said Deirdre Curran of Friends of Playland. "We're looking forward to a period of the public being able to weigh in."

Kathy Salone has lived across the street from Playland for 39 years and says she's against the commercialization of the amusement park.

"For us, some of the things that had been proposed were absolutely atrocious," she said. "I don't want to see it turned into a giant parking lot. I don't want to see it have a bunch of condominiums down there. That's not what Playland's all about."

The new deal must be approved by the Westchester Board of Legislators within 60 days.

Board Chairman Michael Kaplowitz said he sees little so far to scuttle the plan.

"Based on what we've heard, based on the assumptions that are offered and the contractual terms, I do believe there will be a majority of legislators that'll support this," he told Murnane.

"I'm hoping in the end to be able to have a better public-private partnership operator that can bring back the luster of the 87-year-old Playland," Kaplowitz told Baker.

The agreement includes an option to renew for an additional 15 years.