Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino said Thursday morning he is signing a letter of intent with a Rye non-profit organization to lead an overhaul of the county-owned Playland park in Rye.
"Saving Playland has been a priority for me since the day I took office," Astorino said. "What do you do with one of the most beautiful pieces of property anywhere, whose amusement park has been an untenable drain on county taxpayers? We started with a blank sheet of paper an asked experts — ranging from industry professionals to school kids who love the rides — to help us draw a new future."
Astorino said the letter of intent with Sustainable Playland Inc. is a civic-commercial partnership that preserves tradition by embracing innovation to keep Playland financially sound for generations to come.
Astorino said Sustainable Playland has assembled a team of leading amusement, sports, restaurant and park operators for an effort to revamp Playland, a 100-acre site along the Long Island Sound.
New elements at Playland would include:
- Aqua Zone, with a mini water park and beach attractions
- Outdoor ball fields and an field house with indoor facilities
- A renovation of the Playland ice rink and a new, outdoor winter ice rink
- A Great Lawn, with sweeping views of the Long Island Sound that can be used for a variety of events, such as graduations, concerts and corporate-sponsored events.
