Playland Debate Stalls Plan For Westchester Children's Museum
WHITE PLAINS, NY (WCBS 880) - They've been planning and fundraising for years but now the Westchester Children's Museum is at a stand still.
While the county was considering a long term lease for them at Playland in Rye, County Executive Rob Astorino now wants to hold off until the county knows for sure what it's doing with the amusement park.
Museum executive director Tracy Kay says it's frustrating.
"We've been waiting and waiting and waiting and we keep being told to wait. But we'd like to see this project come through," he says. "We are getting a little frustrated and, perhaps, impatient."
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While he understands waiting to see what the future of Playland will be, he also says that the museum would only be an asset.
"We're a partner willing to do good for the county," says Kay.
Under the proposed lease, the museum would only pay $1 a year for 10 years in exchange for millions of dollars in renovations to a bath house.
A spokesperson for Astorino says this isn't the right time to introduce a new tenant.
"The County Executive's position is that there should be no additions of any kind at Playland, such as new tenants or changes to the existing footprint, until the current RFP process has concluded, which is expected by the end of the year. Under the RFP process, the county has certain legal obligations to the 12 companies whose proposals are currently under review. Introducing a new tenant at this point could undermine the process and unnecessarily subject the county to litigation," said the statement.
