Westchester County to open Playland Park amid legal dispute with operator

Despite ongoing legal challenges with Standard Amusements, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins announced that Playland Park is set to open for the 2025 season.

The announcement follows Standard Amusements' decision to back out of its 30-year contract just three years into the agreement, citing the county's alleged failure to meet construction obligations.

Jenkins refuted these claims, emphasizing the county's significant investment in the park:

"Westchester County has invested over $144 million, close to $150 million into the capital projects at Playland. There's no question about the investments that have been made. Everyone tells us the improvements make the park look beautiful, and we're going to continue moving forward."

County officials counter that Standard Amusements has neglected its responsibilities and mismanaged the park.

With Standard Amusements stepping back, it will not operate Playland for the upcoming season, leaving the county to manage the park's operations during this legal contention.

Statement from Westchester County:

The County has invested $150 million dollars to upgrade and restore Playland, while Standard Amusements has repeatedly neglected its responsibilities and mismanaged the Park.

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.

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.

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