Playland amusement park will open on Memorial Day weekend, two weeks later that usual, with a likely slimmed-down array of rides during the early season and perhaps later into the summer.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins made the announcement on Wednesday, May 7, just days before Mother’s Day weekend, when the county-owned park in Rye typically opens.
How many rides eventually open will depend upon the work of county mechanics and welders, as well as the work of Zamperla, the Italian ride manufacturer and park operator that will be soon hired on a no-bid contract to assist in the work.
Jenkins warned that all rides must be inspected and deemed safe by the New York State Department of Labor before anyone can ride them.
“Everybody wants to see Playland work and be operational,” said Jenkins, who recalled going on dates with his wife-to-be at the seaside park 43 years ago. “We have to do this, and we will do it safely and responsibly.”
Jenkins’ announcement came a week after the county issued an emergency order allowing it to select Zamperla to assess what needs to be done to get the park’s rides in safe working condition and then maintain them.
Jenkins said he expects a contract with the firm, which operates Luna Park at Coney Island, will soon come before the county’s Board of Acquisition and Contract for ratification.
With uncertainty surrounding how many rides will be certified in less than three weeks, Jenkins said the county will not charge an admission fee that weekend. Parking will be $10, half the rate charged by former park operator Standard Amusements as it attempted to earn profits at the public park.
Admission rates for the rest of the Playland season have yet to be set. Jenkins said he wants the park to be “affordable,” with admission tickets to be in the range of $15.
Jenkins said the Playland pool, which was rebuilt as part of the county’s $150 million investment in Playland infrastructure, will open at the end of June, as will other county pools.
Standard Amusements terminated its 30-year management contract in February after just three years, citing Westchester’s failure to meet deadlines for its $150 million investment in upgrades to the park. By terminating early, Standard is due $36 million for its investment, and as much as $21 million more if the county is found liable for defaulting on the pact.
Westchester in turn has argued that Playland was the party that defaulted on the deal by announcing in January that it would not operate Playland for the 2025 season.
The county this week announced job fairs to hire seasonal workers for the amusement park on May 10, May 17 and June 7. The county is hiring park managers, ride operators, ride attendants, lifeguards, cashiers, custodians and painters.
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David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at dwilson3@lohud.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Ken Jenkins: Playland amusement park to open Memorial Day weekend with limited rides
Reporting by David McKay Wilson, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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