The citizens committee charged by the County with reviewing the feasibility of the proposals received for “Reinventing Playland Park” has whittled the list down from 12 to three.
By Robin Jovanovich
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The citizens committee charged by the County with reviewing the feasibility of the proposals received for “Reinventing Playland Park” has whittled the list down from 12 to three. “While many of the proposals included some good ideas,” said Rye Mayor Doug French, one of the 17 committee members, “some didn’t cover the scope of the RFP put out by the County Executive’s office in 2010. Others didn’t address the RFP and therefore didn’t warrant further review.”
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The three proposals that made the cut are: Sustainable Playland, Central Amusements International, and Standard Amusements. The first is a non-profit endeavor created by Rye residents whose plan is to combine some of the amusement park components with recreational, educational, and cultural program.
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The next step is for County staff to review the legal and financial implications of each. “We want to be sure that the plan that is chosen has a long future,” said Mayor French. “We don’t want to be back here in ten years dealing with the same problem.”
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Meanwhile, the losses at Playland worsen. County Executive Rob Astorino reported that attendance had declined from 500,000 to 420,000 and the park would lose at least $5 million in 2011. Of that some $3 million is interest on debt to fund capital improvements.
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Sustainable Playland spokesperson Sandhya Subbarao told the paper their group was gratified to be among those making it past the first round.
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“We thank the Playland Citizens Committee for their time and effort.”
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Photo by Jim Byrne
