Westchester County Taxpayers: Is Rye Playland Worth $58 Million?

If you live in Putnam, Dutchess, or Westchester counties, is Rye Playland your go-to amusement park? According the Southeast-Brewster Patch, $58 million has been proposed for Playland improvements.

After reading an article in Westchestermagazine.com, it appears that what to do with Rye Playland has been an ongoing discussion since 2010. The concerns center around whether Westchester county is able to shoulder the burden of financially maintaining the park, or if the park should be privatized altogether.

The county reached a complex agreement with Standard Amusements in April of 2015 to manage and revitalize the park. Standard Amusements agreed to invest $25 million to upgrade the park. County Executive, Rob Astorino, has proposed that $58 million of taxpayers' money be raised by selling bonds for the completion of eleven different Rye Playland projects, which would help Standard Amusements modernize the park, and make it more attractive to park goers.

What does this mean for you? It means vast improvements in your Rye Playland experience, which would include a park face lift along with some new and improved rides.

The reviews of Rye Playland on Trip Advisor were mixed. Some loved it because of the nostalgia as part of their childhood growing up, while some wrote that the park had deteriorated over the years, and couldn't keep up with other super-parks in the tri-state area.