Jenkins and Myers Announce Westchester Children's Museum Lease Progress at Fundraiser

On Friday morning, the seven-member legislative Committee on Public Works, Parks, Labor and Transportation (PWPLT) gave unanimous approval for  a 10-year lease for Westchester Children’s Museum.

“We have a status update,” said state Rep. Judy Myers (D-Rye), in announcing the news at a for the Westchester Children’s Museum in a ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel inWhite Plains.
“We’re one-third of the way through."

Myers explained that the proposed 10-year lease would now go to the Budget and Appropriations (B&A) committee which oversees all county financial agreements. If approved by the B&A, the issue would then be scheduled for public hearing and vote of the full County Legislature.  Myers and Rep. Martin Rogowsky (D-Rye Brook) are members of both the PWPLT and B&A committees.

“It’s going to move very quickly from this point in time,” said state Rep. Kenneth Jenkins (D-Yonkers) at the fundraiser.

Corinne Zola, Westchester Children’s Museum board president, was positive the progress of the children’s museum would not be stymied by any potential developments in the RFP process being run by County Executive Rob Astorino’s office.

“We are pleased to see many of the proposals include the museum as an integral part of their plans,” said Zola. “Our feeling is that we support any activity to rejuvenate Playland. There’s really not anything in any of the proposals that would not benefit [by the presence of the museum].”

Myers clarified that one proposal “did call for a different kind of museum in the space,” but added that none of the proposals called for anything other than a museum and some actually included the children’s museum.

“Everyone knows this is something in the works,” said Jenkins. “We know this will happen.”

Reiterating that the Westchester Children’s Museum has been specifically cleared to occupy the North Bath House space, Jenkins downplayed the possibility of any unforeseen obstacles to the approval of the Westchester Children’s Museum.

“We can be ready within 18 months of site control,” said Tracy Kay, Westchester Children’s Museum executive director. “We’re excited about getting that one step further.”