‘Children’s Museum Held Hostage,’ Legislators Say

   Westchester Children’s Museum officials have a lease to the North Bathhouse at Playland Park to build their museum, but they are tired of waiting the keys to get in, they announced at a press conference on Thursday morning.

The museum board members and Democratic members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) called on County Executive Rob Astorino to hand over the keys to the bathhouse so that they can begin work immediately to allow the attraction to open for next summer.

“Please stop holding the museum hostage,” said Legislator Mary Jane Shimsky (D-Hastings-on-Hudson) at the conference held outside the bathhouse with the construction noise of workers rebuilding the pier and boardwalk in the distance.

Shimnsky and the other speakers directed their message to Astorino, who they say will not hand over the keys to the museum until the Sustainable Playland Inc. management agreement is finalized and supported by the BOL. While Astorino moves forward with SPI, Democratic BOL members have been vetting SPI and other Playland proposals, saying they need to do their due diligence before supporting any plan.

Over the last ten years, museum volunteers have been developing plans and have raised millions of dollars to create the attraction at Playland. During that time, the BOL approved about $8 million in funds to restore the building. Once the those restorations were complete, the lawmakers approved a 10-year lease for the museum to occupy 21,390 square feet of the former men’s bathhouse and spend about $6.5 million in renovations in exchange for a yearly rent of one dollar. Astorino vetoed the lease in 2011, but legislators overrode his vote. However, the administration did not recognize the lease because it did not have Astorino’s signature.

At a Boardwalk Bound Spring Gala held to raise funds for the museum last week, Astorino announced his public support for the project for the first time, but said the project should wait until SPI takes over management in the fall, legislators said.

 “The Westchester Children’s Museum is ready to move in to bathhouse and start all of the necessary work.,” said Legislator Judy Myers (D-Larchmont), chair of the BOL Budget and Appropriations Committee. “It’s time for the Astorino Administration to follow the law- unshackle the Museum and let them begin building, bring in jobs and bring in revenue,” she said.

The museum will be responsible for making the capital improvements to the building, all of which will be subject to the approval of the County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department and the Department of Public Works. The museum would be a “vibrant, interactive learning space providing children, families and school groups the opportunity to nurture curiosity, enhance knowledge and ignite imagination through creative hands-on exploration,” according to the website. They have been bringing demonstrations to schools and plan to bring some programs to the Playland boardwalk this summer.

“We are frustrated at the delays that are impeding our progress,” said Westchester Children’s Museum Treasurer and Board Member William J. Haley. Five thousand people have donated more than $8 million to the museum over the last ten years and they have comprehensive architecture plans ready to go to bid the minute they get the keys, Haley said. The museum will need an additional $6 to 10 million, which they expect they can raise, to fully build out the 21,000 square foot museum. That process will be done in phases, Haley said.

“Why not now?” Museum Board Member Marc Oxman asked. “The hold up has had a chilling effect on donors because the more they see delays they are reluctant,” he explained.

“Everyone wants it,” Myers said. The quote she hears the most from people her age, she said, is that they will have to wait to bring their grandchildren because they missed the chance to bring their own children since the process has taken so long.