Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - 2010 Games costs almost double the estimates

Potty · 09-15-2006, 08:56 AM

I worked for the firm that did the majority of the cost estimates for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The quantity surveyors involved were specifically asked, when they did the estimates in 2002, to price the jobs in 2002 dollars and not account for any escalating factors in the market.

The VANOC knew these overruns would happen, but their only concern was to be awarded the games, not to provide a reasonable cost estimate to taxpayers, as most cities are probably also doing.

The construction industry in Vancouver has been as crazy as Calgary's, and Whistler's labor shortage is much, much worse than anywhere else. When you figure inflation, and the massive increase in construction costs over the past handful of years, these costs aren't very surprising.

09-15-2006, 08:56 AM	#3
Potty Backup Goalie Join Date: Jan 2006 Exp:	I worked for the firm that did the majority of the cost estimates for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The quantity surveyors involved were specifically asked, when they did the estimates in 2002, to price the jobs in 2002 dollars and not account for any escalating factors in the market. The VANOC knew these overruns would happen, but their only concern was to be awarded the games, not to provide a reasonable cost estimate to taxpayers, as most cities are probably also doing. The construction industry in Vancouver has been as crazy as Calgary's, and Whistler's labor shortage is much, much worse than anywhere else. When you figure inflation, and the massive increase in construction costs over the past handful of years, these costs aren't very surprising.