Should Calgary Bid on the 2026 Olympics

[GGG]

Re-reading the Capital plan it's actually worse than I originally thought.

A fieldhouse is not included in the current estimate. It only includes a conversion of a field house to add seating and an ice plant.

It assumes that Hall F of the BMO center expansion has been completed
It assumes the 20 million sliding center upgrade and 10 million Nordic center upgrades have been funded and completed. Pages 78-83 or so and page 185

It appears the city / province is also asked for 200 million for affordable housing and the city for land plus 24 million serving not included in the headline 4.6billion number.

I would say we get a new ski jump, a refurbished oval, and minor other things. The infrastructure we want is clearly excluded from the 4.6 billion estimate

[Fuzz]

It's a minor point, but I think the sliding centre upgrade is already funded and will be done this year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...lion-1.4056516

[Northendzone]

to me the negatives of having the olympics here are as follows:

- potential for massive cost over runs
- the infrastructure that most calgarians want are not included
- to me the way the city has handles this to date has been bordering on terrible, and i feel like they are really out of their league. i am also not sold on the mix of members of the bid committee

the positives are:

- the party
- increased employment and spinoffs of construction workers for a few years
- the chance for the lords of the rings to stay in really nice hotel rooms and enjoy AAAAAAAA alberta beef

[para transit fellow]

I'm not sure if this has been discussed.

In all the lists of capital infrastructure I see many many items on the list. such as new arena, rehab skate oval

One item missing from the list of infrastructure: housing for journalist and media.

PyeongChang hosted 15,000 journalists. There were only 3,000 athletes

[MarchHare]

Council livestream for today's big Olympic meeting is here:

So far, Councillor Sutherland has changed his mind from a hard "No" to a "Proceed for now".

http://video.isilive.ca/calgary/live.html

[getbak]

With Sutherland's switch from his first switch, the "continue" votes should be enough to pass ... I believe.

After last week's meeting, both Sutherland and DCU indicated that they were likely going to vote to kill it. Assuming no other switches, that would have made the vote 8-7 against continuing (assuming all the other Councillors stayed along their recent voting lines). Sutherland's switch today will make it 8-7 for continuing (if DCU votes no, or 9-6 if she votes yes).

[getbak]

https://twitter.com/user/status/985933655959883777

https://twitter.com/user/status/985934153102143488


Neither Sutherland nor DCU switched their votes. Ultimately, the same vote breakdown as the last vote in March.

[MarchHare]

Olympic bid survives for now, 9-6 vote.

[kermitology]

Bid work continues

https://twitter.com/user/status/985933818413633540

https://twitter.com/user/status/985934153102143488

[llwhiteoutll]

Now they just need to draft the plebiscite question that guarantees a yes vote.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

Now they just need to draft the plebiscite question that guarantees a yes vote.

"Would you not vote for Calgary to host the Olympics?"

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Would you not vote for Calgary to host the Olympics?

There seems to be no clarity at all on the estimated price, which is exacerbated by the fact that there is no certainty around where the events would even be hosted. If the assumptions that Edmonton, Whistler, Canmore etc will host events don’t pan out, where does that leave the cost?

Their 10% contingency fund seems to be eaten up already by allocations for post-Olympic operations costs and for a project that goes over budget by routine and no exception, this is problematic.

Council should be considering an estimate that isn’t based on the best case scenario, especially when so much of that bid relies on external factors for it to work.

The “I’ll worry about the money later, I want to feel good now” approach that so many people seem to take towards their own finances have no place when you’re dealing with billions in public funds and a shaky estimate. Unfortunately, this same thinking is probably why it would pass a plebiscite.

[RM14]

From what I understand. The next council vote (offramp) will occur in June, which is after a detailed cost benefit but well before a plebiscite. The pelebisite sounds like it will roughly occur in Q4 or very early 2019. Council could kill a bid well before a plebiscite.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by llwhiteoutll

There seems to be no clarity at all on the estimated price, which is exacerbated by the fact that there is no certainty around where the events would even be hosted. If the assumptions that Edmonton, Whistler, Canmore etc will host events don’t pan out, where does that leave the cost?

Their 10% contingency fund seems to be eaten up already by allocations for post-Olympic operations costs and for a project that goes over budget by routine and no exception, this is problematic.

Council should be considering an estimate that isn’t based on the best case scenario, especially when so much of that bid relies on external factors for it to work.

The “I’ll worry about the money later, I want to feel good now” approach that so many people seem to take towards their own finances have no place when you’re dealing with billions in public funds and a shaky estimate. Unfortunately, this same thinking is probably why it would pass a plebiscite.

Oh. that was the question i hope they would ask so they can confuse some people.

[llwhiteoutll]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Oh. that was the question i hope they would ask so they can confuse some people.

Haha, sorry about that.

[taco.vidal]

I had been on the fence, leaning a bit to Yes but now Im a firm No.

This seems like a big mess just waiting to happen.

[Reneeee]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Olympic bid survives for now, 9-6 vote.

Fantastic

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Bunk]

Gotta see what the Provincial and Federal Government $ and terms are.

If we can get a good chunk of money (back) from Edmonton and Ottawa, I think the public will probably support. Better yet, get them to backstop debt and share in risk of any cost overruns. Cut a good deal, like LA did, with the IOC, put in a lot of flexibility for capturiing revenues as the host city and go from there. Once the details of those terms and funding support are known, the plebiscite question can be as simple as "Do you support a formal bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games - Yes or No".

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Gotta see what the Provincial and Federal Government $ and terms are.

If we can get a good chunk of money (back) from Edmonton and Ottawa, I think the public will probably support. Better yet, get them to backstop debt and share in risk of any cost overruns. Cut a good deal, like LA did, with the IOC, put in a lot of flexibility for capturiing revenues as the host city and go from there. Once the details of those terms and funding support are known, the plebiscite question can be as simple as "Do you support a formal bid for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic games - Yes or No".

I don't like that becuase a bid doesn't imply in clear enough language that if selected you have to do it.

Do you support Calgary Hosting the Olympic Games in 2026?

I think the city also needs to produce a fact sheet that is roughly neutral on costs, funding and benefits

A Pie chart of expenses and revenues including all associated Capital Costs that aren't funded in the bid budget but require building (Fieldhouse, Arena, Transit etc).
A table of tax revenue generated from Olympics directly, and indirect revenue from increased business and income taxes generated from the economic activity (I feel this number is a lie or at least subject to a lot of substitution affects but I think it provides a reasonable datapoint of the hopeful upside)
A list of facilities and upgrades that we get to have after the games.

[Joborule]

Pleasant surprise to see the bid proceed. Still more details to be found out before we give up on it afterwards.