Olympic Regional Development Authority

Mission

The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was established in 1981 to create and administer a post-Olympic program for the facilities and venues utilized during the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games. These facilities include: the Olympic Ice Center; the Olympic Speedskating Oval; the Whiteface Mountain Ski Area and Veterans’ Memorial Highway; the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Complex that includes bobsled and luge runs, cross-country ski trails and a biathlon range; the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex; and the U.S. Olympic Training Center. In 1984, ORDA’s responsibility expanded to include the management of the Gore Mountain Ski Center in North Creek, Warren County, and in 2012, Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in Shandaken, Ulster County.

Organization and Staffing

ORDA is headed by a CEO and governed by a 10 person board comprised of Executive, Legislative and Local appointees.

Budget Highlights

The State has historically provided a subsidy for a portion of ORDA’s budget. The FY 2022 Executive Budget recommends $119 million in appropriations for ORDA (including $2.5 million from the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation). This includes $14.1 million in operating support and $105 million in capital support, a decrease of $42 million from FY 2021.

Major budget actions include:

$92.5 million in new capital funding to implement a strategic plan to modernize ORDA's facilities and venues, including investments to support the 2023 World University Games.
$10 million in new capital funding for energy efficiency and renovation projects that will allow the Authority to reduce operating and maintenance costs at ORDA facilities and venues.
ORDA will also receive $2.5 million in New York Works infrastructure capital funding which will be suballocated to ORDA from the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s New York Works appropriation. ORDA will use these funds to perform a variety of capital improvement projects at the Authority’s facilities.

Program Highlights

The Olympic Regional Development Authority manages one of four primary sites (the others being in California, Colorado and Utah) for year-round training of America’s Olympic athletes. In recent years, the Olympic facilities at Lake Placid received more than 800,000 visitors. The Authority hosts numerous national and international athletic and entertainment events. Additionally, major events included: the NCAA ECAC Men’s Hockey Championships; Lake Placid Freestyle Skating Championships; Lake Placid Ice Dancing Championships; Eastern Synchronized Skating Championships; World Cups in Bobsled/Skeleton and Luge; the 2014-15 Ski Freestyle World Cup; Miracle on Ice 35th Reunion, Miracle on Ice Fantasy Camp and several festivals and shows.

The Authority also manages the Gore, Whiteface Mountain, and Belleayre ski centers, three major downhill ski facilities that received more than 575,000 visitors in the past couple ski seasons, and over 275,000 visitors for off-season activities such as mountain biking and sightseeing tours.

ALL FUNDS
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Category	Available FY 2021	Appropriations Recommended FY 2022	Change From FY 2021	Reappropriations Recommended FY 2022
State Operations	14,090,000	14,090,000	0	16,000,000
Capital Projects	144,500,000	102,500,000	(42,000,000)	99,100,000
Total	158,590,000	116,590,000	(42,000,000)	115,100,000

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY FUND TYPE
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Fund Type	Available FY 2021	Recommended FY 2022
General Fund	13,940,000	13,940,000
Special Revenue Funds - Other	150,000	150,000
Total	14,090,000	14,090,000

STATE OPERATIONS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Program	Available FY 2021	Recommended FY 2022	Change
Olympic Facilities Operations
General Fund	13,940,000	13,940,000	0
Special Revenue Funds - Other	150,000	150,000	0
Total	14,090,000	14,090,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF PERSONAL SERVICE APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2022 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Personal Service Regular (Annual Salaried)
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Olympic Facilities Operations	7,125,000	0	7,125,000	0
Total	7,125,000	0	7,125,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2022 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Supplies and Materials
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Olympic Facilities Operations	6,815,000	0	2,788,000	0
Total	6,815,000	0	2,788,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2022 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Contractual Services
Program	Amount	Change
Olympic Facilities Operations	2,540,000	0
Total	2,540,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF NONPERSONAL SERVICE AND MAINTENANCE UNDISTRIBUTED
APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2022 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	General State Charges
Program	Amount	Change
Olympic Facilities Operations	1,487,000	0
Total	1,487,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - OTHER THAN GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2022 RECOMMENDED
(dollars)
Program	Total		Personal Service
Program	Amount	Change	Amount	Change
Olympic Facilities Operations	150,000	0	65,000	0
Total	150,000	0	65,000	0

STATE OPERATIONS - OTHER THAN GENERAL FUND
SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS AND CHANGES
FY 2022 RECOMMENDED CONTINUED
(dollars)
Program	Nonpersonal Service
Program	Amount	Change
Olympic Facilities Operations	85,000	0
Total	85,000	0

CAPITAL PROJECTS
ALL FUNDS FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS BY PROGRAM
APPROPRIATIONS
(dollars)
Comprehensive Construction Program	Available FY 2021	Recommended FY 2022	Change	Reappropriations FY 2022
Maintenance and Improvements of Existing Facilities
Capital Projects Fund - Authority Bonds	144,500,000	102,500,000	(42,000,000)	99,100,000
Total	144,500,000	102,500,000	(42,000,000)	99,100,000

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/19/2021

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