Olympic Regional Development Authority

Agency Web Site: https://orda.org/

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 2024 Executive Budget recommends $104 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 $92.5 million in capital support, $12.5 million less than FY 2023 levels.

Major budget actions include:

• $80 million in new capital funding to implement a strategic plan to maintain, modernize, and expand ORDA's facilities and venues.
• $12 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. As a result of recent investments in venue modernization and enhancements, various US Olympic Teams have moved their training to Lake Placid, including USA Nordic, USA Luge and USA Bobsled. In recent years, the Olympic facilities at Lake Placid have welcomed more than 850,000 visitors. The Authority hosts numerous national and international athletic and entertainment events. Recent ORDA-hosted major events include: the 2023 FISU World University Games; 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 2022 USABS US Bobsled Push Championships, and the Miracle on Ice Fantasy Camp and several festivals and shows. More world-class sporting events, such as the 2023 FIS Ski Jumping cup (which hasn't been held in the US since 2004); the NCAA Skiing Championships; and the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships are scheduled for 2023.

The Authority also manages the Gore, Whiteface Mountain, and Belleayre ski centers, three major downhill ski facilities that received more than 660,000 visitors in recent ski seasons, and over 188,000 visitors for off-season activities such as mountain biking and sightseeing tours.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 02/01/2023