Will Seattle Ever Host A Summer Or Winter Olympics? (Vancouver: summers, better)

[Botev1912]

Seattle has better summers than London even this year.

[xPlorer48]

No way. It would cost us taxpayers too much money.

[Natnasci]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Being an Olympic host city can, and has been in the past, a nightmare. Vancouver bulldozed entire neighborhoods of affordable housing projects LEAVING PEOPLE HOMELESS!! to build their Olympics infrastructure. China also bulldozed historic neighborhoods with historic architecture, and god knows what else they did to pull off the games. I have no doubt the same thing went on in Brazil. I wouldn't wish something like that on Seattle or any city that didn't already have the necessary infrastructure.

In the old days, cities were chosen because they already had the required facilities. Now, cities scramble to create those facilities at any price. Be careful what you wish for.

News to me. Can you specify what neighbourhood or neighbourhoods were bulldozed? Can you show me anything supporting your claim that anything was bulldozed?

Can you list one venue that replaced any housing?

You won't be able to because it didn't happen.

The venues used in Vancouver's Olympics for the most part already existed.

What we did end up with was a much improved highway to Whistler.

The Canada Line metro from the airport/Richmond to downtown

A whole new neighbourhood built on land that was EMPTY before called Olympic Village which is now a new vibrant community. The city did scale back some of the amount of social housing promised, but the was because of some of the funding fiasco surrounding the village.

The Richmond Olympic Oval in the suburb of Richmond

Plus add ons to existing Whistler Mountain sites.


http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/02/t...olympic-games/

[HuskyDawg]

VANCOUVER, 2010
All games venues in Vancouver remain in use, with local authorities funding a $110 million trust to make sure that they don't fall into disrepair.

This is a Feb. 26, 2010 file photo of Team Canada as they skate during the women's team pursuit quarterfinals speed skating race at the Richmond Olympic Oval at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
AP
The most successful venue appears to be the Richmond Olympic speed skating Oval, a widely used community sports and events facility that attracts more than 550,000 visitors a year. Dozens of sports groups run regular programs at the Oval, which now houses two international-size rinks for hockey or speed skating, basketball and squash courts, an indoor track and a rowing tank. The venue, which has hosted numerous provincial, national and international championships in a variety of summer and winter sports, is cited as a positive legacy of the games.
Federal and provincial governments pay some of the Oval's operating costs, as well as for the Whistler Sliding Center, used by athletes as a training facility, and the Whistler Olympic Park.
But the athletes' village has not fared so well. The City of Vancouver had to take over financing for the 1,100-unit village after the developer stopped payment on its construction loan due to cost overruns and the 2008 financial crisis. The city has sold most, if not all, of the units, but it expects to lose nearly $300 million.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/olympic-...ter-the-games/

[Natnasci]

Originally Posted by HuskyDawg

VANCOUVER, 2010
All games venues in Vancouver remain in use, with local authorities funding a $110 million trust to make sure that they don't fall into disrepair.

This is a Feb. 26, 2010 file photo of Team Canada as they skate during the women's team pursuit quarterfinals speed skating race at the Richmond Olympic Oval at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
AP
The most successful venue appears to be the Richmond Olympic speed skating Oval, a widely used community sports and events facility that attracts more than 550,000 visitors a year. Dozens of sports groups run regular programs at the Oval, which now houses two international-size rinks for hockey or speed skating, basketball and squash courts, an indoor track and a rowing tank. The venue, which has hosted numerous provincial, national and international championships in a variety of summer and winter sports, is cited as a positive legacy of the games.
Federal and provincial governments pay some of the Oval's operating costs, as well as for the Whistler Sliding Center, used by athletes as a training facility, and the Whistler Olympic Park.
But the athletes' village has not fared so well. The City of Vancouver had to take over financing for the 1,100-unit village after the developer stopped payment on its construction loan due to cost overruns and the 2008 financial crisis. The city has sold most, if not all, of the units, but it expects to lose nearly $300 million.
Olympic challenge: How do host cities fare after the games? - CBS News

In the end, it wasn't 300 million, but 100 million. Still a loss. Now, though, the village is a popular place to live and is thriving with some great pubs, shops etc.

The area behind the Village, now has a building boom of new condos and services as well.

"Looking back, it seems almost a miracle that a little more than $100-million might be all that the city will have lost from this affair. (A thorough vetting of the city’s numbers is sure to take place). Early on, the betting was that number might be $300-million or more."

Olympic Village proves to be a costly lesson for Vancouver - The Globe and Mail

[daberkow]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

Seattle has better summers than London even this year.

That's not true at all. London summers last a lot longer and have more pleasant days. People like to harp on the "amazing" summers here, but that is simply because it is so cold wet and grey for so long. Summer here is often too cool in the evening and mornings and does not last very long.

[Jiff]

"Ever" is a long time. Certainly possible. I'd love to attend another Olympics, as long as I'm not in the taxing authority I doubt that Winter is possible since the Snoqualmie slopes aren't high or big, and Stevens, Baker and Crystal aren't easy to get to and lack amenities like ski resorts, at least not now. No acceptable hockey rink, not now again.

Summer is more possible, more-so before Husky Stadium lost its track. Don't know where they'd put pavilions, if that's a requisite. Vancouver used the vacant area where Expo 86 was for their Olympics. That's where we spent all of our time except a curling match, and had a great time. Expo 86 was fun too.

My Olympics photos (live music heavy):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/679287...57623510715388

My Olympics report at Seattle Music & More:
The Olympics in Music and more... Forum

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by daberkow

That's not true at all. London summers last a lot longer and have more pleasant days. People like to harp on the "amazing" summers here, but that is simply because it is so cold wet and grey for so long. Summer here is often too cool in the evening and mornings and does not last very long.

London rarely reaches 80 degrees in the summer. They reached 68 degrees in mid May for the first time this year, while Seattle did that in March. Seattle also sees 80s much more often and is usually drier too. London is much cloudier in the summer too. Seattle has had 20 more days than London over 68 so far this year and this has been a cooler summer than the last 2. Last year, Seattle had 51 days over 80 while London reached 80 for the first time in mid June! Stats don't lie. If you don't believe me, go to the weather forum and read all the complaints there.

[homesinseattle]

Doubt it, though it was very fun to drive to the winter Olympics in Vancouver/Whistler. We saw bobsled, ski jumping and even Matisyahu live in concert in Whistler Village.

[Natnasci]

Originally Posted by daberkow

That's not true at all. London summers last a lot longer and have more pleasant days. People like to harp on the "amazing" summers here, but that is simply because it is so cold wet and grey for so long. Summer here is often too cool in the evening and mornings and does not last very long.

Sorry no. Vancouver is pretty close to Seattle, and it's common knowledge our summers are drier and sunnier.

Looking at Seattle's stats for averages in July, they get .79 ( less than an inch ) of rain. London gets 2.2 inches of rain.

Friends who have lived in the both London and Vancouver, also concur that summers out this way are usually much better.