So Obama proposes a plan to an org than is known for saddling cities in debt and they turn the plan down. Trump ‘gave them what they wanted to hear’ and got the deal done. High IQ business moves right there.

  • Lauchs@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I might be missing some of the larger municipal budget stuff but as a Vancouverite, they were awesome. We now have a subway direct to the airport and through a large suburb that needed transit and expanded the highway to one of our best local ski mountain.

    And damn the vibe and party was rocking.

    • JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca
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      1 month ago

      The Olympics is pretty infamous for absolutely wrecking and bankrupting a city chosen to host it. I think North American cities typically break that mold but it’s usually pretty bad

      • Lauchs@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Oh absolutely, I’ve heard that about a few. Just, as far as I know, it basically worked out for us. I guess I’m kinda bragging? Sorry.

        • JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca
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          1 month ago

          I lived in Park City for a year and have been to lake placid a few times, both seem better off for hosting the games. Maybe it’s a winter Olympics thing.

          • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            I think it’s also an economics thing. Sochi is a ghost town, because after the games ended, there was no basis to support the stadiums and infrastrcture. Cities like Rio and Athens built up to host the village of international competitions, but there was no funding to keep them up after it was all over. Vancouver, Sydney, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Beijing, these are thriving cities with high concentrations of wealth that planned for how to repurpose the infrastructure after the games. The residential spaces became hotels or were otherwise repurposed, and the stadiums and training facilities are being used for sports and recreation.

            People still visit Salt Lake City, Utah, to ski the slopes where the Olympics were held. Meanwhile, Sarajevo can’t reopen the ski jump or the bobsled track from 1984 because of the land-mines left there in the 90s.

            So it’s probably not as much winter/summer as it is have/have-not.

    • Moneo@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Vancouver definitely seemed to avoid most of the negative effects most cities face. One of the rinks built for the games (The Olympic Oval i think is the official name) is now a community center with 2 hockey rinks, ~8 basketball sized multi-use courts, a fitness center, about dozen ping pong tables, and probably more I’m not aware of.

      It’s quite far from where I live so I don’t use it often but last year I was part of a sports league that used the facility and I was completely blown away. On any given day there are probably 100+ people using the courts, playing basketball, volleyball etc.