Are The Olympics Truly Beneficial to Cities?

After having a hard time financing their Olympic Village, Vancouver, which was home to the 2010 Winter Olympics, has begun an new campaign to attract residents to the developments.

1 minute read

February 25, 2011, 7:00 AM PST

By Shay Kahen

Less than half of the housing built for the 2010 Winter Olympics is currently occupied, triggering some concern by Vancouver officials.

"Cities around the world have encountered difficulties transforming athletes' villages into permanent housing, said Peter Wall, a co-founder of Wall Financial, which is building a 550-unit condo development across the street from the Olympic Village. Nevertheless, Mr. Wall said, development was 'so easy to do' in Vancouver, a fast-growing city of about 600,000 noted for its urban planning expertise and relatively stable real estate values.

Last week the city began a fresh effort to sell off the remaining condos, rebranding the cluster of 16 midrise buildings that once housed elite athletes as the Village on False Creek - a reference to the inlet bordering the development - and slashing prices by an average of 30 percent."

FULL STORY: In Vancouver, a New Effort to Sell Olympic Condos

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 in The New York Times

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