Independent audit shows operating costs soared as ORDA pursued world-class events
By James M. Odato
The New York authority charged with being a prudent manager of the state’s snow and ice sports centers lost a record $50 million in the last year.
Auditors of the Olympic Regional Development Authority reported the managers of ski businesses at Belleayre, Gore, Whiteface and Mount Van Hoevenberg authorized operating costs to rise to $121.3 million in the year ending March 31, 2025, boosting payroll and event-related spending substantially.
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Record losses despite revenue gains
The financial report showed revenues rose by $6 million to $71.17 million in the year, which included a return of natural snowfall and a reduced utility bill. But expenses drove the Lake Placid-based authority deep into the red—a net loss of $50.15 million.
The results follow New York’s $638 million investments since 2018 to upgrade the alpine and Nordic skiing and associated sports facilities managed by the authority, known as ORDA.
Seven years ago, state leaders committed to increased spending to upgrade the venues used in the 1980 Winter Olympics run by ORDA so that Lake Placid could offer improved facilities and host the World University Games in the Lake Placid region in January 2023.
Costly events drive spending surge
Since the university games, ORDA has focused on bringing in more big competitions. It has contracted to run several World Cup and mountain biking contests that cost millions of dollars to carry out but don’t necessarily draw crowds.
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Plus ORDA spent much of 2024 and early 2025 preparing in case New York got tapped as the alternative site for the 2026 Winter Olympic sliding events. The Italian Olympic Committee managed to build the sledding run it needed, however.
The audit, by ORDA’s independent accountants, EFPR Group in Williamsville, showed expenses rose by millions the past two years as the authority prioritized events, which tend to be money-losing. The events are held for competitors on skiing and skating facilities also used by the general public.
Event-related costs rose to $7.5 million in the 2025 fiscal year, up from $4.37 million in 2024 and $2.9 million in 2023, auditors reported.
Overall losses have risen along with the events. The net operating loss for 2024, then a record, exceeded $47.3 million.
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ORDA broke a pattern of losing about $30 million a year from 2020 through 2023, and in the low $20 million level from 2017 to 2018. The widened gap between revenues and expenses the past two years is part of the aggressive push to attract major races.
“A lot of that is hosting world-class events,” said ORDA board member Arthur Lussi. They cost millions to put on, he said.
Personnel costs climb as authority defends economic impact
Among increased costs, ORDA spent $54.7 million on personnel in the 2025 fiscal year, up from $52.8 million a year earlier and $40 million in 2023.
ORDA’s mission statement advanced to the Public Authorities Budget Office calls for it to “maximize visitation to the Adirondack region” by operating the state sports facilities “in a fiscally responsible manner while at the same time promoting environmental awareness, safety, fun, and the Olympic spirit.”
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The authority board modified the statement last year. It kept the part about being budget-conscious and added lines about social benefit and delivering “world-class programs and experiences to persons of all ages and abilities.”
Darcy Norfolk, ORDA’s communications director, said the authority has incurred greater costs as it has increased year-round activities and begun paying its workforce, almost 1,500 full-time and part-time employees, greater compensation.
She also pointed to an internal economic impact statement, two years old, which stated the authority annually creates about $342 million in total economic impact, supports 3,414 jobs and generates $25 million in state and local taxes.
Mary Jane Lawrence, chief operating officer of the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST), which is based in ORDA’s office building, said the authority stimulates the area’s economic health and its events drive traffic into the region.
The impact report, by consultants hired by ORDA, said the authority is responsible for 1.1 million visitors a year, most of them in the winter.
Tourism numbers show mixed results
Data provided by ROOST show that North Country ski-area lodgings are trending downward this year.
For the first six months of 2025, the hotel occupancy rate in Essex County, which includes Lake Placid and some of the region’s biggest hotels, is down 1.3% to 41.3% and the average daily rental revenues per occupied room is down 4.6% to $188.37.
For the past 12 months through June, the occupancy rate is up 2.5% (48.5%), and average daily revenues is down 0.9% ($218.69).
Photo at top: View from Belleayre Mountain Ski Center, courtesy of ORDA
Nice report. The Adirondack Mountain Authority was a predecessor of ORDA. I have looked for their original mission statement, but have not been able to locate it. Just from a historic perspective it could be invaluable. Hotels have been hit with the AirBNB, short term rental option and now the 30% decline in Canadian border crossings is affecting occupancy and allied tourism spending.