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.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
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.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
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.
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
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.”
The Adirondack Explorer thanks its advertising partners. Become one of them.
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.
Big events cost big money. The visitors brought in by these events rarely boost local business enough to justify the large fees charged by the sports governing bodies to host World Cup events.
It seems a waste to sink big money into elite events when the region misses opportunities to grow tourism based on doing winter (and summer) sports versus spectating. Upping the level of design and maintenance of recreational sport facilities is important if the Olympic Region wants to capture a market that can easily travel to western resorts. Facilities built for international competition are rarely suitable for recreating tourists. Local businesses need a steadily growing demographic of visitors, not just the boom and bust of hosting expensive events.
Long time Gore season passholder here. My wife & I avoid the “Big Events” held at Gore, and don’t notice much impact on the local economy from them. Instead, we notice that two restaurants have closed in North Creek and one has gone to a Friday-Sunday only schedule in the last year.
There are quite a few empty storefronts on main street.
What we notice on the mountain is often 20+ feet of snow blown on one run and the full mountain not open for skiing till mid to late January. There is a nice new Lodge going up at the Ski Bowl, but that area traditionally has only been open for a few weeks each season. I hope that management plans to open the full mountain earlier & for longer because when it is open it is a very good ski area.
ORDA spends too much of their resources on events that don’t benefit the passholders, and don’t support the north country at large.
Concerts at the Olympic Center were very popular years ago. Lots of great acts are moving away from stadium size events these days to avoid Ticket Master type rip-offs. Start the concerts right after Can Am hockey leaves in the spring. If anyone out there watches the ADE polls they conducted a non scientific poll earlier this year asking would you like to see the return of the Olympics to Lake Placid in a 2 to 1 margin people here don’t want them back. The University Games clearly back up the findings of the poll. They weren’t very successful from what I understand. Also after the 1980 Olympics here many local business were stiffed buy Lake Placid Olympic Committee out millions of dollars from unpaid charges from the committee forcing some of those businesses to close. Don’t let history repeat itself.
Without ORDA and relatively low-cost electricity provided by NYPA, Lake Placid would be in dire straights. As an aside, New York’s economy is in trouble and at some point the money spigot will be closed. As usual the rich will survive, the poor will get handouts and the middle class (what’s left of it) will vanish. Those who can afford to leave for greener pastures like I did will do so.
When these events occur how are they marketed regionally, statewide and nationwide? I live 2 hours south of lake Placid and we never see anything that is happening in Lake Placid ever! no billboards nothing on tv radio…news…papers social media! Saratoga Springs horse racing outshines anything happening anywhere other than Lake George… LP needs to push its marketing because its basically non-existant
Lake Placid gets plenty of tourism. It’s just that ORDA doesn’t bring it in. If you’re anywhere near LP during any season, that’s evident. But, just because Lake Placid gets the tourism, doesn’t mean the rest of the ADKs do. That’s a broader issue. We drain ADK towns via taxes to fund ORDA and tourism, and they never reap the benefit.
What about the world class Horse Show held in June and the Iron Man Triathlon held in July ? Both are renown ! Lake Placid does not need any hyped up publicity. Just ask any resident looking for a parking space ! The World Games lost money – I am not sure why. Perhaps the weather, perhaps mismanagement or the price of tickets. But I am sure ORDA will think carefully before they plan another event like the World Games.
Snowmaking at ski resorts has significant environmental impacts, primarily due to high water and energy consumption, potential alterations to natural water cycles, and effects on wildlife and vegetation. While it can extend ski seasons and support local economies, the process raises concerns about resource depletion and ecosystem disruption. New York state should get out of the ski resort business that only benefits those who can afford to go skiing. $1239 for an adult season pass with no blackout dates and $119 for an adult day pass.