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Officials with the Olympic Regional Development Authority announced
this week that a major modernization project at the Olympic Center
in Lake Placid is on schedule.
Jon
Lundin is public relations coordinator for ORDA. He told WNBZ this
week that about 20 percent of the project is now complete.
“Right now the conference center in Lake Placid is on schedule
despite the weather we’ve had over the last couple of weeks,” Lundin
said. “We’re about 20 percent complete at this time; our biggest
project is enclosing the building by spring.”
The
target date for completion of the $17.3 million project is January
2011.
Most
of the steel frame is now in place and crews aim to have the
structure enclosed by spring. At that point, ORDA will begin
accepting bids for the remaining work, which includes: electric;
heating, ventilation and air conditioning; plumbing; and sprinkler
installation.
“When
it’s all said and done we’ll have a beautiful conference center that
will fit up to about 1,500 people in conference-style seating and
about 750 for dinner,” Lundin added.
Lundin says ORDA has been fortunate so far that the economy hasn’t
presented any unforeseen hardships.
“We
remain on schedule and, most importantly because of the price of the
project, we remain on budget as well,” he said.
ORDA,
like most state agencies, is preparing for cuts in fiscal year
2010-2011. Governor David Paterson’s proposed budget slashes funding
throughout the state – but Lundin noted that nothing is set in stone
yet and ORDA has already anticipated the drop-off in funding.
“To a
large degree, we’re still assessing and trying to figure out where
the cuts in terms of Albany will take place; they’re still a long
way away from adopting the budget,” he said. “Our goal is to
continue watching the budget and meet those cuts through operational
costs.”
In
addition to the new, expanded conference center, the Olympic Complex
will also get a 9,000-square-foot ballroom and seven meeting rooms
with seating for 110 people each.
-Chris
Morris, 2-5-10
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