WHISTLER BUDGETING C$18.5 MILLION ON PROGRAMMING CELEBRATION PLAZA, PLUS C$14.2 MILLION ON BUILDING AND CONVERTING IT
The resort municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is proposing to raise and spend C$18.5 million for the Games-time operations of its Celebration Plaza during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to raise and spend another C$14.2 million building it and then converting it after the Games to the "outdoor epicentre of performing arts in Whistler."
That compares to the City of Vancouver's planning, which calls for a total of C$23.2 million, including C$8.8 million in operations and C$14.4 million in hard expenses over two Live Site locations that are to be temporarily renovated for the events, and then generally returned to their original uses, one as a parking lot and the other as a public park.
The Plaza is scheduled to be built in 2008 and 2009, hold crowds of up to 8,000 at a time, and be one of the main centrepieces of the public's view of the 2010 Games in Whistler.
Almost all of VANOC's snow and sliding events are scheduled for areas around Whistler, and almost all of the Paralympics events are also to be held in the Whistler area. The nightly medal ceremonies for the Whistler-area events are scheduled to be held at the Celebration Plaza, in conjunction with TV network ties to ceremonial and cultural events via large-screen television broadcasting to similar locations at three locations in Vancouver and one in Richmond.
Assuming the application for Canadian government funding goes through -- it's assumed it will since Whistler says the Canadian Heritage ministry invited Whistler's application -- Whistler managers say they'll start spending the communications portion of the programming budget. According to the managers, "RMOW, the Whistler Arts Council, VANOC and Canadian Heritage will jointly develop a communication strategy and plan regarding the contribution from the Government of Canada to the Whistler Live Sites program.... RMOW, Whistler Arts Council and VANOC will develop a strategy and plan to continue to engage the community, communicate plans and progress for the Celebration Plaza and the programming of Whistler Live Sites."
Next, we'll have a look at how the operations and capital planning are to work, and what money is expected to be spent and for what.
Operations [for the pro-forma, see BACKGROUND, below]
----------
Whistler managers will work with VANOC's Ceremonies and Cultural Olympiad departments and the Whistler Arts Council (WAC) to provide daily and nightly programming at the Plaza in downtown Whistler, which, they expect, will be perceived as one seamless Olympic or Paralympic experience.
To date, Whistler has identified all but C$2.6 million of the operational revenues it needs to offset the projected costs. The operational shortfall, Whistler managers
According to the Whistler managers, "Spectators will have the opportunity to participate in one seamless Live Site program that will incorporate the Victory Ceremonies and Concerts; the Olympic and Paralympic Arts Festival; the Paralympic Closing Ceremonies and 'Village Animation.' All three organizations believe that, during the Games, spectators should not be able to distinguish between -- or even be aware of -- the various organizations producing and presenting programming in Whistler. This fundamental belief is shared by the RMOW, VANOC, and WAC, and was the motivation for the integration, collaboration and on-going communication between the organizations, and for the combining of resources to create a single, unified, and engaging spectator experience that achieves the objectives of each organization."
In addition to the current programming, Whistler staff are still working to refine the budget itself, as well as on on the possibility of some additional entertainment concepts, for which sponsorship funding is still being sought (none of these program are expected to proceed if the funding can't be confirmed): These include "Late Night Live", which is estimated to cost C$307,950; Snow & Glow Olympics, budgeted at C$1.3 million and a companion program, Snow & Glow Paralympics, expected to cost C$23,280.
Whistler's C$1.3 million contribution involves C$1 million in cash, with the rest as value-in-kind (cleaning and waste, snow removal, accounting etc.) contributions, as well as funding for the Village appearance program for the Games.
Capital construction [for the pro-forma, see BACKGROUND, below]
--------------------
Whistler staff say they have identified all of the capital funding the Celebration Plaza needs for the basic operation of what they want to do, but they have not yet included the revenues nor costs of the landmark roof and the suggested ice connected with the proposed Whistler pavilion at Celebration Plaza's, as that's going through a separate approval process. The open-air ice rink, if built, is expected to have a suspended clear glass roof designed by Vancouver's Bing Thom of Bing Thom Architects -- if the engineering and snow loading can be worked out.
But, they suggest, the same sense of collaboration as exists on the programming and operations site extends to the construction on what is now lightly forested bush land in Whistler and the Plaza's later conversion shortly after the Games are completed, which is in March, 2010. "Post-Games, Celebration Plaza will emerge as the outdoor epicentre of performing arts in Whistler -– a place to showcase the richness of talent in the community, and to celebrate local heritage, adding a distinct maturity and sophistication to community life and the visitor experience. Celebration Plaza will be designed and programmed to attract community members and visitors from across Canada and around the world."
Whistler's already budgeted in its five-year plan for its C$6.2 million contribution.
BACKGROUND
--
Whistler's Preliminary Live Sites Program & Production Budget pro-forma
(All figures are in Canadian dollars)
Revenue
-------
Canadian heritage funding $5,000,000
VANOC subtotal: $8.95 million
-- VANOC Overlay $4,402,100
-- VANOC Ceremonies $2,251,566
-- VANOC Culture $2,300,000
Resort Municipality of Whistler: $1,269,800
Event Revenue $585,000
Other Contributions $2,637,815 (currently unfunded, funds possibly from sponsor or sponsors)
TOTAL: $18,446,281
Expenses
--------
Event Workforce $3,221,645
Creative & Artistic Services $6,049,515
Finance & Administrative Services $336,500
Production and Operations $5,710,630
Technical Operations $2,241,991
Media & Communications Services $886,000
TOTAL: $18,446,281
===
Capital Construction
--------------------
Whistler's Preliminary capital budget for the Celebration Plaza (Lots 1/9)
(All figures are in Canadian dollars)
Revenue
-------
Canadian Heritage $5,000,000
Resort Municipality of Whistler $6,200,000
VANOC $3,000,000
Total revenue: $14,200,000
Expenses
--------
Pre-Games
Hard Costs
-- Site Preparation $$880,000
-- Pavers $1,310,000
-- Infrastructure and Site Servicing $280,000
-- Utility Building $910,000
-- Performance Infrastructure $1,200,000
Soft Costs
-- Contingency $910,000
-- Escalation contingency (based on 09/2009 completion) $570,000
Soft Costs subtotal: $1,690,000
PRE-GAMES TOTAL $7,750,000
--
Post-Games Conversion
Hard Costs
-- Terracing and Hard Landscaping $1,260,000
-- Site Services 550,000
-- Lawn 350,000
-- Reforestation/Planting 170,000
-- Public Art/ Federal Recognition 250,000
-- Play Equipment 260,000
-- Water Feature 1,000,000
-- Soft Landscaping and Equipment 190,000
-- Contingency 760,000
Soft Costs 930,000
Escalation (based on 11/2010 completion) 730,000
POST-GAMES TOTAL 6,450,000
TOTAL CAPITAL COST: $14,200,000
RESOURCES
Our report on the City of Vancouver's Live Site operations and capital costs:
'Vancouver City staff propose two major Olympic Live Sites in downtown Vancouver'
[Morgan:News:2010:Number:2523; Published on Wednesday, September 12, 2007]
Our story about the Whistler ice pavilion proposed for the Celebration Plaza:
'Some good news and bad news about Whistler's 2010 Celebration Plaza'
[Morgan:News:2010:Number:2503; Published on Friday, August 31, 2007]
Our story about the overall look of the Celebration Plaza
'Vancouver architect team to design Whistler Olympic Ceremonies Plaza'
[Morgan:News:2010:Number:2233; Published on Tuesday, April 3, 2007]
Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on October 1, 2007
Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2555
WHISTLER TO ASK CANADA FOR C$10 MILLION FOR LIVE SITES WORK
NBC OLYMPICS HIRES PORTUGUESE SOFTWARE COMPANY TO HELP HANDLE 2010 DIGITAL DATA
RESOURCES
MOG Solutions:
www.mog-solutions.com
---
NBC Olympics:
www.nbcolympics.com
Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on September 28, 2007
