Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Village debacle puts Vancouver on credit watch

JUSTINE HUNTER Globe and Mail Update January 13, 2009

The City of Vancouver has been placed on a credit watch as a result of the funding debacle over the Olympic Athletes' Village.

The bond rating agency Standard & Poor's posted the warning Tuesday, putting the city's “AA-plus” credit rating in jeopardy. It means the city could face higher borrowing costs at a time when it is seeking legislative approval to borrow $458-million to back the troubled development.

The city has already approved $100-million to keep the project afloat after the project's lender, Fortress Investment Group, stopped advancing funds in September. But the city's money will run out this week.

“Standard & Poor's is concerned that, without the lender's financing, the city might have to step in and finance the project, including the potential of borrowing a significant amount of debt to complete the Olympic Village,” credit analyst Stephen Ogilvie stated in his report.

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