Constructed to accommodate the 1976 Olympic Games, this gigantic sports complex has become the symbol of Montreal's East End. The park includes a stadium and tower, a sports centre with six swimming pools, and a velodrome, which now houses the Biodôme, a living museum of natural sciences. The Olympic Village-two striking 19-storey towers designed to lodge 11,000 athletes during the Games-now contains a residential and commercial complex. Begun in 1973, the project soon encountered a series of technical difficulties, delaying construction of the stadium's roof and tower until 1987. Tremendously expensive ($1.2 billion), the complex became the city's most controversial public project. However, it has made a valiant effort to remain lucrative and has welcomed over 40 million visitors since 1976.