The nasty fight at Vancouver city hall over the financially troubled Olympic athletes village may have claimed another casualty with the resignation of deputy city manager Jody Andrews.

His resignation came just ahead of a special session of the B.C. legislature Saturday aimed at amending Vancouver's city charter so it can borrow more than $450 million to ensure completion of the $1-billion project.

Andrews, an 18-year city hall veteran in charge of the waterfront development, quit late Thursday but there are suggestions he was forced out.

His departure is the third "staffing change" at city hall in recent months and the second since a municipal election that reduced the ruling civic party to a single member of council, in large part concerns over the athletes village.

New Mayor Gregor Robertson fired Andrews' boss, city manager Judy Rogers late last year.

Prior to that, the city's chief financial officer, Estelle Lo, was forced out after raising concerns about the Olympic village's financial arrangements.

It's the kind of city hall soap opera Vancouver has not seen in decades, says CTV public affairs blogger Frances Bula.

"I've never really seen anything like this before," said Bula, who blogs about what goes on in the Art Deco building overlooking downtown Vancouver.

"This is unprecedented. In the 15 years that I've covered city hall to have this kind of rupture within city hall."

It's the latest twist in a drama that exploded during the municipal election campaign last fall and propelled Robertson, a former NDP MLA, and his left-leaning Vision civic party into power.

The governing right-of-centre Non-Partisan Association was left with only one of 10 seats after revelations council had secretly agreed to cover $100 million in construction costs when builder Millennium Developments ran into trouble with its U.S.-based creditor.

After taking power, Robertson discovered that in 2007 the previous administration agreed to a completion guarantee that put the city on the hook for the project's entire cost.

After the 2010 Games, the 1,100-unit athletes village will become a mix of market-priced condos, rentals and social housing.

Condo sales in Vancouver's once-sizzling real estate market were supposed to recoup that money with profit but pre-sales have stalled amid global financial uncertainty and Robertson now warns taxpayers of a loss.

Robertson, who was travelling in Ontario, was not available to comment.

Council member Geoff Meggs of the ruling Vision party said he was surprised to learn of Andrews' departure.

"He was a great contributor to the city and we wish him well but it was his decision," he said.

Andrews was primarily responsible for making sure Millennium complied with the city's design plan and had little to do with the finance issue.

Suzanne Anton, the only councillor from the formerly governing NPA to survive the November election, said she believes Andrews' was forced out, although his sterling reputation makes him a poor fall guy for the athletes village debacle.

Both council members expect the city will be able to handle the Olympic village's financial storm -- which will be easier once the province passes legislation this weekend to allow Vancouver to borrow the money to cover the costs.

Anton criticized Robertson for low-balling the project's future sales prospects instead of boosting its green, sustainable features.

"It's the most desirable real estate in North America. But he's not saying that. He's saying gloom and doom."

Meggs agreed it's a tremendous project but said Vancouver faces potentially the worst financial loss in its history.

"There's no reason to be upbeat about it," he said.

In a written statement, failed mayoral candidate and former NPA councilor Peter Ladner says no one could have predicted the factors that undermined the Olympic village project.

"The ultimate financial outcome is still unknown, and the project is still a development jewel. The bottom line on the project wont be known until the $875-million cost to complete is offset by sales of all the units."

With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV British Columbia