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Two years after a study found that Kelowna’s Prospera Place arena wasn’t fit to host the Memorial Cup, that study is still being kept secret.

That’s despite the fact Graham Lee, whose company GSL Holdings built and operates the arena, said he was fine to release it.

iNFOnews.ca asked to see the study during a Jan. 31, 2024, video news conference attended by a number of Kelowna media outlets interested in Lee's plans for the building.

“I think the only reason why that was not released was because of the competitive nature of that bid,” Lee said. “The competitors – it’s a competitive bid process – would be aware of what’s going on in this market. I’m OK now to release that, if that’s necessary.”

The 2022 study — called ‘Prospera Place Assessment Report’ — was done for the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) at the behest of GSL, the city and the Kelowna Rockets hockey team.

Given the outcome of that report, the Rockets decided not to bid for the 2023 Memorial Cup – the national junior hockey championship. Kamloops won the bid to host that year.

iNFOnews.ca filed a freedom of information request with the city to obtain that report in February 2022, but Graham refused to release it at that time.

READ MORE: Why couldn't the Kelowna Rockets host this year’s Memorial Cup? It's a secret

“A lot of items they had in there were mostly, from the building perspective, were audiovisual,” Lee said during the January 2024 press conference. “They wanted the LED screen to be in place. They wanted 75 flat panelled screens around the arena. They wanted a better sound system. These were all for TV viewing benefits because they wanted this to be a great TV experience, which I understand.

“Most of the things that were required out of the CHL report, we had committed that we would do them so, then, we left it in the hands of the Rockets to decide if they wanted to continue or not. The city also came to the table so all three parties were there.”

The Rockets never made a bid, even though they had won the right to host the tournament in 2020 but it was cancelled because of COVID.

Following the January press conference, iNFOnews.ca asked Lee, through his communications consultant Kirk & Co., for the report but did not receive it.

iNFOnews.ca, therefore, reactivated its Freedom of Information request with the City of Kelowna.

“We received responses back from third parties and one has requested the report not be released,” City Clerk Laura Bentley said in an email to iNFOnews.ca, March 21. “We're reviewing their comments and will provide an update next week once we've assessed.”

Lee built the arena, which opened in 1999, in a public-private partnership with the City of Kelowna that expires in 2029.

Near the end of January, after Lee failed to respond with a proposal to upgrade the arena by the city’s Jan. 15 deadline, the city announced it was looking for a new operator to take over the arena after 2029.

Lee did come forward with a proposal but that was blown off by Mayor Tom Dyas a few days later, saying Lee was welcome to bid like anyone else for the future operation of the facility.

READ MORE: New proposal for Prospera Place upgrades blown off by Kelowna’s mayor

Part of the original deal with the city was that Lee got title to two parcels of land adjacent to the arena.

He has already built the 14-storey Ellis Parc on the corner of Ellis and Water streets.

Last September, he applied to build three highrises on the western side of the existing Prospera Place parking lot, ranging from 13 to 26 storeys.

READ MORE: Kelowna City Staff push back against 26 storey development proposal in Prospera Place parking lot

Since the city only envisioned building up to 12-14 storeys on that site, city staff were prepared to take the proposal to council for early consideration on Feb. 26 with a recommendation that it be denied.

Lee withdrew that application before it got to council.

 - This story was updated at 6:45 a.m. on March 25, 2024 to correct the arena's opening date.

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