Financial details of Surrey’s proposed arena redacted from FOI documents

A city councillor is criticizing the mayor’s plan to build a 10,000-seat arena and an FOI request on the project came back with financial details redacted.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the City of Surrey to release cost details for its proposed new arena. Financial information about the project was redacted in documents obtained by the CTF through freedom of information requests.

“That’s a big problem when municipal politicians are asking taxpayers to carry the bill here,” says Carson Binda, the organization’s B.C. director.

“We need to see what the revenue projections look like, how much this is going to cost taxpayers and any other relevant information.”

The CTF requested documents showing cost estimates and business cases. The city provided a report by the Chicago-based real estate consultant Hunden partners.

“Time and time again, taxpayers have been hit with sticker shock over these big capital projects,” says Binda.

Surrey First city Coun. Linda Annis echoed Binda’s concerns, and said taxpayers have the right to know where the money is going.

“We don’t know what the costs are. We don’t know who the operator will be,” she says.

Annis is running against Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke in the upcoming municipal election. She said the PNE’s 10,000-seat amphitheatre, which is now costing three times the original budget, is a cautionary example for Surrey taxpayers.

She compared estimated costs to the new Newton community centre, which is costing upwards of $300 million. She expects the mayor’s 10,000-seat arena proposal to cost more than that.

“My guess is its going to be upwards of $600 million, based on the cost of the new recreation facility that’s currently going to be built,” Annis says.

A vacant lot north of city hall is being considered as the potential location, but nothing is set in stone.

In a statement to CTV News, the City of Surrey says it has been “seeking a private partner to help fund, build, and operate the facility, with additional contributions expected from naming rights, pouring rights, marketing agreements and tenanting.”

The city says the report was from October 2024 and did not account for the project being financed by private contributions.

The city did not specify where the money would come from, but said the project would be funded through a “mix of sources.”

“Once the design and estimates are finalized, staff will be able to advise council on a cost,” the statement says.

Annis adds transparency is crucial for taxpayers and it is necessary for the city to provide those numbers before greenlighting a project.

“I think we need to see that and then let the people of Surrey decide whether or not they want this to move forward,” she says.