THE Maze 'peace centre' was expected to run at an annual loss of £670,000, according to new information released following a Freedom of Information request.
It was hoped the controversial scheme, which is now on hold, would attract up to 143,000 visitors a year with a £7 entrance fee for adults and £5 for children.
The details are contained in a business plan prepared in August 2011 by consultants and released after the Information Commissioner ordered the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to do so.
There was a major political row when the DUP withdrew its support for the peace centre last August.
An EU funding programme then withdrew its offer of £18 million, saying that after talks with OFMDFM it no longer believed the proposal was viable.
A survey carried out for consultancy firm Colliers International suggested that the site's connections to the RAF and Second World War would be of greatest interest to the public (38 per cent), compared to the third of respondents who said they were interested in the experiences of Trouble victims and survivors and 30 per cent in the stories of prisoners and their families.
The report stated that the peace centre would "comprise a new building and a number of listed and retained buildings from the former Maze prison" - one of the most controversial aspects for unionists - and that 119,000 people would visit annually, rising to 143,000 by 2020.
Colliers concluded that local people would account for the majority of visitors and the centre would draw around 35,000 tourists annually, with an annual admission income of about £600,000 by 2020.
The firm predicted a £1m deficit in the first year, stabilising to £670,000 by 2020, and that the centre would provide an economic boost of £1.2m and create 118 jobs on and off site.
The report also noted that portraying the Maze's "strong but controversial stories" in an appealing way without drawing significant objections would be "very difficult".
It would require a "very creative, sensitive and well thought through approach" that also avoided "sanitising" the experience.
Colliers recommended the appointment of "an experienced and talented operations team" which it acknowledged would be "difficult" but should be prioritised.
The Information Commissioner ruled in March that market research commissioned by OFMDFM should be published.
The UUP had complained to the commissioner after the Stormont department refused to disclose the research under the Freedom of Information Act.
OFMDFM refused to publish the research because the executive is still discussing the proposed peace centre and has not reached a final decision on it.