DETAILS of two rival plans which would each safeguard the future of the Odeon in Bradford will go on public display this week.

Bradford Council has organised an exhibition to illustrate bids by Bradford One and Bradford Live, which both have plans to breathe new life into the landmark building.

Both want to transform the former cinema, which had been under threat of demolition, to create a new live performance venue but would take different approaches to the way it would be funded and operated.

The exhibition takes place tomorrow at the City Park pavilion building, from noon to 7pm.

Bradford One's plan would create a music venue capable of taking an audience of up to 3,100 but the building would also become a focal point in the city centre, with restaurants and bars open every day.

The facade facing City Park would be replaced with a glass frontage to help link it into the city centre.

Part of the £20m development cost would be met by developing the rear of the site with around 300 new student flats, with grants, loans and a community share issue designed to raise up to £500,000.

Bradford One spokesman Gideon Seymour said the costings for the venue had been worked out and it was expected to generate significant profits, which would be pumped back into other cultural projects in the city.

"It is important to us that the Odeon building is open and we intent to replace the facade outside City Park with a full height glass structure so people inside can see out and people in City Park can see in," he said.

If the scheme was chosen, ownership of the Odeon would be transferred to Bradford One.

Bradford Live has put in an alternative bid, which would see the building pared back to its original design and restored as a music venue with a capacity for audiences of around 4,000, making it Yorkshire's third largest venue after the Leeds and Sheffield arenas.

It would expect to set up a charity to take over running the building, in conjunction with a commercial operator, leaving Bradford Council with ultimate ownership of the building.

"There is a big gap in the middle between arena capacities and smaller venues. This kind of capacity would attract major bands and put Bradford back on the national touring circuit," spokesman Lee Craven said.

Bradford Live's plans would be expected to cost between £15m and £19m, depending on the level of restoration work.

After next week’s exhibition, Bradford Council will have to decide whether either scheme is considered viable.

A decision on their evaluation of the schemes is expected by July.

If both are considered to be workable, there will be further evaluation work done through the summer and autumn, with a decision on the council’s preferred bidder – the scheme most likely to proceed – will be announced in November.