DEVELOPERS have expressed their interest in a key city centre site which Bradford Council has earmarked for an office development.

A temporary garden is to open shortly on the site of the former city centre police station, The Tyrls, where demolition was completed earlier this year.

Council leader, Councillor David Green, said that the authority had now received "a few" expressions of interest in the site, and that the opening of the garden, which is now expected to be next month, would enhance the City Park area while any development took shape.

He told the Telegraph & Argus: "There a few developers that have expressed an interest in the site but we have not had anything concrete as yet.

"We are continuing to talk to several developers and organisations and when something definitive comes forward, we will work with them to make it happen.

"Clearly it's not going to be a quick process which is why we wanted to have a temporary garden on the site to ensure that the public realm is improved while a development takes place."

Cllr Green added that any development would need to be in line with the authority's plans for the area, particularly given funding for the new court cells, demolition of the police station and site clearance from the Homes and Community Agency and through the Regional Growth Fund.

Workers began demolishing the remainder of The Tyrls in May and the site has been levelled and a temporary garden created for the public to use.

The landscaping, grassed areas, flower beds and seating has been completed, but the hoardings are remaining in place for the moment to allow the grass time to grow. An assessment will be made at the end of the month, and an opening date is likely to be agreed at that point.

Outline plans are already in place for three new office blocks of between three and five storeys to be built on the site, which the Council obtained last year. The office blocks, called One City Park, Two City Park and Three City Park, aim to provide 93,000 sq ft of grade A office space, enough to house 700 employees.

The Tyrls building had been empty since 2007, having been used for three decades before Bradford South Police relocated to Trafalgar House, in Nelson Street.

It was partly demolished in 2010 as City Park was being built, due to the continued need to use the cells which are connected to the magistrates’ court by an underground tunnel.

As new magistrates’ court cells opened earlier this year it allowed the remainder of The Tyrls to be demolished.

The work to build the new cells as well as demolish the remainder of the former police station and clear the site for redevelopment was expected to cost £4.5 million, with £2.2m of this being met by the Homes and Communities Agency and the remaining £2.3m being paid for with cash secured by Bradford Council from the Regional Growth Fund.