Australian shopping centre giant Westfield hopes a new ‘fly-through’ video of the Broadway development will whet the appetite of would-be tenants.

The company has released more images and details of the city centre scheme following the project’s national retail launch at the National Media Museum, in Bradford, last week.

The computer-generated video shows how the new shopping centre will look from outside and “brings the scheme to life” by taking viewers on a journey through the malls of the huge building.

Westfield has also made available a site map showing exactly where the scheme’s major tenants will be located.

The Debenhams department store will occupy a 117,000 sq ft space over three levels at the corner of the shopping centre, bounded by Well Street and Hall Ings.

Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer, Next, Burtons, Miss Selfridge and Topshop will face onto Lower Kirkgate.

David Slade, leasing director for Westfield, said the video fly-through was “pretty amazing” and added that Westfield was “on the front foot” in terms of getting the centre built.

Westfield bought the Broadway scheme from the former developer, Stannifer, in 2004, after cherrypicking it from a portfolio of schemes which were being sold.

Mr Slade explained why a globally-renowned company such as Westfield had decided to invest in Bradford.

He said: “I remember coming up here many years ago and we drove into the city and there was this beautiful big hole in the ground and I thought ‘you don’t get a better site than this to build a shopping centre.’ Mr Slade said the district also had the fastest-growing working-age population of any major city in the UK, presenting a great opportunity for retailers.

He said: “Westfield Bradford will bring the best of UK retail to Bradford. We have already signed Debenhams so we are bringing a brilliant new department store to the city. We want to put Bradford back on the retail map. We are talking to retailers and getting a tremendous response.

“We are targeting an opening of 2010 notwithstanding the fact that the current economic climate has changed a bit in the last few weeks.”

Mr Slade said there was growing interest in the development’s 800-seat Eat Central food court, which will offer customers a stylish dining experience providing local and international cuisine in a large open space.

The company hopes Eat Central will take casual dining in Bradford to a new level by offering an ‘international theatre of food’ with outstanding ranges across many cultures.

The Zouk Tea Room and Grill, which already has premises in Leeds Road, Bradford, is among a number of local restaurant businesses looking to take space in the café-style food court.

Westfield hopes that more than 100 retailers will establish Broadway as a new retail destination in Yorkshire.

The latest retailer to sign up as a tenant for the development is Bradford-based shoe store Barratts, part of Stylo Plc. The company will take 18,500 sq ft of space in the back mall, near the Next store.

It has also been revealed that China’s largest clothing manufacturer, Bosideng International, is planning to open a store in the Broadway development after the company bought a 50 per cent stake in Bradford-based Greenwoods Menswear.

The centre is more than 50 per cent let in terms of floor space and Westfield says it will start construction work once it secures the necessary pre-lets.

But the company has not divulged what percentage of floor space must be let prior to work beginning.

Retailers already committed to the scheme include Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Next, River Island, Topshop and Topman, Miss Selfridge, Evans, Burton, Wallis, Dorothy Perkins and Beaverbrooks.

But, as the map shows, negotiations are underway to let a number of the available units in the development, with commercial terms agreed with at least half a dozen other retailers.

The new shopping centre has been designed with great care to reflect the district’s architectural heritage. The scheme will exploit the natural vantage points over public spaces and nearby landmarks, including Bradford Cathedral.

The development will also bring two new public squares to the city centre, one of which will be adjacent to St Peter’s House, which is now occupied by south Asian arts group Kala Sangam.

Tony Reeves, Bradford Council’s chief executive, said several regeneration projects were underway in the district, but none as important as the Westfield scheme.

Mr Reeves said the economic outlook for Bradford was “so strong” while the current retail offer was “far below” where it needed to be.

With that in mind, Mr Reeves said the Broadway project had huge potential. He enthused that Bradford would enjoy an “incredible journey” over the next decade.

Mike Cartwright, of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said: “It was good to see so many people at the launch event the other night and Westfield need to keep turning that interest into commitment.

“The fly-through itself is very impressive and brings to life what we have only been able to imagine so far. It’s very reassuring and the Chamber is keen to see the development start as soon as possible.”

Councillor Adrian Naylor, the Council’s executive member for regeneration, said: “We are working very closely with Westfield.

“They have already invested £80 million in the Broadway scheme, have completed preparation works on the site and have secured some big-name retailers.

“Westfield is now working hard to secure more pre-lets, shops who want to commit to renting space in the centre before it is built.

“They want to make sure that when Westfield Bradford opens, the shopping centre is extensively let and does not contain any empty units, which has happened with other developers in some cities.”

Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: “I had a meeting with Westfield last week and they were very positive in spite of the economic conditions.

“It’s about making sure they get people signed up and I am confident they are working with all the household names.

“When I asked them when they were going to start, they said they had spent so much money that they weren’t just going to walk away.”

Neil Huntington, Westfield’s development director, said the company entered the UK market about eight years ago.

He said: “Bradford will be the fourth development that Westfield will promote in the UK and it’s very important to us.”

Mr Huntington said Bradford created a fantastic opportunity for Westfield and for anyone who wanted to join the company in the development.

He said: “We have shown our commitment to the project by almost completing the enabling works on site. Our development will act as a catalyst to encourage further investment.

“The target is to open the shopping centre towards the end of 2010.”