Three world-class stadium blueprints for Belfast have been revealed to opponents of the £85 million sterling national arena plans, it was claimed today.
A new all-sports stadium is the centrepiece of a massive transformation planned for the 360-acre Maze site near Lisburn, Co Antrim. Backing has already been given from football, rugby and GAA authorities, those behind the scheme insist.
But Belfast campaigners are becoming increasingly frustrated over what they see as a reluctance to give them detailed facts and figures.
The three shortlisted are Kajima Urban Developments, a US-based firm which specialises in worldwide public-private projects, and two local developers: Paul Durnien and Sheridan Millennium, which oversaw the Odyssey Arena construction.
All of them are understood to have unveiled plans for either the Maysfield or Ormeau sites at costs of between £30 million and £50 million, with most of the funding raised privately.
City councillors have increased their pressure on the British government to disclose full financial details of the Maze prison initiative.
Putting the overall cost of the development at over £400 million, they are to write to Stormont Minister David Hanson urging him to publish a business plan.