The three short-listed schemes for the former Odeon cinema and bingo-hall site are finally unveiled today, each representing a radical remodelling and dramatic transformation of Bradford's single most important development site.

It is quite clear from the plans that all the scare stories and rumours about roundabouts, Bradford Beck and road closures had nothing to do with the reality of the schemes which are genuinely viable development projects on the available footprint of a site that includes the former Odeon and the car park behind it, and nothing else.

Bradford Centre Regeneration has pledged to give every resident an opportunity to comment on the proposals and to facilitate this has announced a variety of ways local people can make their views known.

One fact that needs to be borne in mind by all participants is that the developers and architects behind the proposals have carefully assessed the situation and produced schemes they are prepared to spend their own money developing and which they believe to be commercially viable and economically sustainable.

Those who harbour more romantic notions about the building's prospects need to remember that before Yorkshire Forward bought the site for the benefit of Bradford's regeneration, no developer was willing to take it on. Neither is public money available to rescue and restore it.

So we would urge all those who have an interest in Bradford's future to take a very close look at the three schemes and embrace this golden opportunity to voice their opinion on which one of them they feel is likely to be of most benefit to our children and our children's children.