The home of Bradford Bulls could see a £50m transformation if a funding bid is approved by the Government
It would mean ODSAL Stadium could become the biggest permanently covered stadium in the country
The money would also be spent on creating a new Rugby league skills centre, park and ride car park, sports pitches, hotel and a solar farm.
It's hoped if the bid is successful, it will allow the city to host huge music and cultural events, as well as hosting other sports like boxing.
Councils across the country have been invited to bid for up to £50m to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. Each Constituency can bid cash towards a £20m project, but there are also two potential £50m awards for projects drawn up by partnerships between the public and private sector.
The proposals will create a regional skills centre for Rugby League for Yorkshire and the North East of England, part of a world-class training centre for elite sports in Odsal for mens, womens and wheelchair Rugby League, but it all depends on if Bradford get the money.
The refurbished stadium would also host major music, entertainment and cultural events and could host international men’s, women’s or youth matches, significant domestic matches rugby league matches.
Artist’s impressions of the proposal show that the neighbouring Richard Dunn site would be part of the development.
The former leisure centre, which was given a Grade II listing by Historic England earlier this year, is conspicuous by its absence in the plans.
A Council spokesman added: “Analysis shows the new complex would attract more than 1.25 million visitors a year and lead to £625 million visitor spend and more than £1bn of socio-economic benefits for Bradford district.
“The plans would lead to the delivery of a world-class training complex for elite sports in Odsal accompanied by a Skills, Training and Education Centre for Rugby League and a new 25,000-capacity home for the Bradford Bulls, which could host international matches and significant domestic matches such as the semi-finals of The Betfred Challenge Cup.”
The scheme has been announced with just weeks to go until the start of the Rugby League World Cup.
The new skills and training facility will be built in conjunction with the Rugby Football League as part of its national OuRLeague Life programme. It would be shared by elite players, match officials, and young people and adults from across Yorkshire and the North East. It would complement a similar project planned in Manchester.
The Council announcement added: “As the largest permanently roofed stadium in England the new venue in Odsal would also become home to other nationally significant sporting such as boxing and enable the city to become a home for major music, entertainment and cultural performances, capitalising on the legacy which will be left by Bradford’s successful bid to become UK City of Culture in 2025.”
The complex would include a multi-storey car-park, complete with rooftop sports pitches. The car-park would be linked to a park and ride that is expected to be completed in late 2024.
The redevelopment will also lead to the creation of a new 105-bedroom hotel and five new sports pitches for rugby and football, the improvement of two existing community sports pitches and a 55,000 square metre solar farm that would power the site.
The stadium and sports complex would also create 480 full time jobs over a decade.
The new stadium, and wider complex, would become home to Bradford Bulls and be built on the current Odsal stadium site, which was erected in the 1930s to rival Wembley as a national home of Rugby League.
Odsal stadium still holds the record for attendance for a rugby match in the UK, with more than 102,000 officially attending the 1954 Rugby League Challenge Cup final replay and an estimated audience of more than 120,000.
It has not yet been announced when the successful bids will be announced by Government.