Preparation work to transform the former Maze prison in Northern Ireland could be underway within weeks.

The plans for the 360-acre site in Co Antrim include a 42,000-capacity stadium as a centrepiece, which would host football, rugby and Gaelic sports.

A shortlist of design consortia has been drawn up, with five teams from across the world having put forward proposals, including GMP International GmbH; New Generation Stadia, Sydney; MacKensie Partnership, Glasgow; and HOK Sport Architecture.

The clearance work on the site could begin as early as October, with the clearance of the infamous H-Block prison cells early in 2007.

The Maze Panel – the cross-party group set up to deliver the redevelopment of the controversial scheme – has maintained that keeping the project's momentum is a key priority in ensuring its delivery.