A version of Barcelona's Las Ramblas, stepping stone-style tubular towers and a large "green lung" will vie for space at a derelict army barracks.

Four teams competing to revitalise the disused 2.2-hectare Preston Barracks site in Brighton yesterday made their opening pitches for the deal.

Council chiefs hope to see an exciting mix of low-cost housing, education and training, commercial and leisure facilities.

And the potential developers were all keen to boast how "ambitious" their own aims were despite the challenge ahead being labelled "almost mission impossible" by one architect.

The four proposed designs have been selected from a list of 18 put forward for the former Ministry of Defence land, sold to Brighton and Hove City Council in March last year.

The council issued a masterplan demanding developers provide:

Up to 1,000 new jobs
260 residential units, including 110 which are low-cost housing
A business innovation centre for the University of Brighton
Community facilities including a doctors' surgery, a health and fitness centre and a creche
Shops, cafes and bars.

The brownfield site is seen as ripe for renewal, lying beside the busy Lewes Road and bordering East Brighton, which has been targeted for regeneration.

The land also falls between a car park and a retail park described as "tired" by many at Friday's presentation day at Hove Town Hall.

The council has put together a selection panel, featuring officers, elected members and representatives from the South-East England Development Agency (Seeda), Brighton and Hove Regeneration Partnership and the Regional Design Panel.

They are now inviting feedback from anyone interested in the development before deciding their recommendations and putting them to the council's policy committee on December 10.

The schemes will be judged on criteria including jobs created, open spaces, energy efficiency and support for public transport, cycling and walking.

Simon Burgess, Brighton and Hove city councillor for finance, described the four designs as "exciting" and added: "Any one of them will transform the site."

However, viewers of yesterday's presentations raised concerns about issues such as financial viability, environmental impact and public safety.

Doug Wilson, project leader for the Saunders Park residents' association, said the wider community had not been consulted enough.