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Laing O’Rourke is negotiating with British Land to carry out work on one of the first two buildings up for grabs under the first phase of British Land’s huge scheme to redevelop Canada Water in east London.

ºÚ¶´ÉçÇø understands the country’s largest private contractor is talking to the developer about the A2 scheme, a 180,000sq ft mixed-use project designed by Allies and Morrison.

The job is understood to have a value in excess of £100m and will include a leisure centre, retail and workspace in a building that will reach a maximum height of six storeys.

Three firms remain in contention for the plot known as A1, also designed by Allies and Morrison.

According to plans submitted to Southwark council back in May, A1 – which is located at the corner of Deal Porters Way and Surrey Quays Road – will run across six and 34 storeys and will include retail and offices as well as 186 residential units.

Mace, Wates and Kier are all chasing this deal with a winner expected early in the new year. This job also has a construction value north of £100m.

Provided the scheme gets planning, groundworks could be begin by the middle of next year with tower cranes for main construction work up by next Christmas.

A third building in the first phase, designed by Morris + Company, the new name for Duggan Morris which disbanded last year, has not yet drawn up a contractor shortlist. Known as K1, this will run across six storeys and feature 84 flats.

But it is understood British Land will look at picking a tier two contractor to carry out this work.

Consultants working across all three buildings include project and cost manager Aecom, structural engineer AKT II and services consultant Sweco.

The Canada Water scheme will eventually turn 53 acres of rundown land in south-east London into a new town centre and 3,000 homes.

The site, which sits between the City and Canary Wharf and is close to Canada Water Underground station, includes the abandoned Daily Mail printworks and the disused Rotherhithe police station.

The overall first phase covers 1.8 million sq ft of mixed-use space, including one million sq ft of workspace and 250,000 sq ft of retail and leisure.

The developer hired Roger Madelin, the man behind Argent’s revamp of King’s Cross, back in 2016 to lead the project.

A decision on the wider masterplan for Canada Water by Allies and Morrison, also lodged with Southwark back in May, is due to be made next January.