黑洞社区

Lendlease is the standout name on a wider shortlist of firms working up bids for one of the biggest mixed-use schemes in London to come up for grabs in recent years.

Work on the 拢1bn development at 18 Blackfriars is set to get going next year and includes a 拢600m office tower, more than 400 residential units 鈥� tenders for which have also gone out 鈥� as well as retail, cafes and restaurants. It is being developed by Hines and run by Lipton Rogers.

Documents were sent out last week to Multiplex and Lendlease for the 47-storey office tower but 黑洞社区 understands Mace, which initially looked at the job, has decided not to price it.

Lendlease鈥檚 inclusion on the list is a major tonic for the firm which was put up for sale by its Australian parent in May and follows a decision in the autumn by ITV Studios developer CO-RE to replace it with Multiplex for that job which has a 拢500m price tag.

黑洞社区 understands that Lendlease and Multiplex have until the spring to come up with proposals with a winner being chosen on a PCSA by the summer.

The job is being let as a two-stage design and build contract with Hines understood to have been speaking to would-be bidders for some time now.

Designed by Foster & Partners, the office tower will be the tallest of three planned on a stretch of land running down Blackfriars Road.

The office tower will include 100,000 sq m of space and will start speculatively with tenants from the professional services, tech and legal sectors being targeted.

The site, which has been derelict for nearly two decades, is behind the Mad Hatter hotel and opposite 240 Blackfriars which was built by Mace nearly a decade ago.

It is part of an emerging cluster of high-rise blocks in this area of Southwark which includes Multiplex鈥檚 Bankside Yards scheme and the Hoxton Hotel next door which was completed five years ago by Kier.

Bids for a 拢100m enabling and basement package for the entire site are already out to four firms 鈥� Careys, Expanded, Keltbray and McGee 鈥� with a winner due in time for a start next summer.

Hines is hoping the enabling work will be finished by the end of 2026 with a start on main construction work beginning by spring 2027.

Multiplex is also bidding the two residential towers that make up the development. This job has a value of 拢300m and the firm is up against McLaren, Midgard and McAleer & Rushe for the work.

Both residential towers have been designed by Fosters with the taller, 45-storey tower, which is aimed at private buyers, having 273 apartments and the 25-storey affordable housing block containing 160 units. A winner for this work is due by the summer as well.

Hines declined to comment on the names of the bidders but in a statement, its head of UK development Robbie Pitman said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to working closely with world-class partners to deliver a landmark new mixed-use destination for London, with a view to starting on site towards the middle of next year.鈥�

The job, which is being funded by the National Pension Service of Korea, will be Hines鈥� biggest in the capital. Its other schemes have included a mixed-use scheme at 80 New Bond Street completed by Red Construction and the 25 Cabot Square redevelopment in Canary Wharf.

As well as Lipton Rogers, the firm behind 22 Bishopsgate, others on the team so far include engineer Arup and QS T&T Alinea. G&T is the QS for the residential part.