Development manager Lipton Rogers hoping to start main construction work early next year

The procurement strategy for a huge towers scheme at Blackfriars is close to being sorted out, 黑洞社区 understands.

The job at 18 Blackfriars, which will be one of the biggest to come up for grabs in London in the coming years, is set to be let as two-stage job beginning with a construction management route before switching to a fixed-price.

Worries have previously been expressed about letting the job, worth more than 拢900m, as a fixed-price from the start because of concerns over the level of financial risk firms would have to take on.

18 Blackfriars Road_Hines_Dusk Image_Credit Foster + Partners_

Source: Foster & Partners

The job will form part of a cluster of towers in the Blackfriars area

Lipton Rogers, the firm behind 22 Bishopsgate, is development manager on the project, which includes 100,000 sq m of office space and 433 homes, with others on the team so far including engineer Arup and QS T&T Alinea.

The job, designed by Foster & Partners, is being run by US developer Hines and will see the construction of a 45-storey office plus two residential buildings of 40 and 22 storeys all rising from a four-storey podium.

Firms to have looked at the scheme include Multiplex along with Mace, Lendlease and Sir Robert McAlpine.

But several have told 黑洞社区 they are waiting for confirmation of the procurement route from Lipton Rogers before deciding whether to go for it. 鈥淲e are going to wait until we are told officially and then have an internal discussion [about whether to bid].鈥�

Enabling works are due to begin by the end of the year with main construction starting early next year. The entire scheme is expected to take four years to build.

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