Exclusive: Skanska set for another major London commercial project after emerging as favourite for Helical Bar office building

One Mitre Square - Sheppard Robson

Skanska is in line for another major London commercial scheme after it edged ahead of rivals for the job to build Helical Bar鈥檚 拢110m One Mitre Square office project, 黑洞社区 can reveal.

Market sources told 黑洞社区 this week that Helical Bar has selected Skanska as preferred bidder to build its 19-storey One Mitre Square office project in the City of London.

Skanska is understood to have seen off rival contractors Balfour Beatty and Carillion for the job, with the appointment expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

This comes after Skanska was recently appointed by Land Securities to build its 拢103m 1 & 2 Ludgate office development as well as its 拢177m 1 New Street office scheme, both in the city of London.

Last year the contractor also bagged the 拢500m Scalpel tower in the city of London, for US insurance firm W.R Berkley.

Helical Bar shortlisted Skanska, Carillion and Balfour Beatty last January for the Sheppard Robson-design office scheme, but the project was shelved shortly afterwards.

Last month developer secured a finance partner enabling it to revive the scheme.

Helical Bar said in a trading statement last month it plans to start construction of the 270,000 square ft office building this year.

The scheme also incorporates retail units on the ground floor, two basement floor levels, access, parking and landscaping.

Core Five is quantity surveyor, Second London Wall is project manager and Ramboll is structural engineer on the project.

Helical Bar and Skanska declined to comment.

The One Mitre Square contract award is further evidence the market for major London schemes has heated up since the start of the year.

So far this year Lend Lease has been lined up for a 拢150m job on Great Portland Estates鈥 Rathbone Place scheme, while ISG landed the 拢125m fit-out of UBS鈥 headquarters at 5 Broadgate.

Last week developr Derwent said it plans to undertake its largest ever development programme by committing around 拢280m to development projects over the next two years.

One Mitre Square - Sheppard Robson