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’s £110m One Mitre Square office project, Building can reveal.

Market sources told Building 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 £103m 1 & 2 Ludgate office development as well as its £177m 1 New Street office scheme, both in the city of London.

Last year the contractor also bagged the £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 £150m job on Great Portland Estates’ Rathbone Place scheme, while ISG landed the £125m fit-out of UBS’ headquarters at 5 Broadgate.

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

One Mitre Square - Sheppard Robson