Mac and Mace in race for £190m Heron contract

Sir Robert McAlpine and Mace will battle it out for the £190m contract to build the Heron scheme at the Barbican in London.

It is understood the pair, who have pushed rival bidders Brookfield and Skanska out of the running, will submit final bids tomorrow.

The contract to build the 35-storey tower has been hotly contested, with Brookfield and Mace originally the frontrunners on the scheme that was previously known as Milton Court.

It is understood that Sir Robert McAlpine then entered a substantially lower bid, ensuring its place as a contender for the project.

The David Walker Architects-designed scheme contains almost 300 residential apartments above a 625-seat concert hall for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

It was put on hold in summer 2008 amid worsening market conditions, and its revival is the latest sign of life in the London development market. The tower has been scaled back since its original design, with the height reduced by about 28m to 112m amid concerns about views from the South Bank.