A spokesperson for the council said it intended to invite tenders from developers in late summer. That would allow a planning application to be submitted towards the end of the year, with a view to starting on site in 2002.
The 20 ha development is part of plans to make Southampton the leading city in the south of England. A draft council brief published last December called for 1900 homes, two hotels and a conference centre, as well as an extension to Mayflower Park.
However, English Heritage sources have questioned whether a city of Southampton's size could sustain such a development.
As part of the consultation process, the council last week hosted a two-day visit from 10 members of EH's urban panel, which is concerned about the impact of redevelopment on the local environment.
EH has raised concerns about "the relationship between the sea, harbours, quays and the medieval old town".
Panel chairman Geoffrey Wilson said: "Southampton faces a major challenge – how to achieve an urban renaissance without sweeping away the centuries of history which have given this great maritime centre its unique character." Last year, the council commissioned planning studies into the harbour redevelopment area, known as Royal Pier and West Quay site, from Arup, Robert Turley Associates and EDAW.
The site is part-owned by the Association of British Ports and is partly made up of reclaimed seabed.
