Tender process held up by covid-19 pandemic
Five firms will be sent tender documents for the first major phase of construction work planned at the new Museum of London site in Farringdon.
The scheme, worth between £40m and £50m, will include enabling, demolition and structural work at the site in West Smithfield.
Building understands that Keltbray, McGee and Careys have been joined on the shortlist by smaller rivals Kilnbridge and Harrow firm Toureen which has been working on the £1bn scheme to turn the Old War Office in Whitehall into a hotel and apartments.
Tenders were due to be issued last month but this has been held up by the covid-19 pandemic. Under the museum’s original timetable, work had been expected to start this October and run until the following November.
Works are expected to be completed in sections and will be carried out on two buildings, the Victorian General Market and the 1960s Poultry Market.
Last month, the museum got the ball rolling for the main construction contract on the job worth £140m.
Firms have another two weeks to send in expressions of interest with tenders due to go out to a maximum number of five bidders in the second week of August.
Consultants working on the job include QS Gardiner & Theobald, project manager Buro Four, engineer Arup and structures firm AKT II.
The £332m Museum of London project is being designed by Stanton Williams, Asif Khan and Julian Harrap Architects, while Atelier Bruckner has been chosen to design a large subterranean gallery beneath the new Smithfield building.
The museum is moving to the market in 2024 so that its existing Powell & Moya building can be demolished to make way for a concert hall designed by US practice Diller Scofidio & Renfro.
Smithfield Market, along with Billingsgate and New Spitalfields markets, will all leave their existing sites and move into a combined market at Dagenham Dock in east London drawn up by Chetwoods.
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