Race for coveted Whiteleys job narrows

The race for the prized deal to mastermind the £250m scheme to redevelop the grade II-listed Whiteleys shopping centre in west London has narrowed to three firms.

Building understands Multiplex is now out of the running for the deal leaving Laing O’Rourke, Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine to fight it out for the deal to turn the 1980s shopping centre behind the historic 1911 Queensway façade in Bayswater into a residential and hotel mixed-use development.

O’Rourke is understood to have brought its team over from Hammerson’s stalled Brent Cross shopping centre scheme to lead its bid.

The main contract is being bid separately to the concrete frame contract which has Careys, Morrisroe, Byrne Bros and O’Rourke-owned Expanded on the shortlist.

One source said: “If Expanded gets the concrete frame, then Laing O’Rourke has to be in pole position for the main contract. O’Rourke is very keen on this.”

A winner is due to be appointed later this summer.

Demolition contractor Erith, which has been carrying out work at the site of Sellar’s planned Cube scheme in nearby Paddington, has begun tearing down the centre’s car park and is due to begin later this month on the main shopping centre itself with this part of the job due to be finished in November.

The redevelopment is being headed by a joint venture between a Meyer Bergman-advised fund and Warrior Group with development manager on the scheme, luxury property firm Finchatton.

Designed by Foster + Partners, the Whiteleys scheme will include 129 homes, along with 100,000 sq ft of shops, a cinema and a hotel.

Others working on the £1bn development include project manager Gardiner & Theobald, QS Alinea, civil and structural engineer AKT II and WSP as the traffic and waste engineer.