Mace and McAlpine fight for second chance on £100m LandSec job

Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine are battling it out for a £100m contract in London's West End they have both already won before being dropped by the client.

The duo are back in the running for Land Securities' Park House scheme on Oxford Street.

Bovis Lend Lease is also believed to be showing an interest.

The job has a tortuous procurement history with the client continually switching between design and build and construction management.

McAlpine was originally awarded the design and build job in January 2007.

But the firm was dropped from the scheme 12 months later when Land Securities decided to appoint Mace on a construction management deal.

Now the client has had another change of heart and Mace has been let go while the job is put out to tender again on a design and build basis.

One source said: "There have been a lot of changes on this one but the positive thing is that the job is going ahead.

"It will be a major boost for the industry to see a job of this size starting up in the West End. The client has been reacting to changes in the market and now sees design and build as the route to get the best deal. It's a sign of the times - if stalled jobs are coming forward then developers are going to look at the contract terms and change them to get the best value."

Contract Journal understands that no formal paperwork has been issued to contractors yet as firms hold informal preliminary talks with Land Securities.

Enabling works have already been completed on the site which will house a mixed-use scheme containing 9,300m² of retail space, 15,300m² of offices and 39 flats.

Start on the project has been delayed by a planning challenge by nearby legal firms which was settled earlier this year.