Construction is set to start this Autumn at the Flemingate site and tenders have been invited by joint developers Wykeland Group, Quintain Estates and Development PLC.
Construction information specialist Glenigan said the eight bidders in the race are: Balfour Beatty, Wates, BAM, Clugston, Bowmer & Kirkland, GB Building, Morgan Sindall and Willmott Dixon.
Planning permission has been granted for shops, restaurants, bars, a cinema, a hotel, offices and a college campus at the former factory and museum site.
Work is already under way on 130 homes at the site with the main commercial phase now at the tender stage.
Wykeland’s managing director, Dominic Gibbons, told the Hull Daily Mail: “After a planning process that has taken more than seven years to successfully complete, we are now entering a very exciting phase in the development.
“The residential part of the scheme has progressed extremely well and the level of retailer and operator interest is very positive with a number of further transactions now in solicitors’ hands.”
Debenhams is lined up to be the anchor retailer with a 40,000sq ft unit at the 16-acre site.
Premier Inn has been signed up to operate an 80-bed hotel on the site and a new multi-screen cinema complex is set to be operated by Parkway Cinemas.
The contract for the main access road to the commercial development has recently been let to local contractor CR Reynolds.