Architects have been commissioned to design the first office building of the £500m Ruskin Square development.

Developers Stanhope Schroders have asked four architects to design the first section of a project neighbouring East Croydon which has seen the site lay empty for almost a decade.

The preferred bidder is expected to be chosen before the end of the year, and a detailed planning application submitted to Croydon Council in 2013.

A spokesman for Stanhope Schroder said: "We have asked four architects to give us an idea of how they would design an office space as part of our masterplan. They have not been given any specifications and we are waiting to see what they will come back with."

A £4m grant from the Local Enterprise Partnership allocated in May will be used to fund the power infrastructure on the site.

The developers have outline planning permission for the site, which included providing £3m towards a new 200 seat theatre to replace the Warehouse Theatre on Dingwall Road.

The Warehouse went into administration in May and the developers have issued them a notice to vacate by November Administrator Jeremy Frost stated Stanhope Schroder have refused to meet him to discuss options.

He said: "We have been trying to get hold of them for three weeks. They have a big area to build on and here needs to be something more than just houses and offices."

Mr Frost said he had been approached by a number of people keen to take the theatre over but needed to speak to Stanhope Schroder, who own the land, before moving forward.

The spokesman for Stanhope Schroder said: "The administrator is deciding what he wants to do with the building. We have said we will take over control in six months. As part of the section 106 agreement we said we would provide funding towards a theatre with a viable business plan."

He confirmed this money would go to Croydon Council to be distributed.