Colchester Borough Council (CBC) has announced it has appointed the construction company behind the London Eye attraction, Mace Group, to help get plans for the town's new art gallery back on track.

The proposed Visual Arts Facility (VAF) is set to provide Colchester with a new purpose-built centre of excellence and innovation for culture, education and learning, and had been expected to open to the public at the end of 2008. Construction work on the 3,000sq m (32,291.7sq ft) venue got underway in August 2006, but CBC has now appointed Mace Group as project managers after terminating a contract with previous contractors Banner Holdings in April.

It is now hoped that the Rafael Vinoly-designed VAF, which is to be operated by contemporary arts organisation firstsite, will be completed as soon as possible. CBC portfolio holder for culture and diversity, Paul Smith, said: "It is hoped that with Mace Group's help and expertise we can complete the assessments as quickly as possible and start work again.

"Initially Mace is going to have to work out how much it is going to cost to complete the building. Following this initial work there is every possibility that we will employ their services on a longer-term basis through to completion." The project is a partnership between firstsite, Arts Council England, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), CBC, Essex County Council and the University of Essex.