The bus station, designed by Grimshaw Architects, is the first phase of the £350m redevelopment of the East West retail centre retail by Realis Estates.
The six contractors on the shortlist are C Spencer, Galliford Try, Kier Northern, Laing O'Rourke Construction, Vinci Construction UK and Wates Construction.
The new city bus station will be built on the current John Street surface car park.
Realis Estates managing director Duncan Mathieson said: "The bus station will provide a stunning new gateway to the city centre and act as a catalyst for further regeneration in the Stoke-on-Trent.”
He added: “We are delighted to announce such a strong shortlist of contractors, which includes a number of the biggest names in the industry. The project has created a lot of interest so narrowing the shortlist down to just six companies has not been easy.
"We want to make sure we choose the right contractor for a scheme of this size and importance, and so we will spend the next few months carefully reviewing the tenders before making our final decision."
The East West redevelopment,designed by architects Benoy, will transform the site of the existing East West Centre to create a new, 750,000 sq ft regional shopping centre that will include a department store, a wide range of new shops, cafés, restaurants, public spaces, a multi-screen cinema, a hotel and improved parking.
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