GSA, PBS, Property Development (5PC), 230 South Dearborn Street, Room 3516, Chicago, IL 60604-1696

C -- ARCHITECTURAL-ENGINEERING SERVICES UNDER THE DESIGN EXCELLENCE PROGRAM FOR THE DESIGN OF A NEW FEDERAL BUILDING AND U.S. COURTHOUSE TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO SOL GS05P99GBC0033 DUE 081399 POC Pam Wilczynski, Project Manager, 312-353-2496, Samantha Mehal, Contract Specialist, 312-353-1323 PCN NOH99001. The General Services Administration (GSA) announces an opportunity for design excellence in Architectural-Engineering (A-E) Design services that are required for the design of a new Federal Building U.S. Courthouse to be constructed in Youngstown, Ohio. The Government desires that the building be a distinguished addition to the Central Business District of Youngstown. The design should be an expression of the American architectural tradition and a visual testimony to the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American Government. The objective of this process is to select an excellent designer (and firm) supported by highly qualified design professionals who will produce a building that exemplifies design excellence. Accordingly, this will be a two-stage selection process under GSA Design Excellence procedures. Further, for this project, GSA plans to open up greater opportunities for emerging talent and small, small disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses. Establishing the experience and design ability of a prime A/E design firm and its lead architectural designer is the focus of Stage I while the entire project team's qualifications will be requested in Stage II. In Stage I, associations, joint ventures, etc. are permitted between a prime A/E design firm and a lead architectural designer. The Stage I selection will result in a short list of a maximum of four firms for interview and final selection in Stage II. This selection is open to prime A/E design firms within the United States. However, one of the Stage I evaluation criteria is whether the prime A/E design firm and the lead architectural designer, if not employed by the prime firm, have existing and active design production offices within the designated geographical area consisting of the State of Ohio or within a one hundred mile radius of Youngstown, Ohio. When developing the project team required for Stage II, at least 35% of the design effort (including working drawings) must be performed within the designated geographical area. In Stage II of the selection process, the short-listed prime A/E design firms are required to demonstrate how this will be accomplished. Also, note should be taken here that GSA has a fast track schedule for the procurement of this design contract. All firms need to be cognizant that an award is scheduled in October 1999. Stage I: For this selection process, the lead design individuals and his/her associated prime A/E firms will develop the philosophy, design intent, and conceptual design for this building. Slate selection will be based on the design excellence qualifications of the prime design firms and the lead designers. No other information shall be submitted in the first stage. Selection shall be based upon: (1) Lead Architectural Designer Portfolio (30%): submit 8"x10" photographs (maximum of three per project) and a typewritten description (maximum of one page per project) of three designs attributable to the lead architectural designer and contracted for within the past five years. Include challenges and resolutions within the description. (2) Past Performance on Design (30%) for the Prime A/E Design Firm: submit 8"x10" photographs (maximum of three per project) and a typewritten description (maximum of one page per project) of a maximum of five designs contracted for in the past 10 years (include tangible evidence -- affidavits, certificates, publication notices, awards, peer recognition, etc.) demonstrating design excellence. (3) Philosophy and Design Intent (20%): in the lead architectural designer's words, state his/her overall design philosophy, approach to the challenge of resolving design issues, parameters of design that apply to this project, philosophy of creating a building that relates to the design fabric of the downtown community, how designs should relate to historic structures, etc. using a maximum of three typewritten pages. (4) Lead Architectural Designer Profile (15%): the lead architectural designer on this project shall submit: a biographical sketch including education, professional experience (including recognition for design efforts and description of areas of responsibility), and commitment to this project. (5) Designated Geographical Area and Targeted Areas of Opportunity (5%): scoring will be based on whether the prime A/E design firm and the lead architectural designer if not employed by the prime firm, have existing and active design production offices within the designated geographical area and meet the criteria of a emerging small, small disadvantaged or woman-owned business. Stage II: Following slate selection, the successful offerors shall submit SF 255 and SF 254 for their project team. The SF 255 and the SF 254 may be obtained from http://www.gsa.gov/forms/far.htm. Contact Pam Wilczynski, Project Manager, to receive directions for completing the modified SF 255 form. The successful offerors will develop the complete project team and submit SF 255 and SF 254s that reflect the entire project team. Continuity of key personnel for the duration of the project will be essential. It is not necessary to re-submit information submitted in the slate selection process. GSA will establish the date these submittals are due and will provide new selection criteria for the interviews and final selection. The turnaround for the submission of the SF 255s and SF 254s will be within 3 weeks of the successful offerors' notification. This serves as notice to all interested firms that interviews will be conducted promptly after receipt of SF 254s and 255s: GSA plans to interview the short-listed firms in Chicago the week of 20 September. The selected prime A/E design firm will be responsible for providing a design for the new Federal Building U.S. Courthouse that will reflect the dignity of the Courts and the Federal Government while invoking community pride. This Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse should become an integral part of the Youngstown community. The selected prime A/E design firm will also balance the dichotomy between representing the open legal system in the United States and maintaining current security requirements. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court will occupy the majority of the building: the balance of the building will be standard administrative space pursuant to PQ100 standards. Approximate gross area, including enclosed parking, is approximately 50,000 square feet. Enclosed parking and surface parking is required. Estimated construction cost for this project is approximately $10,000,000. Professional services include the preparation of working drawings and specifications and may require special services such as: court design consultant, cost estimating, landscape/urban designer, interior design, acoustics, fire protection, detention hardware, and hazardous material. In addition: special studies, reports, planning, supplemental programming services (a program has previously been developed for this project), on-site surveys (including geotechnical surveys and analyses, topographical and boundary surveys), value engineering services, construction of courtroom "mock-up", construction observation services, and other design and testing procedures that are common in the construction industry will be provided if so requested by GSA. Where offerors propose in-house staff to provide special services, offerors should demonstrate that qualifications of in-house personnel are equivalent to that of a consultant. Inclusion of a certified fire protection engineer and a vertical transportation consultant on the design team is required. The lead architectural designer will be involved in selection of an artist and development of artwork with the architecture. Offerors must demonstrate capability to perform 35 percent of the design effort within the designated geographical area. The anticipated final A-E contract will include pre-design, schematic design, and design development services. The contract may include options for bidding services, tenant improvement services, and construction contract administration services. Construction documents may require single bid package or preparation of two or more separate bid packages. Construction may be achieved through the use of a Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc) also referred to as CM at Risk. The CMc will be involved in the design process to provide: construction expertise, estimating and cost information, and functionality and constructability reviews. The CMc may continue with construction by separately procuring subcontracts for construction. Design shall be hard metric (System International -- SI). Drawings shall be created and submitted in native AutoCAD, latest release. Drawings created in other CAD programs and then translated into AutoCAD are not acceptable. Formatting for electronic drawings shall be per GSA standards. Specifications, reports, databases, and similar items shall be submitted in native MSOffice 97 latest release format. The firm/joint venture shall update software versions at their own expense. This is open to both large and small business concerns in accordance with the Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program. In accordance with 15 USC 631 Et. Seq., the A-E will be required to provide the maximum practical opportunities to small, small woman-owned and small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to participate as subcontractors in the performance of the contract. The use of subcontractors/consultants shown in the Stage II SF 255 and SF 254 will be reflected in a Subcontracting Plan which will be included in the contract. The detailed plan is required to be submitted with the SF 255. Each individual firm will determine the minimum acceptable subcontracting target goals for this project. A small business criterion for each category is based on the contractor's average annual receipts for the proceeding three fiscal years. Contact your local SBA office for further information. Firms seeking consideration for this contract shall demonstrate a proactive effort to achieve the highest subcontracting goals possible for small business, women-owned small business, and small disadvantaged business concerns. Firms advancing to Stage II must also provide a brief written narrative of outreach efforts made to utilize small, disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses. The narrative shall not exceed one typewritten page. An acceptable subcontracting plan must be reviewed and approved by SBA prior to award of this contract. Small businesses are not subject to this requirement. Firms having the capabilities to perform the services described herein are invited to respond by submitting the requested information for Stage I only along with a letter of interest. To be considered, responses to this notice must be delivered by 3:00 p.m., local time, 13 August 1999, to the General Services Administration, Property Development Division (5PCO), 230 South Dearborn Street, Room 3512, DPN: 35-6, Chicago, IL 60604, Attention: Pam Wilczynski when responding to this announcement. The following information must be on the outside of each submittal package: (1) Solicitation number and title, (2) Due date, and (3) Closing time. Late responses are subject to FAR provision 52.215.1. Offerors should fully address their capability with regard to each of the above stated minimum requirements and evaluation factors. The top ranked firms will be recommended for development of Stage II proposals and interviews based on their written response to this announcement. A follow-up announcement shall be placed in this publication containing a list of the firms considered to be the most highly qualified. All other A/E firms and consultants interested in participating in the design team should submit only a one-page letter of interest that will be forwarded to the short-listed firms. Firms are advised that the Government intends to use a partnering process during the design and construction of this building. The proposed contract is not set aside for small business. This is not a request for a fee proposal. Posted 07/30/99 (W-SN361280). (0211)

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