Architectural and Engineering Services Independent School District #624
White Bear Lake Area Schools Overview: The White Bear Lake Area School District is facing a challenging demographic change in its enrollment patterns. There is growth occurring in the northern areas of the District while the southern portions are experiencing an ongoing decline. Most of the elementary schools are located in the southern portions of the District and it is anticipated that the northern elementary school, Hugo Elementary School, will lack the appropriate capacity to deliver the District’s educational programs to the students in the near future. White Bear Lake Area School District is looking for an architectural firm to partner with the District and prepare a recommendation to meet its changing demographics.
Timeline: Proposals are due in the Office of the Executive Director of Business Services, Room 300, District Center, 4855 Bloom Avenue, White Bear Lake, Minnesota no later than 10:00 AM, Tuesday May 13, 2003. Please provide ten copies of your proposal for review.
Proposals will be reviewed by District staff and successful candidates will be scheduled for interviews during May 27-29, 2003. Interview participants should include the personnel who will be performing the work for the District to include, but not limited to, the proposed Project Manager and design team members.
The District reserves the sole right to evaluate the qualifications submitted, waive any irregularities, reject any respondent’s proposals and select the firm that, in its judgment, will provide the most satisfactory professional service.
Required Qualifications: The firm must be able to demonstrate that they, and the personnel proposed for the project, have had recent experience with projects of a similar nature. References from four successful elementary facility projects including, if possible, analyses and recommendations of alternatives to new construction should accompany the proposal.
The firm must demonstrate understanding and experience in all areas of school planning and construction in Minnesota including all code and State agency submittal and permitting requirements. Designers must be licensed as required by Minnesota statute.
The proposal must include a listing of personnel that will be performing work for the District including resumes listing their qualifications and experience in performing similar work.
Minimum Scope of Services:
The firm will be required to work with the District to determine how best to meet the enrollment changes that are occurring within the District. This would include but not be limited to building capacity studies, assistance with demographic data analysis, participation on the District Facility Committee, and presentations to the community.
Should the decision be made to build an elementary facility, the firm will be required to work with the District in pre-referendum planning and support and to assist the District’s referendum funding process, including participation in community meetings.
If a building referendum is required and successful, the firm would be required to provide one of the following design models based on the District’s decision as to what is best for the District:
Typical services to include architectural, structural, mechanical and electrical engineering services, civil engineering services including site planning and parking lot design, landscape design services, interior design, food service design, and technology/low voltage design.
Design services that would include everything listed above except for mechanical and electrical engineering services and technology/low voltage services.
The scope of services should include all phases of design and construction including the following:
Schematic Design Phase:
Review, analyze and update owner’s programming needs and requirements to understand the requirements of the project and develop schematic design documents and preliminary cost estimates.
Develop alternatives for consideration.
In the event that the District chooses to utilize the services of a construction management firm, the architect will work with the construction manager in coordinating cost estimates and budget analysis.
In the event that the District chooses to utilize the services of a separate mechanical/electrical engineer, the firm will work with the ME in coordination to determine cost estimates and budget analysis.
Design Development Phase:
Provide design development documents for owner review and approval including updated cost estimates.
Provide all applicable code and compliance reviews including, but not limited to, ADA compliance and MN DCFL review and comment.
Construction Document Phase:
Provide owner approved construction documents for bidding.
Bidding Phase:
Assist the owner and construction management firm, if so decided, in obtaining bids.
Work with the owner, construction management firm, and the mechanical/electrical engineer, if so decided, to prepare all contracts for construction.
Construction Phase:
Provide method to be used to manage the project if a construction management firm is not used.
Provide methods of assistance for construction management firm, if the District chooses to use one.
Provide methods of coordination for the mechanical/ electrical engineering firm, if the District chooses to use one.
Proposal Contents:
Provide name and address of firm making the proposal for services and identify the single individual able to respond to questions regarding the proposal prior to the interview.
Provide a brief company history and organizational structure of the firm.
Provide information and references on the firm’s qualifications and experience in providing services to school districts, preferably in Minnesota, including projects completed within the past two years and projects currently underway.
Provide an organizational chart and resumes of key personnel within the firm including the resumes of any outside consultants that may be assigned to work on the District’s project.
Describe the firm’s in-house capabilities and the firm’s use of outside consultants and engineers.
Detail the firm’s current schedule of work and provide assurances that the firm has the resources to take on the District’s project.
Provide a typical timeline, based on your firm’s experiences, that illustrates the total time involved in the design and delivery process for a new educational facility project. Support the timeline with an actual example project. Specifically note your firm’s turnaround time requirements from the point of approval of the final design documents until the construction bid documents are issued.
Provide the District with the typical reporting tools used by the firm in its reporting to District Facility Committees and School Boards. Provide examples.
Describe the firm’s experience and willingness to work with construction management firms in design and completing educational facility projects. Give examples if possible.
Describe the firms experience and willingness to work with mechanical/electrical engineering firms in design and completing educational facility projects. Give examples if possible.
Provide an overview of the firm’s experience in submitting school district projects for review and comment with the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning and for obtaining necessary code reviews and permitting as required.
Detail the firm’s position and experience in designing and providing “Sustainable Designs”, Green Buildings, and high efficiency facilities.
Note any special or unique experiences and/or qualifications that your firm brings to this project.
Provide a typical fee proposal IN A SEPARATE ENVELOPE, SEALED AND CLEARLY MARKED “FEE PROPOSAL”, and clearly indicate what services are and are not included.
Provide an estimate of the fee separated into the three work phases identified in the proposal, namely:
Enrollment/capacity/demographics/GIS review
Pre-referendum planning
Design and construction services
Provide estimates for fee additional services not included in the typical fee proposal for basic services.
Provide estimates for fee reductions should the District contract separately for technology design and engineering services.
Include estimated for providing complete construction management services during construction and project closeout phases. Also estimate what fee reductions may occur should the District choose to use a construction management firm.
It is the intent of the District to obtain an approximate value of the fee at this early phase and the District reserves the right to negotiate with the selected firm of firms to finalize and refine the fee and project scope.
In the event that you have questions on your proposal contents, please contact Peter Willcoxon Sr., CPA, Executive Director of Business Services at 651-407-7515 or through e-mail at pwilco@wbl.whitebear.k12.mn.us.
