CAYUGA COUNTY, NEW YORK REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS STERLING NATURE CENTER CONCEPTUAL DESIGN & DESIGN SERVICES Issue Date: March 27, 2018 Qualifications Due: April 24, 2018, 3:00PM Respond to: Cayuga County Office Building Planning & Economic Development Department 160 Genesee Street; 5 th Floor Auburn, New York 13021 Attention: David Nelson Planner
Contents 1.0 Introduction and Background 1 2.0 Services Requested.. 3 3.0 Project Timeline 4 4.0 Criteria for Selecting Qualified Design Consultant.. 4 5.0 Statement of Qualifications Submission Requirements 6 6.0 General Information and Submission Requirements. 8 7.0 County Reserves Right to Utilize this RFQ for Other Projects... 9
1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Cayuga County (the County ) is soliciting Statement of Qualifications ( SOQ ) submittals for professional design services associated with the Sterling Nature Center, a 1,400 acre county-owned park and nature preserve located on the shores of Lake Ontario (see map on next page). More specifically, the County intends to select and engage a qualified firm and build a working relationship with a team of creative, capable, and proven design professionals who can provide ongoing project design and development services, assisting the County and its dedicated staff as we work toward implementing the goals, objectives, projects, and programs outlined in the recently adopted 2016 2025 Sterling Nature Center Functional Management Plan (see link below). The Sterling Nature Center, established in 2000, is a valuable asset in Cayuga County, providing opportunities for recreation, preservation, and environmental education. These opportunities are manifested in diverse offerings including programming, events, curation, a great blue heron rookery, and nine miles of trails. Overall, the Sterling Nature Center welcomes more than 35,000 visitors each year. The 2016 2025 Sterling Nature Center Functional Management Plan is our most recent comprehensive plan for this County park. In addition to outlining the basic organizational and management structure, this plan identifies strategies to grow and improve the Sterling Nature Center. The greatest challenge to growth, as identified in the Plan, is the existing Interpretive Building. Known as the Jensvold House, the building is a 19 th century farmhouse that has been converted and piecemeal expanded into the Sterling Nature Center s gift shop, offices, meeting space, and exhibit space. Limited space and constant need for repairs keep the Sterling Nature Center from reaching its full potential. As a result, the Plan identifies the replacement of the Jensvold House with a modern, state-of-the-art Interpretive Building as the top priority moving forward. A copy of the Plan is available for viewing on the Cayuga County Parks and Trails website at: http://www.cayugacounty.us/portals/0/planning/sterling%20nature%20center%2 0Functional%20Management%20Plan.pdf. 1
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2.0 SERVICES REQUESTED The County is soliciting submission of Statement of Qualifications ( SOQ ) from architecture and landscape architecture firms with nature center experience to provide conceptual design services, a space needs assessment, and associated cost estimates. Specifically, the County plans to construct a new Interpretive Building that provides a high-quality educational experience, as well as adequate space for offices, exhibits, storage and staging areas, flexible classroom/event rooms, and ancillary uses. The building will serve as a visual entry point and gateway to the Sterling Nature Center and will be situated in a location that is accessible and maximizes the views of Lake Ontario and/or the Sterling Nature Center s Dragonfly Pond. Most importantly, the building should utilize green technology that saves operational and maintenance costs while serving as a flagship project for the County s commitment to renewable energy. The SOQ should demonstrate the ability to provide a conceptual design that closely aligns with the major goals of the Sterling Nature Center 2016 2025 Functional Management Plan, including the following themes: LEED Certification The conceptual design should include green technology elements that will result in LEED certification. Natural Setting - The conceptual design should incorporate innovative natural materials and components that are consistent with and complementary of the rural and forest setting. Sustainability The conceptual design should allow for long-term maintenance ease and ensure the realization and perpetuation of the design intent. Additionally, the space needs assessment should include the square footage necessary for personnel, classrooms, exhibit space, and storage space. The cost estimates should be detailed and appropriate for the County to use in future grant applications. All work will be coordinated with and reviewed by the Conceptual Design Review Committee. 3
3.0 PROJECT TIMELINE The County has established the following timeline for the RFQ: March 27, 2018 April 24, 2018, 3:00 pm April 30 May 4, 2018 May 14 May 18, 2018 May 21 May 25, 2018 TBD RFQ Released Applications due Ranking of finalists Finalist interviews Notification of Award Intent & Negotiation of Contract Legislative Approval of Contract Execution The County expects to execute a contract with the selected consultant this calendar year (2018). Though the scope and term of the contract will negotiated, it is anticipated that the scope will be approximately six (6) months. The selected consultant will be expected to attend approximately three (3) meetings with the Conceptual Design Review Committee and make one (1) presentation of the completed work to the Cayuga County Parks & Trails Commission. 4.0 CRITERIA FOR SELECTING QUALIFIED DESIGN CONSULTANT The County has organized a RFQ Review Committee that includes members of the County Parks Commission, Parks Staff, County Planning Staff, Legislators, and other interested parties. The RFQ Review Committee will review all complete submissions, rank the proposals/firms based on the evaluation criteria listed in section 4.1 below, and make a recommendation to the Parks Commission and the County Legislature on a preferred firm. Following identification of a preferred firm, the County will work with that consultant to negotiate a specific contract for services and a mutually agreeable fee for the work. The RFQ Review Committee will utilize the following criteria in evaluating and selecting a qualified design consultant for this project: 4
4.1 Prior Relevant Experience (25%) a. Firm s experience on similar public nature/education center projects best illustrating current qualifications for the work expressed in this RFQ. A minimum of three projects of similar scope completed in the last five years must be submitted. b. Firm s experience coordinating with project partners. 4.2 Past Performance (25%) a. Quality, clarity, completeness, and accuracy of contract documents and design contracts. b. Accuracy of cost estimates including contractor s requisitions for payment and change order proposals. The County will want to know, and see documentation confirming, that the firm has a track record of reliable and realistic project cost estimating. c. Documentation that buildings designed by the firm have: demonstrated innovation in sustainability and green technology; stood up well to public use; have not proved difficult or impossible to maintain; and have added true and lasting value to the public realm. d. Management ability to meet project schedules. 4.3 Approach to Project Design and Development (25%) a. The County is seeking to understand the firm s fundamental approach to the design and development of educational buildings and public spaces, including but not limited to: i. Approach to development of design language suitable to site and setting; ii. Approach to detail and standards; iii. Approach to design relative to operations and maintenance; and iv. Approach to value-added design, engineering and budget development. b. Firm s understanding of the Project s geographic area and existing conditions. 5
4.4 Project Team Member Qualifications (15%) a. Identity, experience, and qualifications of the persons and/or subcontractors who will be assigned to provide the professional services. b. Involvement of persons assigned to provide professional services in representative projects listed in the firm s experience and alignment of skills to the anticipated work. c. Ability to meet Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) participation goals. 4.5 Other Criteria (10%) a. The overall creativity of the firm and the quality of the firm s design work. b. The firm s skill set in providing attractive, aspirational, and compelling project graphics and presentational materials, as well as the firm s presentation skills, all of which the County will utilize to secure project support, favor, and funding. All evaluation criteria will be used to review the qualifications of all persons or firms who will be employed by the consultant. The County reserves the right to reject the use of any consultant or subcontractor and require the successful applicant to substitute a consultant or subcontractor reasonably acceptable to the County. 5.0 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 5.1 Firm / Proposal Information Required. All SOQ proposals shall include the following information: 5.1.1 Name of Firm. 5.1.2 Name of Proposed Manager for Professional Services. 5.1.3 Date Present and Predecessor Firms were established. 5.1.4 Name of Principal-In-Charge of the Professional Services. 6
5.1.5 Identify if the Firm is a NYS-designated Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and/or Woman Business Enterprise (WBE). 5.1.6 Provide an Organizational Chart of Individuals/Disciplines that will be assigned to provide professional services. 5.1.7 Provide Brief Résumés of the primary personnel who will be assigned to provide professional services; must be consistent with Organizational Chart provided in 5.1.6 above. 5.2 Submission Requirements for Evaluation of Qualifications. Please present the Firm s qualifications for RFQ Committee evaluation organized and structured to follow and address the review criteria outlined in Sections 4.1 through 4.5 of this RFQ. The materials submitted may be presented in any manner desired, however, the SOQ submittal must provide the following portfolio materials and information: 5.2.1 Provide a portfolio or other means of presenting the current and relevant work by the firm. Please include only that work which best illustrates the Firm s qualifications to provide the professional services related to the project. The work examples provided must also detail: a. Project Name, Location, and Principal-In-Charge; b. Brief Description of the Project and Services; c. Client s Name, Address, and Phone Number (Include Name of Contact Person); d. Completion Date (actual or estimated); e. Project Cost, including: i. Construction Costs (actual, or estimated if not completed); ii. Fee for Work for Which Firm was Responsible. 7
5.2.2 If there will be a Sub-Consultant providing a portion of the professional services, provide representative sub-consultant projects including items 5.2.1 (a-e) above. 5.2.3 Please see Section 6.0 for additional SOQ submission requirements. 6.0 GENERAL INFORMATION AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 6.1 Statement of Qualifications Proposals should be delivered on or before April 24, 2018, 3:00pm. Postmarks will not be considered. SOQ submittals received after the deadline will not be considered. 6.2 Seven (7) copies of the sealed SOQ Proposal, as well as a copy in PDF file format on a CD, must be received at Cayuga County Office Building, Planning and Economic Development Department, 5 th Floor, 160 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021, Attention: David Nelson, Planner; on or before the time indicated in Section 6.1 of this RFQ. 6.3 Questions concerning this RFQ must be submitted in writing to: David Nelson, Planner, Cayuga County Planning and Economic Development, Cayuga County Office Building, 5 th Floor, 160 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021, email: dnelson@cayugacounty.us. Questions may be delivered or emailed. Written responses will be mailed or emailed to all firms on record as having received this RFQ. 6.4 The County may cancel this RFQ, or reject in whole or in part any and all SOQ Proposals, if the County determines that cancellation or rejection serves the best interests of the County. 6.5 The Statement of Qualifications Proposal must be signed as follows: 1.) If the firm is an individual, by him/her personally; 2.) If the firm is a partnership, by the name of the partnership, followed by the signature of each general partner; or 3.) If the firm is a corporation, by the authorized officer. 8
6.6 Firms must bear all costs associated with their SOQ Proposals including preparation, copying, postage, and delivery costs. The County will not be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by firms responding to this RFQ. 7.0 COUNTY RESERVES RIGHT TO UTILIZE THIS RFQ FOR OTHER PROJECTS 7.1 It is the County s intent to use this RFQ process to secure a qualified firm to provide conceptual design for a new interpretive building at the Sterling Nature Center. The County wishes to reserve, by inclusion of this clause 7.1, the right to rely on the RFQ procurement process outlined herein and undertaken by the County, to extend and engage the professional services procured under the resulting professional services contract to other Sterling Nature Center projects, pending the mutual agreement of the selected Firm and the County Legislature. 9