Request for Proposals for Architectural Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES

I. Background.

The Meherrin River Regional Jail Authority is seeking proposals for the design of two regional jail facilities to serve the counties of Brunswick, Dinwiddie and Mecklenburg. The larger facility will be in Brunswick County, and will have a rated capacity of 672 beds. The smaller facility will be in Mecklenburg County and will have a rated capacity of 126 beds. This will primarily be a pre-trial and work release facility. These two facilities will replace the existing jails in all three counties. The counties are currently paying to house inmates at other jails, and so the design schedule is an important issue, as both of the new facilities need to be opened as soon as possible.

The Authority has received an exemption from the moratorium on state participation in the funding of the construction by the Virginia General Assembly, and it is anticipated that the Commonwealth will reimburse the Authority for 50% of the eligible costs of construction. The Authority has prepared a Community-Based Corrections Plan and Planning Study, both of which were done by Moseley Architects, and these plans have been submitted to the Department of Corrections for approval. The Community- Based Corrections Plan was approved in July of this year and the Planning Study is waiting approval. Copies of both plans are available for inspection.

II. Process for Submitting Proposals.

Sealed proposals will be due in the office of Charlette Woolridge, County Administrator of Brunswick County and Chair of the Authority, no later than 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 26, 2008. The proposals shall be marked “Design Proposals for Meherrin River Regional Jail” on the outside. Eight copies of the proposal shall be submitted. Proposals should be limited to 25 pages. Proposals shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

a. Background of the design firm in general.

b. Experience in designing local government buildings in Virginia.

c. Experience in designing jails and/or regional jails in Virginia. d. The names and backgrounds of the person who will be the primary design professional on this project, and the names and backgrounds of the other design professionals.

e. Whether the engineering work on this project will be done in house or through a subcontractor. If in house, the background of the engineers who will be assigned to this project, and if through a subcontractor, the background and experience of that firm and the persons who will be assigned to the project.

f. The names of the persons or firms who will be other subcontractors on this project, and their experience and backgrounds, such as security, food and detention contractors.

g. References from at least five projects in which the firm has been the lead design professional and which the firm feels would be most relevant to this project.

h. The experience of the design firm with the Virginia Department of Corrections and projects which are eligible for 50% state reimbursement.

i. A proposed schedule for design.

Since this is a Request for Proposals for professional services under the Virginia Public Procurement Act, the proposals should not contain any information regarding the cost of the design contract.

III. Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals.

The proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. The capacity of the firm to design a regional jail facility.

2. The experience and capability of the persons in the firm who will be assigned to this project.

3. The experience of the firm in working with the Virginia Department of Corrections.

4. The ability of the firm to provide both design services and engineering services, either through it own employees or through subcontractors.

5. The cost of the services. 6. The design schedule.

IV. Process for Evaluating Proposals.

Following the receipt of proposals, the Authority shall engage in individual discussions with two or more offerors deemed fully qualified, responsible and suitable on the basis of initial responses and with emphasis on professional competence, to provide the required services. The offerors shall be encouraged to elaborate on their qualifications and performance data or staff expertise pertinent to the proposed project. At the discussion stage, the Authority may discuss non-binding estimates of total project costs, including estimates of price for services.

At the conclusion of discussion, on the basis of the above criteria and any information developed in the selection process to this point, the Authority shall select in order of preference two or more offerors whose professional qualifications and proposed services are deemed most meritorious. Negotiations shall then be conducted, beginning with the offeror ranked first. If a contract satisfactory and advantageous to the Authority can be negotiated at a price considered fair and reasonable, the award shall be made to that offeror. Otherwise, negotiations with the offeror ranked first shall be formally terminated and negotiations conducted with the offeror ranked second, and so on, until such a contract can be negotiated. Should the Authority decide in its sole discretion that only one offeror is fully qualified, or that one offeror is clearly more highly qualified and suitable than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror.

In negotiations regarding the terms of the contract, the Authority has no legal authority to indemnify the offeror. Firms submitting proposals agree that they will not ask the Authority to indemnify them in any resulting contract.

V. Questions.

Any interested person who has a question about the project or the Request for Proposal may contact the Authority’s general counsel, William H. Hefty, at (804) 780-3143 or write him at Hefty & Wiley, P.C., Suite 230 Old City Hall, 1001 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23219.