2026-09-04_City of Buffalo DPW Bldgs_CityCourt-Program+SpacePlan_RFP.pdf

65 NIAGARA SQUARE / 616 CITY HALL / BUFFALO, NY 14202-3373 / (716) 851-5850 / FAX: (716) 851-4080

SEAN M. RYAN, MAYOR

Request for Proposals (RFP) For Architectural, Interior Design, and Environmental Services City Court Building Program of Space, Space Plan, and Conceptual Design

50 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202 September 8, 2026

The Department of Public Works, Buildings Division is soliciting proposals for professional architectural, historic preservation, and interior design services for programming and space planning of the City Court Building. Services will include conceptual design and presentation to the Buffalo Preservation Board.

An optional, on site meeting is planned for Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 5:00 P.M.

Registration is required. To register, email Vince Dugo: vdugo@buffalony.gov.

The deadline for response submission is Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 2:00 P.M. Submit electronic files of less than 20MB to: vdugo@buffalony.gov, or deliver on portable media to:

Department of Public Works, City Hall Room 502, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Scope of Work Overview ............................................................................................................................................. Page 1 Intent ................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 2 Detailed Scope of Work ..............................................................................................................................................Page 3 RFP Response Requirements .................................................................................................................................. Page 6 Contract Compliance Requirements ................................................................................................................... Page 7 Instructions for Consultants Submitting Proposals ....................................................................................... Page 7

Evaluation ......................................................................................................................................................................... Page 7 Schedules and Attachments .................................................................................................................................... Page 9

LIST OF SCHEDULES AND ATTACHMENTS:

Schedule A: City of Buffalo Insurance Requirements Schedule B: Fee Proposal Form Schedule C: Rates of Service Form

SCOPE OF WORK OVERVIEW

The City of Buffalo Department of Public Works, Buildings Division (the DPW or the City) is requesting proposals from professional architectural and interior design services to evaluate, program, and develop comprehensive space planning strategies for Buffalo City Courts, located at 50 Delaware Ave in Buffalo.

Concurrently, the team developed by respondents should show capability and experience in historic preservation consulting for a final determination of eligibility and conducting mailto:vdugo@buffalony.gov

Buffalo City Court Building Program of Space, Space Plan, and Conceptual Design presentations to the Buffalo Preservation Board or a similar entity. The report developed as a result of this process will provide the framework necessary to guide a future whole-building renovation, develop a capital budget, phasing plan, and schedule, and establish initial approval from the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA).

The Buffalo City Court Building is located at 50 Delaware Avenue on the historic Niagara Square near the historic Buffalo City Hall. Thie site is prominent and meaningful to the sense of a City of Buffalo civic center. The building was developed during the early 1970s and displays characteristics associated with the Brutalist movement of that period. It was designed by the architectural firm Pfohl, Roberts and Biggie. It is an anchor on the Square.

The property is within the boundaries of the City's Ellicott Square Historic District. However, the courthouse is not recorded within the New York State Cultural Resources Information System (CRIS) as listed, eligible, or non-contributing to the district. It was constructed outside the current period of significance and developed during the urban renewal initiatives of the 1970s. This status must be verified with the SHPO.

Despite its exclusion from the Ellicott District listing of buildings on the CRIS, it may have some local interest to Buffalo-based preservation organizations and to members of the Buffalo Preservation Board. The selected consultant should be prepared to present up to three proposed conceptual design options to the Office of the Mayor and the Preservation Board. Upon approval, proposed solutions will be presented publicly.

INTENT

The City’s goals are to:

• Increase building life safety and security features,

• Define current and future space needs,

• Improve operational efficiency,

• Develop three OCA Facilities Standards complaint space planning solutions,

• Improve the building experience for court users,

• Understand the current baseline Energy Use Intensity (EUI), and present achievable strategies to significantly improve upon the baseline.

• Plan for phased construction of an occupied building,

• Plan for move-management during and following construction,

• Understand impacts of community interest in building preservation,

• Develop three conceptual design options,

• Understand the need for capital spending by including third-party cost estimation, and

• Understand the opportunities for funding partnerships by identifying grant opportunities.

The consultant will work closely with the DPW and Court Administration officials to translate functional requirements into a Program of Spaces and conceptual planning solutions. This effort will inform the City’s capital investments for a building renovation.

Exterior site and envelope improvements and improvements to life-safety, fire prevention, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems will be incorporated into a final report. A rough-order-of-magnitude cost estimate will accompany the report.

Consultants exhibiting strong experience with courthouse programming, space planning, recommended practices in judicial architectural planning services will be considered among the most qualified.

DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK

Kick-off Meet with DPW project manager and court representatives to confirm the project scope.

Develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) within five business days. The selected consultant will:

• Provide a detailed list of anticipated scope and milestone submissions.

• Provide a list of the deliverables associated with each milestone submission.

• Provide a schedule showing anticipated dates for the completion of key milestones.

• Present MOU and milestone schedule to Courts and OCA representatives, the DPW project manager, and the Office of the Commissioner/Deputy Commissioner.

Study

1. Review existing documentation and building condition report.

2. Perform stakeholder engagement for judicial, non-judicial, public, security, police, partner agencies, and O&M programming activities to define current and future operational requirements, staffing needs, adjacencies, circulation patterns, and space requirements.

a. Prepare a comprehensive Program of Spaces and facility utilization analysis with consideration of best practices in courthouse planning and in accordance with the New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) Facilities Standards.

i. Evaluate opportunities to improve operational efficiency, user experience, life safety, security, accessibility, sustainability, and building energy performance/reduction of the building’s EUI.

b. Develop diagrams of adjacencies and relationships in a manner that indicates the relative size of each type of space.

i. Present findings and respond to comments.

3. Develop initial block plans for review, present findings and respond to comments.

4. Develop conceptual renovation and modernization strategies, including recommendations for building systems, envelope improvements, and site enhancements.

a. Develop three conceptual design alternatives illustrating the proposed renovation scope: basic renovation to meet OCA Standards, full building renovation to modernize the building and improve the envelope, and full building renovation including an exterior renovation.

b. Provide an associated opinion of ROM cost for each proposed solution.

c. Prepare a conceptual phasing plan including occupancy strategies necessary to maintain court operations during construction. Swing-space and move-management recommendations will be provided for the building’s current and any planned additional users.

Program of Spaces The program of spaces will include, but not be limited to, the following preliminary program areas, systems, and functions:

Judicial

• New York State Supreme Court

• 8th Judicial District

• Attorney/Client meeting spaces

• Hearing Rooms

Non-Judicial

• Offices o Criminal o Courts o Chief Clerk’s office o Court Attorney

• Childcare Partnering Agencies

• Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Inc

• Erie County o District Attorney Office o Probation Department o Sheriff – see below

Security

• Offices

• Surveillance/communication

• Screening stations

• Vehicular access and flow

Erie County Sheriff/incarcerated transport

• Secure offices and control

• Staff amenities

• Holding

Public amenities

• Lobbies

• Vertical transportation

• Public restrooms

• Waiting areas

Building maintenance and operations (O&M)

• Vertical transportation

• Secure and non-secure IT/network infrastructure

• Mechanical/electrical spaces

• Storage and staging areas

Deliverables Design Report including an Executive Summary of Recommendations, narrative details of the study, phasing/swing space/move-management narratives, capital implementation strategies, and attachments.

Capital implementation strategies will identify an implementation schedule and potential funding opportunities.

Attachments will include but not be limited to: a program of space, conceptual design plans and visualizations for three options including interior and exterior views, meeting minutes, ROM cost estimates for three options.

Presentation of up to three conceptual designs and renovations of exterior treatment alternatives to the Office of the Mayor, the Office of Court Administration, Erie County stakeholders, and the general public, as decided by the City’s representative(s).

Closeout documents described below.

Existing Documentation

1. CAD files are available for this building.

2. There are completed studies, surveys and/or preliminary feasibility work relevant to the project and available at this time. The most current Building Conditions Report is dated 2023.

Schedule Anticipated project target dates:

Anticipated NTP / Design Phase Start December 2026 Presentations as scheduled per phase Final Report July 2027

Contract Closeout Phase Upon completion of programming, space planning, conceptual design, and reporting scope, the Consultant shall provide the Final Report and the files used to develop the report, including building scans and Revit files, to the City. The documents will be provided on portable media for City’s use. Records shall include meeting minutes, programs of spaces, interview documents, field notes, testing reports, photographs, plans and options, estimates, and other documents produced while working on this project. The portable media must be indexed and files labeled to correspond with index.

RFP RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

General: Maximum response length is up to 15 sheets, double sided (30 pages total). Label the response envelope: Proposal: City Court Program of Space, Space Plan, and Conceptual Design

Response format:

• The following will not count toward the total page limitation:

1. Cover Page, including the Consultant’s primary contact’s name and email address.

2. Letter of Interest (Cover Letter): provide a cover letter or letter of interest. The letter may include a summary reference to the firm’s background, experience, and approach to the project. Identify the individual in charge and the individual(s) who will produce the work with the best experience of a similar nature.

3. Table of Contents, responding to items 1 through 6 below, preferably including links to the referenced section and back to the TOC.

• The following will count toward the total page limitation:

1. Firm overview, including the relevant services to be completed in-house, and the business names, MWBE status, and scope anticipated to be completed by subconsultants.

2. Relevant experience, including four to six projects of similar scope and size, completed within the previous seven years. Include project size in square feet of space analyzed and number of departments considered. Half page profiles are acceptable if space is limited.

3. Project team organizational chart and resumes of key staff to be assigned, including professional licensure and/or certifications, years of experience, relevant project names, and brief project descriptions. Half page resumes are acceptable if space is limited.

4. Project Approach: maximum four pages in length, including an understanding of the City’s intent, the steps the firm/team will take to deliver the scope, the firm’s/team’s quality review process, and any unique capabilities or approaches.

5. Diversity commitment, including percentages of the overall contract value to be completed by M/WBE subconsultants, and firm policies that support workforce diversity and community involvement.

a) Minority and Female Business Opportunities: provide relevant information with respect to subcontracting with Minority or Women Owned Business Enterprises.

b) Workforce diversity: describe any programs or actions to attract, recruit, train, retain and promote youth, minority, women, or aged candidates including hiring or mentorship programs.

c) Community Involvement: describe programs or initiatives that further the development of minority or women-owned business enterprises or increased minority/female workforce in the City of Buffalo.

2) References: include three professional references with client name, project name, and client contact.

Under separate cover/file:

General: This section will not count toward the maximum page count. Label the response file: Fee Proposal: City Court Building Program of Space, Space Plan, and Conceptual Design. The Fee proposals will be opened following initial evaluation and will be part of the City’s consideration during final selection.

The Consultant should provide:

1. Schedule B: Fee proposal.

A. Attach a proposed fee summary showing the proposed fee with anticipated hours, an anticipated percentage of the overall fee, anticipated reimbursable costs, total proposed fee, and potential fee exclusions.

B. Attach a detailed proposed fee table of anticipated tasks, resources and rates, the number of hours anticipated by each staff for each task, and the roll up by subtotal and total fee.

2. Schedule C: 2026 hourly rates for each of the titles identified, including a table of 3% escalation for one year.

A. Subconsultant rates should not be included.

CONTRACT COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

1. Insurance requirements according to Schedule A.

2. The MWBE program requires that economic opportunities associated with City of Buffalo projects prioritize the meaningful participation of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). The prime consultant must, to the greatest extent feasible, make good-faith efforts to achieve the established MBE and WBE participation goals. The benchmark goals for each project are as follows: 20% of the total contract value shall be performed by MBE certified firms, and 5% shall be performed by WBE certified firms, for a combined total of 25% of the project.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONSULTANTS SUBMITTING PROPOSALS

1. Deadline for submission is: Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 2:00 P.M., via email.

Submit electronic copy to vdugo@buffalony.gov.

• Maximum file size is 20 MB

• Electronic file naming convention: YYYY-MM-DD_Name of Firm_CoB DPW Bldgs_CityCourt Prog.SpacePlan.pdf

2. Please direct all requests for additional information or clarifications to this Request for Proposal in writing to vdugo@buffalony.gov by Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 2:00 P.M.

• Responses will be provided by addendum on or before September 30, 2026 by the end of the day.

EVALUATION

The objective of this solicitation is to enable the City to select a respondent capable of delivering best-value services to the residents of Buffalo. The City will consider proposals from respondents that, in its judgment, demonstrate the capability and commitment to provide high-quality services in response to the scope outlined in this RFQ. Qualification Statements will be evaluated based on, among other factors, the experience of the firm and its proposed team. The final evaluation will consider:

1. Project approach ....................................................................................................................... 35%

2. Relevant experience of team/resumes of key personnel/availability ................. 30%

3. Fee .................................................................................................................................................... 10%

4. Minority/women business opportunities and diversity commitment ................. 10%

5. Quality control process ........................................................................................................... 10%

6. References ....................................................................................................................................... 5%

Proposals must meet the objectives and requirements detailed in this RFP to be considered.

Selection will be based on the Qualifications Statements deemed most advantageous, considering the totality of the evaluation factors outlined above. An award will be made that is in the best interest of the City and its residents. Successful respondents will be determined through a comprehensive evaluation of the submitted proposals by a selection committee.

The City reserves the right to reject any or all responses.

Schedule A: City of Buffalo Insurance Requirements

The CONSULTANT shall secure policies of Workman's Compensation & NYS Disability, Professional Liability, General and Automobile Liability Insurance, and maintain said policies in force during the life of this contract in the limits set forth:

Workman's Compensation Insurance & NYS Disability:

This contract shall be void and of no effect unless the CONSULTANT shall secure Workman's Compensation Insurance for the benefit of, and keep insured during the life of this contract, such employees as are necessary to be insured in compliance with the provisions of the State of New York workmen's Compensation Law.

General Liability:

With respect to all operations the CONSULTANT shall carry Commercial General Liability insurance providing for a minimum limit of two million dollars ($2,000,000) per occurrence and aggregate for all damages arising out of bodily injury, personal injury, property damage, products/completed operations, and contractual liability coverage for the indemnification provided under this contract.

Automobile Insurance:

With respect to any owned, non-owned, or hired vehicles the CONSULTANT shall carry Automobile Liability insurance providing for a minimum limit of one million dollars ($1,000,000) per accident for bodily injury and property damage.

Professional Liability:

With respect to any damage caused by an error, omission or any negligent acts of the CONSULTANT, the CONSULTANT shall carry Professional Liability insurance providing two million dollars ($2,000,000).

All policies of insurance required by this contract shall be provided and maintained at no cost or expense to the CITY and shall name the City of Buffalo as an Additional Insured and Certificate Holder with respect to the CONSULTANT'S activities. Professional Liability, Workmen's Compensation and NYS Disability Insurance shall name the City of Buffalo as a Certificate Holder.

All policies of insurance shall be provided by a company or companies authorized to do business in the State of New York. Before commencing the work, the CONSULTANT shall furnish to the CITY a certificate of insurance, and shall thereafter provide renewal certificates, as appropriate, evidencing such coverage written by a company or companies acceptable to the CITY. All certificates of insurance shall be subject to the approval of the Corporation Counsel of the City as to form and of the Comptroller of the City as to sufficiency. Such certificates and renewal certificates shall provide for a notice of cancellation, change, lapse or restrictive amendment by certified or registered mail at least thirty (30) days.

Any contractor or subcontractor performing work under this contract shall procure and maintain statutory insurance and other insurance as determined by the CONSULTANT so as to properly cover the liability of the CONSULTANT, contractor and subcontractor(s). The policy limits shall be the same as required of the CONSULTANT and the certificates of insurance shall be delivered to the CONSULTANT.

NOTES

All Certificates MUST indicate and spell out City of Buffalo as additional insured where indicated and spell out the Address as 65 Niagara Square, ROOM 502 Certificates MUST be submitted within (1) week of contract award letter.

Schedule B: Fee Proposal Form

City Court Program, Space Plan, and Conceptual Design

PHASE LUMP SUM FEE

/ COST

ANTICIPATED

HOURS

PERCENT OF

OVERALL FEE

City Court Program of Spaces Space Plan Conceptual Design Presentations Final Report

SUBTOTAL

CONTINGENCY 5%

Approximate Reimbursable Costs

PHASE 1.A. FEE

NOTES

1. The above fee schedule shall be fully completed and included with your proposal.

2. Upon contract, payments will be made monthly or at the cadence invoiced based on the percent completion of each task. In the event a task is no longer required or the project is canceled, the Consultant shall be paid for work completed.

3. The scope of work listed in this RFP supersedes the scope described within responses, except where the RFP has been modified by addendum, or where written documentation is provided by the Consultant within their response pertaining to the scope excluded.

Schedule C: Rates of Service Form – 2026 through 2032 City Court Program, Space Plan, and Conceptual Design

Title Scope* 2027 2028

*Note: scope should identify duties such as: administrative, site/civil, structural, architectural, MEP/FP, etc.

Note: please provide as many titles/rows the firm finds necessary to complete the scope.