I. Falls LPOE PreProposal Agenda.pdf

Preproposal Conference/Site Visit Agenda GSA Solicitation No. RFP 47PF0023R0049 Time/Date: 1:00pm Central Time, Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Location: Backus Community Center, 900 5th Street, International Falls, MN 56649, Conference Room 101. Followed by a walk-through of the project site.

The purpose of this Preproposal Conference and Site Visit is to discuss the Request for Proposal (RFP) 47PF0023R0049, issued on May 1, 2024, for Construction Manager as Constructor (CMc) Services for the International Falls Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Project.

The goal of this Conference is to answer any questions regarding the RFP, provide an understanding of the proposal structure, as well as a brief overview of the proposal submission requirements and evaluation criteria, provide guidance from the Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and present the scope of work for the International Falls LPOE Project. The Conference will also provide additional information regarding the Inflation Reduction Act funding aspect of the project.

A copy of the agenda, sign-in sheet, and presentation(s) will be posted to the soliciation’s SAM.gov posting following the conference and site visit. The notes are not intended to reiterate everything discussed in the meeting, but identify those points that may affect an offerors’ understanding of the upcoming solicitation.

Please be aware that no oral statement made by the Government Representatives during the Conference will have the effect of amending the upcoming solicitation. If discussions during the Conference conflict with any documents issued in the solicitation, GSA requests an RFI be submitted for a potential amendment to the RFP, which will be required to be issued in writing.

All amendments must be acknowledged by the time/date proposals are due. Currently there are no amendments to the solicitation.

AGENDA

Presentation:

● Introductions - Project Team

○ Contracting Officer: Anna Vanko, anna.vanko@gsa.gov

○ Contract Specialist: Ulyana Ivankiv, ulyana.ivankiv@gsa.gov

○ Project Manager: Seth LaRocque

○ Project Management Specialists: Josh Dykes

○ CORs: Brad Taplick, Mark Spann

○ Project Sponsor: Don Melcher

○ Property Manager: Julie Peterson

○ Architect: Snow Kreilich Architects

○ CMa/CxP: Jacobs Technology

● Project Stakeholders

○ Federal Government

○ City of International Falls

○ City of Fort Frances

○ Koochiching County

○ Local citizens, businesses, and community organizations

○ Packaging Corporation of America

○ Minnesota, Dakota, and Western (MD&W) Railway (part of PCA)

○ Aazhogan LP - Bridge Owners

○ Duty Free America

○ Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources

○ Minnesota Dept of Transportation

○ ...and many others

● CMc as a Project Partner

○ We seek another strong partner to join our team!

○ Project Mission Statement: Create a welcoming gateway to the International Falls community and our Nation that is secure, resilient, and restorative.

○ Shared Goals:

■ We will resolve pending issues within an average of 30 days of identification

■ Achieve Level 5 for Schedule Variance Measure

■ CPARS - Exceptional for all prime contractors

■ Exceed baseline sustainability goals & achieve net zero

■ Define and exceed minimum threshold for community engagement

○ Refer to Section I.B of the CMc SOW (to be included in the solicitation) for the full list of specific project objectives.

● CMc Responsibilities and Expectations - Design Phase

○ Partnering with Project Team

○ Constructability reviews

○ Cost Estimating and Value Engineering

○ Sourcing Materials (IRA)

○ Developing Early Bid Package(s)

○ Schedule Development

○ Mock-ups and testing

○ Refining the scope to stay within the GMP

○ Attracting subcontractor workforce

○ Establishing the Project Labor Agreement

○ ...and more. Refer to the CMc SOW for the full requirements

● CMc Responsibilities and Expectations - Construction Phase

○ Proactive and Collaborative Planning

○ Phasing construction activity to limit disruption

○ Delivering the project on schedule

○ Directing subcontractor work force

○ Submitting and following detailed work plans

○ Managing the GMP contract

○ Procuring labor, materials, and equipment

○ Monitoring and controlling risks

○ Coordinating with other stakeholders for gov’t furnished items

○ Understanding and following contract drawings, specifications, and other relevant documents

○ ...and more. Refer to the CMc SOW for the full requirements.

● Project Background & Overview

○ Existing Land Port of Entry (LPOE) sits at the foot of the International Bridge on a small, constrained site.

○ Building and site are currently too small to allow Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to operate effectively.

○ Current project intends to expand the LPOE program by building new facilities on a

20-acre site to be purchased along the Rainy River.

○ Project is currently at an early design stage. The construction must be completed no later 2029.

○ GSA intends to issue a solicitation for construction services (CMc) in April 2024.

○ The project is funded primarily through two major Federal programs, the Bipartisan

Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

● Budget Overview

○ Total Estimated Cost of Construction at Award (ECCA): $175M to 195M

○ Additional Funding will be provided by tenant agencies for Furniture Fixtures and

Equipment (FF&E) and will be awarded as additional scope via change order(s)

○ Some portions of this contract will be awarded as Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and some as a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP).

○ Costs will need to be submitted and tracked separately for IRA scope items

○ Contractor’s Contingency Allowance (CCA) can not exceed 3%

○ Shared Savings: CMc receives 40%

○ Team is currently applying for a DOE AFFECT grant (up to $10M). We encourage CMc to seek out and apply for additional grant funding during the design phase to help reduce out of pocket costs

● Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Overview

○ Enacted in 2021 to fund various Federal projects and programs

○ Focuses on six objectives:

○ Facilitating trade and mitigating future supply chain challenges

○ Creating jobs and growing the economy

○ Incorporating sustainability features to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

○ Improving the human experience

○ Strengthening community livability and advancing community goals

○ Becoming a model for sustainability and innovation

○ For GSA, the budget included $3.4B for 26 Land Port of Entry (LPOE) projects on the northern and southern borders

○ The IFalls LPOE Project was originally funded via the BIL

● Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Overview

○ Enacted in 2022 to fund various Federal projects and programs

○ Focuses on achieving the following goals:

○ Lowering energy costs for families and small businesses

○ Accelerating private investment in clean energy solutions

○ Strengthening supply chains

○ Creating good-paying jobs and new economic opportunities for workers

○ For GSA, the budget included:

■ $2.15B for low-embodied carbon (LEC) materials

■ $975M for Emerging and Sustainable Technologies (E&ST)

■ $250M for High Performance Green Buildings (HPGB)

○ This project intends to use IRA funding for LEC materials and E&ST scope.

○ IRA funding used on this IFalls LPOE Project will result in “give back” funding to the BIL

Program

● Why the Funding Sources Matter to You

○ The project was originally fully funded via the BIL Program

○ It is now partially funded for specific IRA scope elements

○ Budget will be “given back” to be reprogrammed for other BIL Projects based on how much IRA funding is used on this project

○ GSA is counting on sourcing $70-80M in IRA LEC materials (concrete, asphalt, glass, and steel) and for Emerging and Sustainable Technology (E&ST) on this project, which will help the BIL Program achieve its objectives.

○ IRA Scope has very specific requirements, so the costs will need to be properly broken down in contract proposal(s) for tracking and administrative purposes.

○ Sourcing materials which meet the Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) requirements is likely going to be challenging.

○ This will require additional administrative effort by the selected CMc firm.

● Schedule Overview

○ Schedule is the primary driver of this project. All funds must be obligated prior to

9/30/29

○ Refer to specifications regarding Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule requirements

○ Early/Remaining Bid Packages:

■ To expedite the start of construction, an “early package” will be issued so that work can begin while the design is still in progress.

■ CMc expertise will be needed to develop the “early package” scope.

○ Coordinating with PCA Operations

■ PCA continued use of the site for trailer parking

○ Coordination with Government Furnished Equipment

■ Example: CBP will contract for some security equipment

● CMc Contract Procurement Schedule

● Phasing Plan

● Exterior Wall Mock-up

● Existing Port

● Constraints and Significant Risks

○ Coordinating activity to limit disruption to surrounding community

■ The neighboring landowner is the Packaging Corporation of America (PCA)

■ Any project construction impacts which result in a shutdown of mill operations could result in significant financial damages, which a CMc would be responsible for avoiding and/or carrying general liability insurance to cover the loss of PCA profits.

○ Existing Soil Conditions

■ There are known soil contaminants. Plans to address the issue are still being developed.

■ Additionally, the existing soils are not able to support structural loads, likely requiring special foundation systems

○ Site circulation scope (roadways)

■ The long, narrow site requires a significant amount of new roadways.

■ Some scope elements are proposed within the current 100 and 500-year floodplain

■ Current major cost drivers include: substrate for new roadways, shoreline work, relocation of high-voltage lines

○ Building Enclosure and MEP System Design for Extreme Cold Climate

■ Designers are currently evaluating building enclosure and MEP system configurations which can meet the project’s sustainability goals within budget given the extreme cold climate conditions.

● Early Concept Design

● Procurement

○ Overview

■ CMc Delivery Method

■ CAS Requirement

○ Evaluation Factors

■ Past Experience

■ Management Approach

■ Key Personnel

■ Past Performance

■ Sustainability

■ Small Business

○ Requirements

■ Small Business Subcontracting Plan

■ Project Labor Agreement

○ Proposal RFI Process

○ Proposals Due

○ June 5, 2024, no later than 4:00pm Central Time

○ Interviews - Post Receipt of Proposals

○ Award

■ Design/PreConstruction Phase Award Anticipated award in late October

○ Project Completion

■ Early 2029

○ Amendments, clarifications, sign in sheets, etc will be issued via SAM.gov.

○ Questions

Proposal Submittal Requirements/Logistics

● Proposal Submittal Requirements:

○ Price Proposal

■ SF1442 AND Supplemental Pricing Sheet

■ SF24

■ GSA 527

■ Reps and Certs

■ Acknowledgement of Amendment(s), if any

■ Copy of your SAM registration

■ Subcontracting Plan - Not Required for small business concerns

■ Verification of firm’s VETS-4212 compliance

○ Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs

■ Compliance with minimum wage for Government Contracts

● WD MN20240082

○ Project Labor Agreements

○ Technical Proposal

■ Scored Technical Factors

■ Experience in Providing Design Phase and Construction Phase

Services on Similar Projects

■ Project Management Plan/Approach

■ Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel

■ Past Performance in Providing Design Phase and Construction

Phase Services on Similar Projects

■ Sustainability (Inflation Reduction Act)

● The IRA Sustainability Factor Table may be submitted in a separate document, and in addition to the 50 page limit for the technical proposal.

■ Small Business Utilization

■ Project Labor Agreements

Questions on Process and Logistics

Any/all communication, including RFIs, Questions, or Comments should be directed at the Contracting Officer, Anna Vanko, at anna.vanko@gsa.gov, and the Contract Specialist, Ulyana Ivankiv, at ulyana.ivankiv@gsa.gov mailto:anna.vanko@gsa.gov mailto:ulyana.ivankiv@gsa.gov