IFalls LPOE GC PreProposal Agenda 7 22 2025.pdf

Preproposal Conference/Site Visit Agenda GSA Solicitation No. RFP 47PF0024R0076 Time/Date: 1:00pm Central Time, Tuesday, July 22, 2025 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) 47PF0024R0076, issued on July 8, 2025, for General Construction (GC) 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.

A copy of the agenda, sign-in sheet, and presentation(s) will be posted to the solicitation'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 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 Gunkelman, ulyana.gunkelman@gsa.gov

○ Project Manager: Seth LaRocque

○ Project Management Specialist: Matt Heiman

○ COR: Brad Taplick

○ Project Sponsor: Don Melcher

○ Property Manager: Thomas Wasut

○ Architect: Snow Kreilich Architects

○ CMa/CxP: Jacobs Technology

● Project Background & Overview

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

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

○ The current project intends to expand the LPOE program by building new facilities on a 20-acre site to be purchased along the Rainy River.

○ The project is currently at the 75% Construction Document design stage. The construction is planned to start next spring/summer and be completed by 2029.

○ GSA issued a solicitation for General Contractor (GC) construction services on 7/8/25.

○ Notices/updates will be provided on sam.gov.

● Existing Site

○ The majority of the existing ~20 acre site is currently owned by the Packaging Corp. of America (PCA) and is used as part of their ongoing operations.

○ GSA is currently in the process of acquiring the property and intends to complete the site acquisition process prior to the start of construction (spring 2026).

○ Existing PCA facilities will need to be relocated (by others), which will require coordination with the construction project.

○ There is an existing high voltage (115KV) power line that runs through the site, which will need to be relocated (by others)

○ The existing LPOE facility will remain in operation during construction. CBP will move into the new facility once it is completed and then the existing building(s) will be demolished as part of this contract.

● Proposed Design

○ A full set of Construction Documents (drawings, specifications, etc.) have been issued with the solicitation.

○ Images/renderings shown in the presentation materials are for reference only and are presented to provide a general overview of the scope of the project.

○ The proposed design includes three new 2-story buildings (Main, Non-Commercial

Secondary, and NII/Commercial Secondary) for a total facility size of nearly 115K sf.

○ Refer to the Construction documents for detailed information regarding the new construction scope

○ Civil, shoreline, and landscape improvements are also major scope elements of the project.

○ This will be the first GSA facility to be built using mass timber as the main structural system.

● Project Stakeholders

○ Federal Agencies

○ City of International Falls

○ City of Fort Frances

○ City of Ranier

○ Voyageurs National Park

○ Koochiching County

○ Local citizens, businesses, and community organizations

○ Packaging Corporation of America (PCA)

○ MD&W Railway

○ Bridge owners

○ Duty Free America

○ Rainy Lake Medical Center

○ Minnesota DNR

○ Minnesota DOT http://sam.gov

○ Utility Providers

○ ...and many others

○ Schedule Overview

○ Construction Duration is planned for 36 months (2026-2029).

○ A preliminary master schedule and phasing plan have been developed as part of the constructability review by our CMa. The GC will be provided those documents as information only for the purposes of communicating the complexities of the project schedule/phasing plan.

○ The awarded GC Contractor will be responsible for developing their own construction schedule that aligns with the period of performance, coordination items, constraints, risks, etc.

○ The schedule will need to be coordinated to avoid impacts to surrounding land-owners, most notably the paper-mill operations. Note that PCA schedules annual mill shutdowns for one week only once per year.

○ GC Contract Procurement Schedule

○ The solicitation was posted on 7/8/25

○ Proposals are due 8/13/25 8/27/2025

○ GSA will evaluate the proposals and create a short list of firms by mid-September

○ Negotiations will follow for any short-listed firms

○ Anticipate issuing the 95% CD’s after the short list has been determined. An amendment will be issued and revised pricing will be created and evaluated during the negotiation process.

○ Anticipated Award is February 2026.

● Construction Phasing Strategy

○ The CMa drafted a conceptual phasing plan based on the information known regarding site logistics and constraints.

○ The GC will be responsible for developing their own phasing strategy. Information provided for reference only.

○ Refer to the graphics on the slide deck for further information.

● GC 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 GC SOW for the full list of specific project objectives.

● GC 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

○ 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 GC SOW for the full requirements.

● Budget Overview

○ Total Estimated Cost of Construction at Award (ECCA): $193M to $203M

○ Contract will be awarded as a firm-fixed-price

○ GC will be responsible for managing the contract to stay within the awarded price

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

○ Options have been defined on the construction documents

○ Unit Costs have also been established

● Procurement

○ Overview

■ CAS Requirement

○ Evaluation Factors

■ Past Experience

■ Management Approach

■ Key Personnel

■ Past Performance

○ Requirements

■ Small Business Subcontracting Plan

■ Project Labor Agreement

○ Proposal RFI Process

○ Proposals Due

○ August 27, 2025, no later than 4:00pm Central Time

○ Interviews - Post Receipt of Proposals

○ Award

■ Award Anticipated award in mid 2026

○ Project Completion

■ 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 MN20250062

○ Project Labor Agreements

○ Technical Proposal

■ Scored Technical Factors

■ Experience in Providing Construction Services on Similar Projects

■ Project Management Plan/Approach

■ Qualifications and Experience of Key Personnel

■ Past Performance in Providing Construction Services on Similar

Projects

■ Project Labor Agreements

Questions

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