Redacted_OTFO.pdf

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

OFFICE OF PLANNING AND DESIGN QUALITY

LIMITED SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

In accordance with FAR 7.104 (a) and GSAM Appendix 507.103(c), all scope and pricing information concerning GSA NCR is being included within this Limited Source Justification.

1. Contract Number: TBD

2. Identification of the Justification Rationale: Only One Source is Capable of

Responding – FAR 6.302-2 Unusual and compelling urgency. 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(2)

3. Estimated Cost: Redacted

4. Project Address: Eisenhower Executive Office Building, DC0035ZZ 1650 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20502

5. Project Identification: Conservation Treatment of Secretary of War Suite Damaged Historic Parquet Wood Floors

6. Description: The Secretary of War suite, designed by the renowned firm of Stephen

Decatur Hatch and completed in 1888, is considered the Eisenhower Executive Office Building’s crown jewel. In 2012, GSA completed the first-ever comprehensive modernization of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), including the restoration of the building’s ornate secretarial suites. The decoratively painted walls and ceilings as well as the original parquet wood floors were restored throughout the suites.

Replica chandeliers and period furniture were installed to complete the restoration.

Based on on-site investigations, archival research, and technical reports, the 1991 Historic Structure Report designated the rooms within the Secretary of War Suite as Zone 1 historic preservation spaces. Zone 1 spaces are classified as areas to be restored “to their primary historic appearance.” A series of studies and archival research completed by the National Park Service in the 1980s established a framework for restoration efforts and served as a launching point for supplemental research and studies to guide future restoration efforts.

The Secretary of War suite was designed with heavy ornamentation and dark hues accented by gold and silver leaf. The secretary’s office and reception room employ more wood than any other room in the building, including oak parquetry floors with borders of white oak, cherry, and ebony. The Secretary of War suite was ready for occupancy in March 1888. A contemporary Washington Post article noted that its “richness of ornamentation… cannot be equaled in this country,” marveling that “nearly fifty artist decorators” took five months to complete the rooms.

In keeping with its Zone 1 status, the Secretary of War suite was fully restored in 2007, including the conservation of its ornate wood parquet floors by The John Greenwalt Lee

Company. The conservator developed a custom re-finishing system to address the condition of the historic floors, utilizing a modified shellac finish to avoid future sanding and application of polyurethane.

In the ten years since restoration, the rooms in the Secretary of War suite have been heavily utilized for daily meetings, conferences, and presidential press briefings. The floors have experienced damage, most notably numerous localized gouges and splintering from stiletto heels. The Executive Office of the President has recently identified the damage to the floors as a potential life safety hazard due to the potential for individuals to trip and fall.

Due to the building’s historic significance and status as a National Historic Landmark, it is imperative that GSA address this damage before it worsens, preventing both a life safety hazard and the loss of additional historic material.

Due to the complex re-finishing system utilized to restore and protect the floors, it is in the best interest of the government to award repair and conservation of the damaged historic parquet floors as a sole source to The John Greenwalt Lee Company; building upon their knowledge and experience with these unique historic floors to ensure continuity of care and conformity to the existing historic finishes. Should another conservator be employed to treat the floor, it would be impossible to ensure aesthetic and physical uniformity between the finishes, which is essential to the success and integrity of the suite as a whole.

Additionally, the proposed contract would save the government both time and money by building upon the expertise and experience gained during the first phase of conservation.

The proposed contract would allow for employment of qualified conservators that have already been cleared by EEOB security and are familiar with site conditions. If the Historic Preservation Program were to employ another conservator to repair the historic wood floors, it would be necessary to commission a new conservation assessment, which would result in a costly and time intensive duplication of effort.

7. Statutory Authority: This justification is conducted under the authority of 6.302-2

Unusual and compelling urgency. 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(2).

8. Nature of Acquisition Requires Use of Authority Cited: The Executive Office of the President has recently identified the damage to the floors as a potential life safety hazard due to incidents in which individuals have tripped and fallen after catching their shoe in the existing damage. Due to the building’s historic significance and status as a National Historic Landmark, it is imperative that GSA address this damage before it worsens, preventing both a life safety hazard and the loss of additional historic material.

Due to the complex re-finishing system utilized to restore and protect the floors, it is in the best interest of the government to award repair and conservation of the damaged historic parquet floors as a sole source to The John Greenwalt Lee Company; building upon their knowledge and experience with these unique historic floors to ensure continuity of care and conformity to the existing historic finishes. Additionally, the proposed acquisition will save the government time and money by allowing for use of cleared personnel, approved finishing formulas, and will avoid the duplication of effort that would be required should another conservator become involved and have to reassess the floors prior to developing and initiating their treatment plan.

9. Solicitation of Offerors: No other offers were solicited due to the need to ensure continuity of treatment and protect the uniformity and integrity of the floor. No other firm could build upon the knowledge and experience of the recent conservation treatment completed by the John Greenwalt Lee Company. To have another firm complete this work would be vastly more expensive as it would require duplication of the conservation assessment and potential refinishing of the floor.

10. Reasonableness of Costs: In accordance with FAR 6.303-2(a)(7), the contracting officer determines by certifying this document that the anticipated contracting cost, $60,000.00 is fair and reasonable and is supported by the Independent Government Estimate, attached.

11. Market Research: The John Greenwalt Lee Company has acted as a consulting conservator and sub-contractor on numerous contracts held by GSA Region 11 from 2006 to present. Under these contracts, rates were negotiated for conservation services and personnel under highly competitive terms and in comparison to open market rates. The proposed conservation treatment will be priced utilizing the same process and will be competitive with current market rates for conservation services.

12. Technical Requirements Personnel Certification

I certify that the supporting data used to form the basis of this justification is complete and accurate.

Redacted Date

13. Contracting Officer Certification

On the basis of the above, I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Redacted Date