DSHA26001-RHTGARCH_rfp.pdf

Architectural Services for Shelter Conversion and Renovation Project Request for Proposals Delaware State Housing Authority

I. Introduction and Purpose The Delaware State Housing Authority (“DSHA” or “the Agency”), on behalf of the Delaware Housing Real Estate Company (“the Company”), is soliciting proposals from qualified professional architectural firms to provide comprehensive architectural services for the design and renovation of existing properties in both Kent County and Sussex County (“the projects”) to establish homeless shelters with comprehensive wrap around services focused on improving outcomes through the modernization and strengthening of healthcare and housing ecosystems.

The Company is under contract for a former hotel in Kent County; the anticipated scope of services related to this property includes a multi-phase process to renovate existing hotel rooms and common hotel spaces for shelter operations, and the conversion of larger non-hotel spaces, including existing ballroom and event spaces, into community-focused facilities such as a medical facility, commercial food kitchen and community food resource pantry, and other flexible supportive service spaces as identified during the design phase. A site has not yet been identified for Sussex County, but similar requirements and outcomes will be required for this site to ensure compliance with the funding resources.

The selected firm must be capable of delivering a comprehensive design that addresses all project spaces and programming needs, either through their own in-house expertise or through a formal partnership or subcontracting arrangements with additional architectural or design firms possessing the relevant specialized experience.

This project will be supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $157.4 million with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. DSHA and the Company may also elect to fund this project in part through federal funding resources (including but not necessarily limited to HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds). As such, all work must comply with applicable federal requirements governing the use of those funding sources.

II. Project Location

Kent County 1570 N. Dupont Highway Dover, DE 19901

Sussex County

TBD

III. Project Overview

Kent County The project involves the renovation and adaptive reuse of an existing hotel property to serve as a homeless shelter with integrated supportive services. The scope of work encompasses two primary components:

1. Hotel Room and Hotel Common Space Renovations: Renovation of existing guest rooms and hotel common areas to meet the functional, accessibility, and code requirements of a residential shelter facility.

2. Non-Hotel Space Conversions: Conversion of ballroom and other large non-hotel spaces into community-focused programming areas, which may include but are not limited to:

o A medical or health services facility o A commercial food kitchen, dining area, and community pantry space o Other community resources and supportive service spaces as determined during the design process The selected architect will be responsible for delivering a unified, comprehensive design that integrates all components of the project into a cohesive facility plan.

Sussex County A site has not yet been identified, but similar requirements and outcomes are anticipated to ensure compliance with the funding requirements.

IV. Scope of Services The selected firm shall provide, at minimum, the following architectural services:

• Pre-design and programming services, including assessment of existing conditions and space planning for all project components

• Schematic design, design development, and construction document preparation for all renovation and conversion scopes

• Coordination of design across all specialized spaces, including medical facilities and commercial kitchen areas, whether performed in-house or through a subcontracting arrangement with qualified specialty architects or designers

• Compliance review and documentation to ensure all designs meet all federal funding requirements and guidelines

• Ensuring compliance with all applicable state and local building codes, zoning requirements, and engineering standards

• Coordination with state and local permitting authorities

• General Contractor bid and vendor selection services

• Construction administration services, including site visits, review of contractor submittals, and response to requests for information (RFIs)

• Project schedule coordination

• Any additional services necessary to deliver a complete and code-compliant facility

V. Qualifications and Requirements Responding firms must demonstrate the following:

• Licensure as a registered architect in Delaware in good standing

• Demonstrated experience with renovation and/or adaptive reuse projects of comparable scale and complexity

• Experience with federally funded projects and program requirements

• Ability to deliver comprehensive architectural and engineering services across all project components, either through in-house expertise or through formal partnerships and/or subcontracting arrangements with firms possessing relevant specialized experience in areas such as:

o Medical or healthcare facility design o Commercial kitchen design o Residential or shelter facility design

• Familiarity with applicable state and local building codes, accessibility requirements, and engineering standards

• Experience working on projects serving homeless or other vulnerable populations is preferred but not required

Firms proposing a partnership or subcontracting arrangement must clearly identify all participating firms and describe the roles and responsibilities of each within the proposal.

VI. Proposal Requirements Proposals must include the following for all team members (primary applicant and any partnership or subcontracting participating entities):

1. Firm Overview: A description of the firm, its size, structure, and relevant areas of expertise. Indicate the number of years the firm has been in business. Include a completed copy of the attached litigation disclosure form, noting any involvement in litigation, arbitration, or mediation with or on behalf of a client for a project similar in size and scope. Indicate whether the firm has had a contract for services terminated during the past five years, and provide full details related to the termination.

2. Qualifications and Experience: A summary of relevant project experience, including at least five (5) comparable projects with project descriptions, client references, and outcomes.

3. Project Approach: A narrative describing the firm's proposed approach to the project, including how they intend to address the full scope of services.

4. Subcontracting or Partnership Plan (if applicable): Identification of any engineering, subcontractor, or partner firms, their qualifications, and their proposed roles.

5. Federal Compliance Statement: A description of the firm's experience with federally funded projects and their approach to ensuring federal compliance.

6. Key Personnel: Identification of the project team, including the lead architect and any other key personnel, along with their relevant qualifications and experience.

7. Fee Proposal: A proposed fee structure for the project overview and full scope of services, including a breakdown by project phase, as it relates to the Kent County location.

8. References: Provide at least three references for contracts completed in the past five years that were of a similar scope and size to this RFP.

9. Insurance: Provide a copy of a certificate of insurance for professional liability.

VII. Submission Instructions and Timelines Final proposals must be submitted to:

Stephanie Griffin, Chief Production Officer Delaware State Housing Authority 18 The Green Dover, DE 19901 Stephanie.Griffin@delaware.gov 302.739.4263

Final proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format by September 23, 2026 by 3:00pm. Late submissions will not be accepted.

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing to Stephanie Griffin at the email address listed above with a copy to Candace Collins (Candace.Collins@delaware.gov) no later than 3pm on September 11, 2026. Responses to all questions received will be distributed to all prospective respondents by close of business on September 16, 2026.

VIII. Selection Process Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Qualifications and relevant experience of the firm and project team

• Demonstrated experience with federally funded projects and compliance

• Quality and clarity of the proposed project approach

• Qualifications of any proposed subcontractors or partner firms

• Fee proposal and overall value

DSHA will review and rank all eligible responses based on the criteria outlined above and will negotiate a contract with the highest-ranking respondent. If a contract cannot be reached, DSHA will move down the list until a contract can be reached. DSHA will make the final selection and award the contract. DSHA reserves the right to request interviews or presentations from short-listed firms prior to making a final selection. Additionally, DSHA reserves the right to award one contract for the entire scope of services proposed, or to award multiple contracts for various portions of the scope of services based on the strength of each proposer’s response.

mailto:Candace.Collins@delaware.gov

DSHA and/or the Company are not responsible for any costs associated with preparing or submitting a proposal.

The selected proposer(s) must not be debarred from any federal and/or state agency. DSHA will review each proposer’s status on SAM.gov.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, DSHA and/or the Company’s obligation to award a contract is subject to the satisfaction of all federal financing requirements, including, but not limited to, the completion of the Environmental Review Record and Request for Release of Funds and Authority to Use Grant Funds.

IX. Federal Requirements Notice This project will be supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $157.4 million with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. This project may also be funded in part through HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). All work performed under this contract must comply with applicable federal requirements, including but not limited to:

• Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements (if applicable)

• Section 3 economic opportunity requirements

• Equal opportunity and non-discrimination requirements

• Any other federal requirements applicable to the use of CMS/HHS, HOME and CDBG funds Respondents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these requirements prior to submitting a proposal.

X. Reservation of Rights DSHA and/or the Company reserves the right to modify or cancel this RFP at any time, to accept or reject any or all proposals, and to waive any irregularities in the procurement process.

Issuance of this RFP does not obligate DSHA and/or the Company to award.

XI. The Delaware Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) By submitting a response to this RFP, the applicant acknowledges and agrees that the response shall be deemed a “public record” for the purposes of the Delaware Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), codified at 29 Del. C. §§ 10001 - 10005.

If information included in a response is exempt from disclosure, such as trade secrets, commercial, or financial information of a privileged or confidential nature, DSHA and/or the Company will protect such information from disclosure to the extent permitted by § 10002(g)(2) of the FOIA. DSHA and/or the Company shall determine in its discretion whether application material is exempt from disclosure. Respondent acknowledges and agrees that any portion of the response which is determined by DSHA and/or the Company to not constitute confidential financial, or trade secret information exempt from disclosure under FOIA shall be subject to public examination and copying.

It is the policy of DSHA and/or the Company not to release to any third party any application materials until after the ranking of respondents, and award(s) is announced, or a rebate has been disbursed. DSHA and/or the Company expressly reserves its authority to withhold all such information from third party requests pending the completion of the review and ranking process, to the extent permitted by the FOIA. DSHA and/or the Company will endeavor to respond to FOIA requests for application materials as promptly as possible, and absent unusual circumstances, will release to any requesting party public documents related to application materials within 15 days of a written request. All requests should be made at DSHA_FOIACoordinator@delaware.gov.

mailto:DSHA_FOIACoordinator@delaware.gov

LITIGATION DISCLOSURE FORM

Name of Firm:

Principal Contact:

Address:

Below follows a comprehensive list of all litigation, cases, or matters, in any jurisdiction, current, pending, or resolved, active, or contemplated in the past three years which ____________________________________________________________ was party to:

Case or Matter

Include summary of issue along with disputed terms and amounts.

Party

(Plaintiff, Defendant)

Disposition

(Pending, Adverse, Favorable, Dismissed, etc.)

*Include additional sheets if necessary

Acting with the requisite capacity, knowledge, and authority I, _________________________ hereby certify that, other than those cases or matters described above, _________________________________ has and is not party whatsoever, plaintiff, defendant, or other to any cases, or matters, in any jurisdiction, current, pending, or resolved, active, or contemplated in the past three years from the date hereof.

Signed:

Name:

Title:

Date: