Pre-bid walk through_ Carl T Johnson Hunt and Fish Center - transcript with Q&A.docx

Pre-bid walk through Carl T Johnson Hunt and Fish Center-20260402_125745-Meeting Recording April 2, 2026, Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) started transcription Link to recap of the pre-bid meeting for Carl T. Johnson Hunt and Fish Center RFP Recap: Pre-bid walk through: Carl T Johnson Hunt and Fish Center Thursday, April 2 | Meeting | Microsoft Teams

Please fast forward to minute 3:35 of the video recording.

Neal, Theresa (DNR) You all are here for the Carl T Johnson hunt and Fish Center exhibit design. We're looking at particularly to redesign one room out of our multi room visitor center.

So I'm standing in the visitor center now.

According to the blueprints that hopefully all got a chance to review, we have 3 wings that are part of this visitor center. [Note – “blueprints” is in reference to Schedule D – Overall Floor Plan included in the RFP].

We are going to be focusing on what's referred to as the hunting room or which direction is that.

South.

The South wing. Sorry, directions aren’t our jam.

So let me share my screen.

So as you walk into the hunting room, this is what it looks like. To give you an idea.

The space we're about to walk into, is the space we are asking for a design on.

The carpet was recently redone so the carpet will stay and it goes throughout the whole room. [flooring is carpet tiles and can be reconfigured and / or additional matching carpet tiles are available from the State contract].

The exhibits in here were installed in the 90s.

The walls are tongue and groove pine. Ceiling is also a tongue and groove pine.

And the outside walls are log cabin walls.

The lighting right now is strictly tracklighting, which makes it a little dark in here.

Lisa is lighting part of the scope or is it just lighting that deals with exhibits?

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) There is a preliminary lighting plan that is included as part of the Scope of Work.

Neal, Theresa (DNR)

The track lighting that's in place right now.

In some of our other locations we've been able to keep the track and upgrade the lighting, which is helpful for keeping the integrity of the beans.

Sorry, I'm looking up.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) The carpet in that space. Theresa, do you know whether that is that carpet tiles?

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Yes, carpet tiles.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) OK, I thought it probably was.

That's usually what's used.

Neal, Theresa (DNR) And we had that replaced last year, so.

We can even give the spec of colors and stuff if folks need those.

There is a an exit door that currently you can see has a display in front of it.

So it's not accessible, but that needs to remain accessible.

And that is highlighted on the drawings as well.

All of the cabinetry in here is up for grabs as far as like reusing it, repurposing it, or throwing it away.

Nothing is permanently affixed.

In this room, as far as the displays go.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) So all of the displays are free standing?

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Correct.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) I'm not sure about the one with the one at the end of the room there, the one that has the wolves, the wolves and coyotes. Or just wolves. That looks like it might be attached.

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Yep, that's also free standing.

All of this can come out.

So currently there are self-standing but against the wall little displays typical 90s fashion.

But the idea was to divvy up the room to make sort of a clockwise or counterclockwise. Anyway, to get people to go around it. What we're hoping for is more of a classroom style space with exhibits to complement, so we'd like to be able to use this space for programming for rainy days and also have it serve as.

A exhibit hall for folks to check out.

So some interactivity or?

Also telling the story of hunting in Michigan.

So all of the taxidermy can be repurposed, reused, or we can also obtain more.

Some of them are horrendous and we don't want them included like scary coyote.

But we can.

We are open to discussion.

Ed is also on the call. Ed Shaw is the park interpreter here at the Carl T and some of the things he wanted us to keep as part of our displays. We have a passenger pigeon mount that we would like incorporated and we also have one bear head that we would like to keep incorporated. And I will get to here shortly.

Those are the two musts and then everything else is kind of up in the air.

So again, this is how you would leave the space so that actual bear head, not the poster but the head, is what would stay growly bear. Reason being is that was harvested by Carl T Johnson who the center is named after.

Again, all of these walls are not attached, and so there's sort of we would call it wasted space back there.

We're in need of some storage here, even just to get that programming, totes and items that we needed throughout the week.

So if you do have specific questions, Lisa and Ed can monitor the chat, or if you're comfortable saying it out loud, I'm happy to answer them or Ed is.

I'll get over to the elk.

So the center part of the exhibit hall is this free standing giant piece that also does not have to stay the full-size elk does not have to stay.

It's cool, but.

I will show you the passenger pigeon we were discussing.

So one of the stories was about market hunting, historically in Michigan, in the United States.

So this is the passenger pigeon display I'm talking about. It's literally just the three mounts that we would like to keep incorporated with the new design as it comes out.

Lisa, are there any questions in the chat?

I can't see it right now.

OK.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Yeah, there was a question on is this a video you're sharing? If so, could we request a copy?

So my answer was that the pre bid is being recorded and it will include the video that's currently being shared.

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Awesome.

This is me walking around with a cell phone.

That kind of video, so you know.

Also open to moving to a specific spot if needed.

Question:

I was curious if you guys are expecting concept designs as a part of the submission process or if we'll get into those more detailed after award.

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Lisa, did we mention three concepts?

Was that once awarded or was that for submission?

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Once it's been awarded.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) What we are asking to have completed and attached would be the RFP document.

So there will be the confidential treatment form. You'll do part 1 or Part 2, depending on whether or not you want to keep information confidential. The vendor questions worksheet. Anything in the RFP document that is marked as a mandatory document needs to be completed and included as an attachment with the proposal in SIGMA VSS. This will be the Confidential Treatment Form, the Vendor Questions Worksheet, Schedule A – Statement of Work, Schedule B – Pricing, Attachment 1 – Qualifications and Attachment 2 – Contractor Experience and Portfolio Examples.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Question in the chat: To meet the needs for programming in a self-guided exhibit space, do you expect the density of the new exhibit design to remain similar to what you have now, or would you hope to have a lower density of exhibits to meet the classroom use goals?

Neal, Theresa (DNR) We would expect a lower density so that we can use this space for multipurpose classroom events, etc. So, in a perfect world, they would either be against the wall or maybe movable. Just a way to make it more user-friendly. The original design is very static, meant to be a self-guided loop, and we're hoping to change that up into more of a multipurpose space.

That includes some storage. If we were to do classrooms.

Maybe some tables chair storage as well as being used as a small event space.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Next question, how many seats are you hoping for with the new use and tables?

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Good question.

Our goal would be 30 students.

Depending on the size of the tables, it's either two or four at a table.

So often we don't use tables with our student groups, we just need enough chairs for them. So, 30 chairs would be ideal. Good enough.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Next question, how will you compare apples to apples for contractors repurposing existing cabinetry versus new cabinetry?

Shaw, Edward (DNR) OK. Lisa, do you have any insight to that question about repurposing existing versus new?

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) I think it would be difficult to compare apples to apples. Once proposals have been submitted we will be evaluating the answers that have been included in the vendor questions worksheet, schedule a statement of work so those two documents.

Basically, the information we receive in those two documents is pretty standard.

Vendor Questions worksheet is asking questions primarily about your company so we can determine whether or not your company is capable of performing the contract activities.

Schedule A – Statement of Work is used to determine whether or not you are able and willing to perform the contract activities based on what has been requested.

Attachment 1 Qualifications and Attachment 2 Experience and Portfolio Examples - That's really where the JEC members are going to be looking at what kind of work you have performed previously and that is going to be more of a determination on whether your experience lines up with their goals for this space. I will tell you the ultimate deciding factor is going to be price. Contractors or bidders who are capable of reusing or repurposing existing cabinetry versus having to pull and replace everything more than likely are going to have a lower price proposal, and that may affect the decision overall.

Shaw, Edward (DNR) Yeah. And for this particular one, I think we're just looking. We're just looking for design, which I know also will include, you know, price components. We're looking for just a full redesign of that space. So there was a question about the multiuse classroom exhibit space. Our needs there are extremely minimal, so we don't need screens necessarily or most of our programming that will take place in that room are going to be very hands-on, not very technical, so our AV needs are going to be 0 to none in that room. We're lucky if we have Wi-Fi in that room and some electricity, right? I would agree.

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Yeah, we're usually doing like fly tying and you know, stuff like that in there. So, we won't need any of that. That was a good question though.

So again, as I mentioned, our goal is to get a good interpretive design for the space to have the multiuse capacity, right? So to be able to on a rainy day put a class in there so that we can do some hands on activities on a not rainy day have it be used so folks can learn about the center in a non-personal media sort of way. We're looking for low technology. We don't have the budget or the personnel within the department to maintain anything really high tech.

We're looking for really low tech, easy to repair if it is going to be interactive types of experience. Our internal goal is to have the exhibit design done and we want to be able to show design to potential donors.

Shaw, Edward (DNR) People with money? Yes, thank you.

Shaw, Edward (DNR) So in a perfect world, we'll have this awesome design at the end where we can go to our donors and say, “hey, we're going to do this cool display about Michigan black bears. Are you willing to fund it?” And then they can fund it.

So we'd like our messaging to be in there, you know, which we would work with them and then we're hoping to fund it.

It might be piece-meal or it might be in a couple phases, but we'd like to get the exhibits started in October of 2026, so in order to get that process going we need to have the design done by September 30th at the latest, due to our funding constraints, so at least the design portion.

So and preferably well before that, that is the absolute deadline, right?

And I know it can take months to go through the process.

We understand that completely, but we do need to have the funds encumbered and ideally the process done by September, so after that Phase II, we'll be actually funding and installing exhibits and displays that are designed in this process, so yeah, there is no installation deadline.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Next question, is the deadline for complete exhibit design or for a schematic design that can assist in fundraising?

I believe this is intended to be a very comprehensive design concept or package.

Shaw, Edward (DNR) In the past what we've done is many of these exhibit design firms provide we'll call it schematic design and that's where we do have visuals. We have our rough messaging. We have some pictures and some conceptual taxidermy or sculptures that are included. The complete exhibit design would be like finalizing the actual words, the actual verbiage that's going to go on there, so to be honest, the deadline for September, I would call it schematic design 2, right? So as far into that as we can get before we actually have to start finding illustrations and finding pictures and stuff to get that then. A good enough concept to show a donor. This is what we're talking about, that kind of thing. I want to be able to go to the conservation group and say we need money to fund the new bear display, or whatever it may be, and go to those conservation groups and ask for them to help us fund these projects. That we can show them they can physically see via a walk through media and or on paper.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Next question, what is the ideal budget in mind?

Answer – We cannot really have conversations about what the DNR’s anticipated budget is because the reality of that is every proposal that came through would probably be $2.00 under what we said the budget was, which is, you know, would cause a bit of a problem.

What the budget is, is one thing. When the proposals come through, we want realistic proposals.

During the RFP process, we will evaluate the proposals that are submitted. Any proposals that meet the requirements, I think the score is 80 – proposals must have a a total of 80 points on the on the mandatory documents. The scoring weight has been included in the proposal package, in the proposal instructions section.

But then typically it will be awarded to the low bid that passed technical evaluation.

It's not always the way that it's done, but that's the normal method used.

Shaw, Edward (DNR) Yes, so I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong. The RFP was the cost for schematic design, right? So, design the cost for fabrication and then we wanted a cost for installation.

So ideally this RFP cost proposal is for all three, the part that will be funded in this particular contract that we're asking for is just design correctly, so.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) So phase I would be conceptual schematic design. Phase II would be design development and phase III would be the estimate on the final design, fabrication and installation.

There is an area in there where you can include your written proposal for travel time and expenses and the cost of any rental equipment that would be required.

Shaw, Edward (DNR) So yes, to Peter's question. The schematic design or concept design would be with this phase is about the build. Drawings would be more of the. What was the DD the design?

What was the next phase, Lisa?

I'm sorry, I should've wrote it down. Yeah, thank you.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Design development.

Shaw, Edward (DNR) The design development phase.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Next question, is your intention for the DNR project team to serve as primary content developer for this project?

And it is correct, yes.

Shaw, Edward (DNR) Yes. Yep it is.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Can you share the available capacity of this staff person team to complete this work?

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Yeah. Yes. So typically for projects like this, we work with deadlines. So our turnaround time is typically one week to two weeks from request depending on how much content is being asked for. If that helps. So in the past, in some of the projects we've worked for, people have asked for, you know, like an interpretive plan.

So we have like a written plan for the site that we can provide and then more specific content as your schematic design goes through. We can usually turn it around within a week. I would say for this first phase, phase two will be more like one to two weeks. So we do have people that will be on this project to make sure to keep it moving for you. It would be me and Ed, by the way, so.

So it's us, we're your content experts. Help you write. I believe if there's any further questions you would contact Lisa, right, Lisa?

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Yes. Any further questions you'll need to e-mail me my e-mail address is croziergreenl@michigan.gov. It's been included on the cover page of the bid document.

Neal, Theresa (DNR) Perfect. And remind me, Lisa, when the closing date is.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) Bids are due April 10th at 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Neal, Theresa (DNR) OK. Excellent. Thanks for that reminder. So yeah, if you have any additional questions, feel free to go through Lisa, if we can help clarify or add more pictures or whatever, we will get back to her same day. Ideally Ed and I. So thank you so much.

Crozier-Green, Lisa (DNR) The deadline for bidder questions is tomorrow, April 3rd at 3:00 PM. I will have the questions that were asked today and all the answers that were given today in a summary and will post those on SIGMA VSS by 5:00 p.m. on April 7th. I'm not sure I’ll be able to post the recording on Sigma. I don't think I can do that, but I can post a transcript of the meeting.

Again, bids are due by 3:00 PM on April 10th.

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