Clinic and Tenant Buildings, VA Medical Center, St. Louis, Jefferson Barracks Division

The Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) located in Washington, DC is conducting a survey regarding the use of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for VA101-13-R-0005; Project Number is 657-313, Clinic & Tenant Construction, Jefferson Barracks Division of the St Louis VA Medical Center in St Louis, Missouri. The PLA questionnaire is below. Please complete and return to me the PLA questionnaire within seven (7) days from the posting date of this announcement. PLA is defined as a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project and is an agreement described in 29 U.S.C. 158(f).



Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Policy: (a) Project Labor Agreement (PLA) is a tool that agencies may use to promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement. Pursuant to Executive Order 13502, agencies are encouraged to consider requiring the use of project labor agreements in connection with large-scale construction projects.



(b) An agency may, if appropriate, require that every contractor and subcontractor engaged in construction on the project agree, for that project, to negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreement with one or more labor organizations if the agency decides that the use of project labor agreements will- (1) Advance the Federal Government's interest in achieving economy and efficiency in Federal procurement, producing labor-management stability, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards, and other matters; and (2) Be consistent with law.



See FAR Provision: 52.222-33 Notice of Requirement for Project Labor Agreement.

See FAR Clause 52.222-34 Project Labor Agreement



PLA QUESTIONNAIRE: (Please respond to the questions below)



1. Is your company familiar with Project Labor Agreement (PLA) and its use on construction projects? Yes/No

Comments:





2. Would your company likely submit a proposal for the VA construction solicitation that requires the use of a PLA? Yes/No

Comments:







3. If VA requires a PLA, would your proposed construction cost likely to increase or decrease and what is the likely percentage of cost increase or decrease?

Comments:





4. Does the VA requirement to use of a PLA on a construction project restrict competition? Yes/No

Comments:





5. Do you expect subcontractor resistance should VA requires the use of a PLA on this construction solicitation? Yes/No

Comments:







6. Do you have additional comments regarding the use of a PLA for this project?









Company's Name and DUNS:



Company's Address:



Today's Date:



Company Representative's Print Name:



Company Representative's Signature:



Telephone number and email:



Within seven (7) days of the posting date of this announcement, please return your PLA questionnaire to me at noella.bond@va.gov.

Description

The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking for firms that are classified under one or more of the following SBA programs: 8(a), HUBZone, SDB, WOSB, SDVOSB, and/or VOSB. The firm must be a General Construction Firm with an approved NAICS Code 236220, Small Business Size Standard of $33.5 million. A bid bond as well as performance bond will be required. The project is part of Phase II-D of the Medical Facility Improvements & Cemetery Expansion at the Jefferson Barracks Division of the VA Medical Center in St Louis, Missouri. The work includes demolition and removal of existing Buildings 50 and 64, including asbestos and hazardous materials abatement; earth and site work, relocation of existing utilities; construction of direct bury pipe loop closure and associated facilities for new steam and chilled water campus utility systems; mitigation/fill for an existing sinkhole; and general construction of new Tenant and Clinic Buildings, including site excavation and restoration, grading, and site improvements. The estimated magnitude for this project is between fifty million ($50,000,000) and $100 million ($100,000,000). At this time, no solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a solicitation. Small Business Contractors and vendors having the skills and capabilities necessary to perform the stated requirements are invited to provide information to contribute to this market survey/sources sought. Responses should include the following information: 1. Company Name, 2. Address, 3. Point of Contact, 4. Phone number and e-mail address, 5. Business size determination and qualifying Small Business status, 6. Certification of Small business Status, 7. Available Bonding Capacity, 8. Construction experience of similar projects in size and complexity. Respondents are requested to submit a Capability Statement that exhibits clear and convincing evidence of your firm's capabilities and experience to perform the listed tasks. The capability statement is not to exceed 5 pages. Please provide your responses by email (ONLY) by November 29, 2012 to the Noella Bond, Contracting Officer, email address, noella.bond@va.gov. This sources sought notice is for market research purposes in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. It does not constitute a solicitation and is not to be considered as a commitment by the Government. All firms responding to this sources sought notice are advised that their response to this notice is not a request that will be considered for contract award. All interested parties will be required to respond to the resultant solicitation separately from their response to this sources sought. Small business concerns failing to respond to this add will not be precluded from responding to the solicitation. Note that this is not a Request for Proposal and the Government is seeking information for market research purposes only. The Government may or may not issue solicitation documents. Look for any further information in FEDBIZOPPS. Telephone inquiries will not be returned. Point of Contact is Noella Bond, Contracting Officer, email noella.bond@va.gov.

The Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) located in Washington, DC is conducting market research regarding the use of Bundling for VA101-13-R-0005; Project Number is 657-313, Clinic & Tenant Construction, Jefferson Barracks Division of the St Louis VA Medical Center in St Louis, Missouri. Please provide comments to me within fifteen (15) days from the posting date of this announcement. Contract bundling is defined as consolidating two or more procurement requirements for goods or services previously provided or performed under separate, smaller contracts into a solicitation of offers for a single contract that is unlikely to be suitable for award to a small business concern.



Federal Acquisition Regulation states that market research may indicate that bundling is necessary and justified if an agency or the Government would derive measurably substantial benefits. Measurably substantial benefits may include, individually or in any combination or aggregate, cost savings or price reduction, quality improvements that will save time or improve or enhance performance or efficiency, reduction in acquisition cycle times, better terms and conditions, and any other benefits.



Both the clinic and the tenant facilities are critical to the success of the ongoing VA mission and delays to acquisition would be detrimental to both the overall project phasing (including future acquisition) and the ongoing missions being carried out on the Jefferson Barracks campus. Specifically, delays to acquisition and construction of the new clinic would adversely affect the delivery of healthcare to veterans while similar delay of the tenant facility would jeopardize the project phasing plan by delaying tenant moves from existing facilities that must be demolished to make way for other construction.



The clinic project includes approximately 112,900 gross square of new construction in the foot print of two existing buildings (buildings 50 and 64, totaling approximately 113,600 gross square feet) to be demolished. The existing building 50 occupants will relocate to temporary trailers on the northwest end of the campus for the duration of construction (which only has limited parking). The project will require about 25,400 cubic yards of fill for which there are no borrow pits onsite to obtain or stockpile such material. It will also include completion of the campus utility loops that specifically serve the new clinic. The estimated magnitude for this project is between $50 and $100 million.



The tenant project will construct an approximately 86,000 gross square foot building in an area of the campus that is mostly parking lot. When complete, it will provide space for a number of tenant organizations that will vacate existing buildings which, will either be renovated for occupancy by other tenants so they can vacate their buildings, or will be demolished by subsequent phases. The tenant construction will involve excavation and removal of approximately 10,000 cubic yards of soil for which there are no borrow pits onsite to stockpile this material. The estimated magnitude for this project is between $20 and $50 million.



Aspects of the construction associated with the clinic and tenant buildings that could be separated without adverse impact to safety, schedule, or medical center operations have been broken out as separate contract packages to be advertised in later phases in an attempt to mitigate the adverse impact to opportunities for small business. These separate contract packages are likely to generate interest from more than one small business and market research may demonstrate them suitable for small business set asides. These projects, each with an estimated magnitude of between $1 and $2 million, include: (1) Demo of buildings 70, 70A, 71, 82 and site work, (2) Reconfiguration of south campus parking , (3) Campus Perimeter Fence, and (4) Path of Honor site work.



Within fifteen (15) days of the posting date of this announcement, please provide comments to noella.bond@va.gov.