Meadowood Sensory Nature Trail

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a division of the Department of the Interior, is soliciting proposals for design-build services to develop the Meadowood Sensory Nature Trail project located in Lorton, Virginia. The scope of work encompasses design and construction of an approximately one-mile accessible sensory trail with up to six activity stations, parking improvements at Mustang Trailhead, an outflow culvert replacement at Enchanted Pond, utilities installation, and related site improvements intended to serve individuals on the autism spectrum and those with sensory processing or neurodevelopmental disorders. Key requirements include compliance with Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards, adherence to BLM Building Codes and Fairfax County stormwater management ordinances, engagement of a sensory processing specialist and licensed landscape architect as key personnel, and completion of all work within 450 calendar days. Proposals will be evaluated on six factors of approximately equal importance: Design-Build Team/Key Personnel (25 pages maximum), Schedule (10 pages excluding Gantt Chart), Technical Approach (10 pages), Conceptual Rendering (10 pages), Past Performance (5 pages), and Price (unlimited pages). The proposal submission deadline is May 4, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. MDT, with an organized site visit held on April 3, 2026, and a questions deadline of April 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time.

This contract is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside under NAICS code 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction) with a size standard of $45 million, and the prime contractor must perform at least 15 percent of contract costs (excluding materials) with its own employees or similarly situated small business subcontractors under FAR 52.219-14 limitations on subcontracting. The estimated budget for the design-build contract is $3.6 million including design costs, with performance and payment bonds equal to 100 percent of the contract price required. No incumbent contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. The contractor must commence performance within 10 calendar days of receiving the Notice to Proceed and is expected to begin meaningful on-site construction activities for the Sensory Trail no later than September 30, 2026, with parking improvements at Mustang Trailhead to be completed by July 1, 2027. The project is located at the Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area at 10406 Gunston Road, Lorton, Virginia 22079, and encompasses approximately 25.83 acres with multiple task areas including the sensory nature trail area (21.02 acres) and Enchanted Pond outflow area (4.81 acres). All work must comply with prevailing wage requirements and standard federal clauses related to safety, environmental compliance, labor standards, and Buy American construction material requirements, with minimum general liability insurance of $500,000.