Z1DA--578-26-016 Donation Renovations Building 217 Phase 2 CON

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Veterans Integrated Service Network 12 seeks Building 217 Phase 2 renovation work at Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center in Hines, Illinois, with sealed bids due September 2, 2026. The procurement is a 100 percent set-aside for CVE-verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) firms under 38 U.S.C. 8127, foreclosing competition outside that pool.

Place of performance is Hines, Proviso Township, Illinois. The project magnitude is estimated at $2,000,000 to $5,000,000. NAICS code 236220 applies (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction); the SBA size standard is $45 million.

The scope encompasses seven sequential requirements: constructing a new 11-bed dementia unit on the first floor with card readers, maglocks, and alarm systems; renovating the second-floor dining room with floor mastic asbestos abatement; renovating equipment, nourishment, and family rooms; converting four patient rooms into High Fall Risk Rooms; converting two patient rooms into Bariatric Rooms; converting two rooms into a large group room with a collapsible wall; and demolishing the exterior smoking shelter and playground with lawn reseeding. All work requires perimeter sheet metal installation in exterior rooms and comprehensive asbestos abatement. The contract is firm-fixed-price, awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible SDVOSB-certified bidder. Total contract performance time is 336 calendar days following Notice to Proceed, with 30 calendar days pre-construction and 276 calendar days construction execution.

A pre-bid conference occurred August 5, 2026, at 9:30 AM CST on-site. Amendment 0001 was issued August 21, 2026, incorporating a pre-bid site visit sign-in sheet and RFI responses; Amendment 0002 was issued August 25, 2026, clarifying that the existing nurse-call vendor is Rauland and contractors must provide a compatible system with detailed integration requirements in specification section 27 52 23 and the attached SOW.

Work is classified as Class IV (highest-risk) infection control activity requiring HEPA-filtered negative pressure, temporary 1-hour fire-rated barriers, anteroom construction, and 24/7 site security during construction at an operating medical center. Contractor personnel must comply with COVID-19 vaccination or testing documentation, daily screening, badging, and no-smoking policies. All contractor work must follow VHA Infection Control Risk Assessment, Pre-Construction Risk Assessment, and Interim Life Safety Measures protocols. Contractor must maintain seven days' advance notice for utility interruptions, establish security access controls, develop comprehensive logistics and phasing plans, and coordinate with multiple facility departments. Asbestos abatement contractor must be Illinois Department of Public Health trained, accredited, and licensed, with a competent person on-site during all friable and Category I/II non-friable ACM removal work. Friable asbestos waste requires Phase Contrast Microscopy clearance at 0.01 f/cc and transport to Illinois-approved landfills. The Managing Environmental Consultant performs pre-work testing, daily monitoring, and final clearance testing. NESHAP notification to Illinois EPA is required for quantities ≥260 linear feet or 160 square feet. Hot work requires permits from the Safety Section; dig permits require utility locator vendor marking at least 6 feet beyond excavation zones. HVAC controls must integrate with existing Tridium Jace controller infrastructure and support BACnet protocol.

Bidders must submit a bid bond guarantee equal to 20 percent of the bid price or $1,000,000, whichever is less. Required certifications include VAAR 852.219-75 (Limitations on Subcontracting, 15 percent minimum contractor-performed work per FAR 52.236-1), SF 1442, and FAR representations regarding responsibility, arms control compliance, foreign procurement taxes, and security prohibitions. Prevailing wage applies per Cook County, Illinois, General Decision IL20260009 (effective January 9 through May 18, 2026), with representative rates including Carpenter $52.01/hour, Electrician $57.75/hour, and Hazardous Material Handler $41.27/hour. All site personnel must hold OSHA 30-hour certification (superintendent) or OSHA 10-hour minimum (all workers). A Systimax-certified contractor is required for data and voice installations with minimum three years current certification and 25-year transferable warranty. Lock hardware must accept Small Format Interchangeable Cores (SFIC) where appropriate, with specified manufacturers including Schlage (keyways), BEST (hinges, locksets), KSP (cylinder housings), and others per the Hines VA Lock Hardware Standards document.