208 Bull Street Design Professional Services

The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP C26-06) for design professional services to support the historic renovation and adaptive reuse of 208 Bull Street, a civic building originally constructed in 1901 that will be transformed into the Bull Street School for Architecture & Design. This comprehensive procurement seeks qualified design professionals to provide full programming, site evaluation, measured drawings, architectural and engineering design, landscape design, interior design, construction documentation, permitting coordination with the Metropolitan Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission, and construction administration services. The facility will house a specialized high school program featuring architectural drafting, design technology, historic preservation, museum curation, construction management, and culinary arts programs, alongside selected SCCPSS administrative offices. Offerors must demonstrate a minimum of five continuous years of experience providing similar services to educational, governmental, or municipal agencies, with particular emphasis on institutional preservation, adaptive reuse projects, high-performance learning environments in historic buildings, and municipal approvals for landmark properties. The evaluation will occur in two rounds: the initial round assesses firm stability (5 points), experience and qualifications (75 points), and responses to questions (20 points), with short-listed offerors advancing to a second round that evaluates design plan components (70 points), additional question responses (20 points), and fees (10 points). The pre-proposal conference is scheduled for March 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at 208 Bull Street (optional attendance), with proposals due through the SCCPSS Bonfire e-Procurement portal by April 16, 2026.

The contract will be a multi-year agreement with automatic annual renewals until project completion, with termination for convenience provisions allowing the District to terminate with fourteen days' notice. Offerors must complete and submit multiple compliance documents including E-Verify affidavits certifying registration with the federal E-Verify work authorization program, debarment certifications attesting they are not debarred or suspended from federal contracts, lobbying disclosure forms certifying no federal appropriated funds will be used for lobbying activities, and comprehensive offeror information forms with professional references and responsibility disclosures. Professional liability insurance is required with minimum limits of $3,000,000 per claim and $4,000,000 in aggregate for projects with stated costs exceeding $30,000,000, and the architect must maintain this coverage for six years following project completion. The project is funded through ESPLOST V (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) with a total project budget of $85,000,000, encompassing all consultants, design, construction, furniture and equipment, technology, and contingency costs, though the District notes that not all construction funds may come from ESPLOST V sources. A Construction Manager at Risk will be selected and assigned after the design professional is awarded, and the District will provide the selected architect with a license to use its E-Builder project management information system at no cost. Compensation for basic services will be determined through one of three methods: stipulated sum, percentage basis calculated against the owner's budget for cost of work, or other negotiated arrangements, with all subcontractors required to provide similar E-Verify affidavits in compliance with state requirements.