26B-025 Southeastern Livestock Pavilion Grandstand Repair

Marion County Parks & Recreation Department is soliciting competitive bids for Project 26B-025, the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion Grandstand Repair, through an Invitation to Bids (ITB) process administered by Marion County, Florida, with jurisdiction also including Orlando City. The procurement seeks a best-qualified contractor to perform comprehensive structural repairs, fabrication, and restoration work on metal grandstands located in the front arena at Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NW Jacksonville Road, Ocala, Florida. The scope of work includes replacing vertical angle members, repairing bent or kinked bracing angles, repairing broken welds, replacing and tightening fasteners with stainless steel or galvanized materials, sandblasting all steel supporting systems to SSPC-SP6 commercial blast cleaning standards, and repainting with industrial-grade exterior coatings (Rust-Oleum Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 Primer followed by two coats of Sherwin Williams 6454 Shamrock oil-base paint). The contractor must also remove all existing wood and chain-link handrails and fabricate and install new 42-inch-high metal handrails meeting Florida Building Code requirements, with all welding performed by certified welders per AWS D1.1 standards and inspected by a licensed structural engineer. Bids were due January 7, 2026, with a pre-bid walk-through conducted prior to the deadline to familiarize prospective contractors with site conditions. The contract requires a 60-calendar-day timeline to Substantial Completion plus 15 calendar days to Final Completion, with work scheduled Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Key qualifications include obtaining all necessary permits and licenses, submitting engineered shop drawings sealed by a Florida professional engineer, providing a detailed construction schedule within two days of receiving the Notice to Proceed, and maintaining a clean and safe work area throughout the project duration. Contractors must acknowledge receipt of all addenda issued during the procurement process, with failure to do so potentially resulting in bid rejection.

The procurement documents do not identify specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting the types of organizations eligible to respond; however, all vendors must comply with federal and state requirements including E-Verify employment verification, drug-free workplace certification, and nondiscrimination policies. Contractors are required to maintain specified insurance coverage, including workers' compensation per Florida statutory requirements, commercial general liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and business automobile liability with combined single limits of $500,000. All bids must be submitted electronically through Marion County's Bonfire e-procurement portal at https://marionfl.bonfirehub.com, and the county reserves the right to award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder meeting all specifications. Preliminary bid tabulation dated January 7, 2026, indicates two vendors submitted bids: Baker Construction with a base bid of $410,878.90 and Southeastern Seating Inc. with a base bid of $49,600.00, with Southeastern Seating Inc. identified as the apparent low bidder pending mathematical verification and final detailed tabulation. Per Florida Statutes, the detailed bid tabulation remains confidential until either 30 days from the tabulation date or upon issuance of a Notice of Intent to award. Marion County intends to select a vendor within sixty calendar days of the bid deadline, with bids remaining firm and valid for award for at least ninety calendar days after the deadline.