Architectural and Engineering Design Services - Aquatics Center / Maintenance Building

The City of Cartersville is soliciting competitive sealed proposals for Architectural and Engineering Design Services for a new Aquatics Center and potential Maintenance Building, with proposals due October 8, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. local time at the Cartersville Parks & Recreation Department. Questions are due September 24, 2026.

All respondents must be registered in Georgia and complete the City's E-Verify Form. Insurance carriers must be authorized to do business in Georgia with an A.M. Best rating of A or better.

The Aquatics Center scope comprises approximately 51,000–52,000 square feet designed to support competitive swimming, aquatic programming, therapeutic and recreational activities, and spectator events. Facility components include one 50-meter competition pool, one 25-meter warm-up/therapeutic pool, separate men's and women's locker rooms, public restrooms, permanent spectator seating for 500–700, a timing/sound room, three classrooms, administrative offices, a concession area, and a grand foyer with centralized check-in integrated with the existing Senior Aquatics Center. A potential 12,000 square-foot Maintenance Building with offices, bathrooms, vehicle bays, and storage may also be included. Design services will encompass programming, conceptual design, schematic design, design development, and construction documents. The project delivery method is Construction Manager at-Risk (CM), and design services are anticipated to commence Fall 2026 with construction documents completed and permitted by late summer 2027, targeting facility opening summer 2028.

The owner anticipates a construction budget of approximately $30 million to $35 million for the Aquatics Center and associated site improvements, though this is preliminary and subject to adjustment.

Evaluation is multi-step: qualifications review scored on firm stability (0–10 points), relevant aquatic facility experience (0–25 points), firm project experience and qualifications (0–20 points), key personnel qualifications (0–15 points), CMAR/preconstruction experience (0–10 points), project approach and cost/schedule management (0–10 points), QA/QC and specialized expertise (0–5 points), and team availability and responsiveness (0–5 points). Fee proposals are submitted in a separately sealed envelope and will not be scored during initial evaluation; the Owner will negotiate price and scope with the highest-ranked firm.

Submissions must include one unbound original, five bound copies without fee proposals, and electronic media in Adobe PDF format, limited to 50 pages excluding cover letter and tabs, minimum 11-point font.