Architectural & Engineering Services for the New Kent County Courthouse RFP #26-2103AD

New Kent County, Virginia is requesting proposals from qualified Architectural/Engineering firms to produce detailed construction documents and specifications for a new 60,000 to 70,000 square foot county courthouse, with proposals due August 14, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. and questions due July 24, 2026. The county will award a fixed fee agreement on a competitive negotiation basis to the offeror demonstrating best overall value.

Offerors must hold Commonwealth of Virginia Architect and Engineer licenses and provide State Corporation Commission registration. The scope encompasses six phases: Programming, Conceptual and Schematic Design; Design Development; Construction Documents; Construction Procurement, Award and Construction Administration; and Project Closeout. The courthouse will consolidate Circuit Court, General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Commonwealth Attorney's office, Court Services Unit, and Sheriff's Courts and Civil Process divisions currently in the existing facility. The design must comply with Virginia high-performance building requirements under Va. Code 15.2-1804.1. The county will use Construction Management at Risk (CMAR) as the project delivery method, with construction anticipated to begin in the second quarter of 2027.

Evaluation criteria are understanding of project scope (30%), specific project experience and current workload (35%), ability to respond to county needs including coordination and quality assurance (20%), and experience with courthouse design and high-performance building requirements (15%). At minimum, two offerors will be selected to continue negotiations; award goes to the offeror with whom a satisfactory fixed fee agreement can be reached.

Offerors must submit six hardcopy copies and one electronic copy. The contract extends throughout all project phases and is subject to annual appropriations by the New Kent County Board of Supervisors. Required insurance includes workers' compensation at statutory Virginia limits, commercial general liability of $1 million per occurrence with $2 million general aggregate, and business automobile liability of $1 million per accident. Payment for satisfactory compliance is rendered within 45 days of receipt of a proper itemized invoice.