Carrell Canal Closed Drainage Design

The City of Fort Myers is requesting statements of qualifications (RSQ 26-031) from consultants to design a closed drainage system replacing the existing Carrell Canal between US 41 and the Ten-Mile Canal, with submissions due October 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST. A local vendor preference of 5 points (4.2%) and MBE compliance scoring of 13 points (11%) are embedded in the evaluation criteria and apply to qualified respondents.

The scope encompasses design of a closed drainage system, a permanent emergency pumping station at the Ten-Mile Canal south of Palm Avenue, and a 12-foot-wide asphalt multi-use path. Services include overall project management, surveying, utility coordination, geotechnical investigations, construction document preparation at 30%, 60%, and 100% completion milestones, permitting assistance, bidding phase support, and post-design construction phase services. The consultant must maintain valid Florida business licenses for Lee County and the City of Fort Myers and possess at least five years of business operation under the current company name with no arrears or defaults with the City.

Compensation will be negotiated following the selection process under Florida Statutes Section 287.055 (Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act); pricing is not required in initial submissions. The contract is structured as not-to-exceed with a professional services agreement specifying compensation through fee schedules and hourly rates for prime consultant personnel. Payment is due within 45 calendar days of invoice approval. The consultant must obtain professional liability ($1 million per claim, maximum $100,000 deductible), commercial general liability ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), commercial automobile liability ($1 million combined single limit), and workers' compensation coverage with $100,000 per accident and $500,000 disease minimums, with the City named as additional insured on a primary, non-contributory basis.

A non-mandatory pre-submittal meeting is scheduled for October 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM. Questions are due October 13, 2026 at 4:00 PM. The selection committee meets November 11, 2026, with optional presentations on November 20, 2026. City Council approval is anticipated December 7, 2026. Submissions must remain valid for 180 days, and the selected consultant must execute the professional services agreement and provide insurance documentation within 15 days of award notification.