Cheyenne Botanic Gardens - Smith Education, Agriculture & Trial (E. A. T. ) Garden

The City of Cheyenne, Wyoming is soliciting bids for the Smith Education, Agriculture & Trial (E.A.T.) Garden project at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens under Bid S-20-26, a fixed-price, lump-sum and unit-price invitation for bid (IFB) procurement. The project encompasses comprehensive site improvements including demolition of existing structures, utility and drainage modifications, rough grading, architectural construction, site work, landscaping, site furnishings, irrigation systems, and electrical infrastructure at 710 S Lions Park Drive, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Deliverables include clearing and grubbing 14,450 square feet, removing existing chainlink fencing and concrete structures, installing 37 raised garden beds of varying sizes, pouring approximately 7,430 square feet of concrete pavement, installing frost-free utility lines and irrigation systems covering 3,956 square feet, constructing a custom shade shelter, and installing electrical distribution and fixtures with site furnishings such as picnic tables and benches. Bidders must possess the qualifications and experience necessary to execute construction work in compliance with City of Cheyenne specifications, current ASTM and ACI standards, OSHA requirements, and environmental regulations including erosion control and noise ordinance compliance. An optional pre-bid meeting is scheduled for March 10, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at the project site; the deadline for submitting questions is March 13, 2026; addenda responses are due by March 17, 2026; and electronic bids are due by 2:00 p.m. on March 30, 2026. The City Council is scheduled to provide final approval on April 27, 2026, with an estimated Notice to Proceed on May 5, 2026 and final project completion by December 31, 2026. All bids must be accompanied by a five percent bid guarantee in the form of a bid bond or cashier's check, and the successful bidder must furnish performance and payment bonds equal to one hundred percent of the accepted bid amount.

Wyoming preference statutes apply to this procurement, providing a five percent preference for certified resident contractors and Wyoming materials and labor, though the successful bidder must employ Wyoming laborers unless the state workforce center certifies availability gaps within eleven calendar days of project commencement. No specific funding amount or budget ceiling is stated in the bid documents, though the solicitation notes that programmed construction funds are estimated as sufficient for the proposed work. Retainage is set at five percent of work dollar value throughout the contract term, with final payment withheld for a minimum of forty-one calendar days after Notice of Final Settlement is published. The contract includes liquidated damages ranging from $250 to $3,500 per calendar day for delays, depending on the original contract amount, and a two-year warranty period following substantial completion during which the contractor must maintain active insurance and bonding. Contractors must comply with mandatory insurance requirements including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Business Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), and statutory Workers' Compensation coverage, as well as drug-free workplace policies and nondiscrimination laws. Tree damage penalties are assessed at up to treble damages of the appraised tree value with a minimum fine of one thousand dollars per construction damage incident within tree protection areas, and contractors bear responsibility for utility locates and any damage resulting from construction activities.