Construction Manager At Risk (CMAR) for Bear Lake ES Replacement Project #25260069RFQu-JAM

The School Board of Seminole County, Florida, issued a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFQU) for Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) services for the Bear Lake Elementary School Replacement Project, solicitation number 25260069RFQu-JAM. The project encompasses the complete replacement of Bear Lake Elementary School located at 3399 Gleaves Court, Apopka, Florida, on approximately 20 acres of mostly flat land. The scope of work includes placement of temporary classroom portables, construction of an approximately 95,000 square foot two-story building to house administration, dining services, media center, classrooms, and support spaces, demolition of buildings 1-6 and 8-12, renovation of building 13, construction of a new central energy plant, and improved site amenities and circulation. The CMAR will be responsible for preconstruction services and full construction delivery, working collaboratively with the Owner and Architect (Stratus Team, LLC) to prioritize the scope of work based on cost considerations and phasing strategy. Qualified respondents must be licensed in Florida as a Certified General Contractor and properly registered with the State of Florida, with evaluation criteria weighted as follows: business structure (10%), experience and past performance (45%), methodology (35%), references (5%), and workload (5%). All respondents must demonstrate financial stability through either a surety bond commitment letter in the amount of $35,000,000 from a surety with minimum A.M. Best's Rating of "A-" or equivalent, or audited financial statements for the two most recent fiscal years, along with litigation disclosure, insurance documentation, drug-free workplace certification, debarment certification, and conflict of interest disclosure. A voluntary pre-proposal conference was scheduled for February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST via Webex, with the RFQU proposal due date of March 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST, featuring public proposal opening the same day via Webex. The project timeline includes design from January through October 2026, bidding from October 2026 through January 2027, and construction from January 2027 through July 2028, organized in three phases.

This solicitation contains no designated set-asides or restrictions limiting responses to disadvantaged enterprises or other specific organization types; all qualified firms meeting the stated criteria are eligible to respond. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the procurement documents. The contract establishes a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) of $35,000,000 for construction services, with the construction management fee capped at 4.5 percent of the cost of work as the not-to-exceed percentage. Pre-construction services compensation will be determined by a percentage of the construction budget or a negotiated fee, with the specific amount to be detailed in Exhibit C. The contract includes liquidated damages provisions of $1,545.00 per day for failure to meet the substantial completion date and $772.00 per day for failure to meet the final completion date. Payment procedures will follow Title XIV, Chapter 218, Florida Statutes (Florida Prompt Payment Act), with invoices submitted monthly and payment due 25 business days after receipt of a compliant payment request. Retainage of 10 percent shall be withheld until 50 percent project completion, with the Owner retaining the ability to reduce retainage to 5 percent thereafter, and the construction manager shall not be permitted to self-perform any category of work without prior written approval from the Owner.