DB - Lift Station - 05C (Toho East Lakeshore) Rehabilitation Project

Tohopekaliga Water Authority, a special district in Florida operating in Polk County, is issuing a Request for Design-Build Qualifications (RFQU-26-003) for the Lift Station 05C (Toho East Lakeshore) Rehabilitation Project, a design-build procurement under Florida's Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act. The project encompasses the rehabilitation or complete replacement of an existing quadplex master lift station currently serving approximately 2.2 million gallons per day average flow with peak flows of 2.9 million gallons per day, located at 2800 Lakeshore Boulevard, St. Cloud, Florida. The selected design-build firm will provide comprehensive services including preliminary design, 60% and 90% design phases, permitting, construction, startup, commissioning, and operations transfer, with deliverables including guaranteed maximum price (GMP) cost estimates at multiple design milestones and open-book cost accounting. Key project objectives include increasing pump station efficiency and reliability while bringing the facility to current operational standards and addressing existing operational concerns. A mandatory pre-response conference is scheduled for February 3, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. at the lift station site, with a question deadline of February 13, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. and a response submittal deadline of March 5, 2026, at 2:00 P.M., submitted electronically through Toho's Bonfire procurement portal. Respondents must demonstrate bonding capacity of at least $250,000,000, maintain insurance including $1,000,000 workers' compensation, $1,000,000 comprehensive general liability, $1,000,000 automobile liability, and $2,000,000 excess/umbrella coverage, be registered to do business in Florida, and comply with E-Verify employment eligibility requirements. Evaluation will be conducted by a Selection Committee with the top three ranked firms advancing to competitive negotiations, with the highest-ranked respondent recommended for selection and Board approval.

There are no specific set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise restrictions identified in this solicitation. All respondents must comply with federal and state legal requirements including non-collusion affidavits, federal debarment and suspension status certifications, drug-free workplace certification, anti-human trafficking attestations, and prohibitions on discriminatory practices, antitrust violations, Israel boycott participation, and foreign countries of concern restrictions. No incumbent contractors or existing vendors are referenced in the available documentation. The project involves integration with existing wastewater infrastructure, requiring the design-build firm to work within the existing lift station environment at the specified location. The estimated construction costs range from $9.0 to $11.0 million for this single project exceeding $7.5 million in contracting services, with the preconstruction services fee and total contract value to be finalized through the design-build agreement and GMP amendment process. The contract term extends through project completion including warranty period services and record drawing deliverables, with liquidated damages established at $1,000 per day for failure to achieve Substantial or Final Completion by scheduled dates. Federal financial assistance through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) applies to this project, requiring compliance with Davis-Bacon wages, Equal Employment Opportunity requirements, and American Iron and Steel provisions.