DEM Design Build Construction and Site Readiness Services Alton Jones Campus

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) is soliciting design-build proposals for comprehensive construction and site readiness services at the Alton Jones Campus, a 2,300-acre University of Rhode Island facility located at 401 Victory Highway in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. The project encompasses design, permitting, construction, and site readiness services across three distinct campus areas: Main Office, Woodvale Farm, and the Environmental Education Center (EEC), encompassing 16 buildings including six cabins, a mouse house, early education center, farmhouse, blacksmith house, farm classroom, cow barn, machinery barn, main office, garage, and related outbuildings. Deliverables include structural repairs addressing wood rot and pest damage, ADA accessibility improvements, mechanical system repairs and replacements for plumbing and HVAC, fire protection system inspections and reactivation, exterior deck removal and replacement, radon remediation, mold remediation in select buildings, water damage repairs, interior flooring and wall refurbishment, deep cleaning services with rodent remediation, and all associated design and permitting work. The project is prioritized in five phases: Main Office and EEC building improvements, Main Office campus improvements, EEC campus improvements and occupancy, Woodvale Farm exterior improvements, and Woodvale Farm interior improvements, with a total construction budget of $2.5 million. Vendors must submit a technical proposal (maximum 10 pages), detailed project schedule, project understanding and approach documentation, cost proposal with narrative, supplemental bidder attestation form, and Minority and Women Business Enterprise (ISBE) participation forms if applicable. Evaluation occurs in three phases: Phase I technical proposal scoring (maximum 65 points, minimum 55 required to advance), Phase II interview scoring (maximum 20 points, minimum 75 combined points required to advance), and Phase III cost evaluation (maximum 15 points), with ISBE participation earning up to 6 bonus points. Two non-mandatory pre-bid meetings are scheduled for May 27, 2026, and June 4, 2026, both at 9:00 AM at RIDEM's Main Office, with the proposal submission deadline of July 10, 2026, at 11:00 AM EDT and vendor questions accepted through June 11, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT. Required insurance includes general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limit), workers' compensation at statutory limits, automobile liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), professional liability ($2,000,000 per occurrence), and environmental/pollution liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), along with 100 percent performance and payment bonds.

The solicitation includes set-aside designations for Minority and Women Business Enterprise (ISBE) participation, and vendors utilizing certified MBE/WBE subcontractors or suppliers must document their commitments on the ISBE participation form with 100 percent of subcontracted work self-performed by the MBE or subcontracted exclusively to other Rhode Island certified MBEs to receive credit; vendors may count 60 percent of material and supply expenditures from MBE certified regular dealers and 100 percent from MBE certified manufacturers. Disability Business Enterprise participation is also accepted for vendors certified by the Governor's Commission on Disabilities. Vendors must achieve Tier 1 public works vendor prequalification status, maintain valid Rhode Island contractor registration, and comply with prevailing wage requirements and apprenticeship certification mandates. The initial contract period will commence approximately two weeks after purchase order issuance for an initial two-year term, with optional renewal for two additional 12-month periods contingent upon vendor performance and fund availability. Bid surety bonds or certified checks equal to five percent of the vendor's cost proposal are required at submission, with the awarded vendor required to furnish 100 percent payment and performance bonds from a Rhode Island licensed surety prior to purchase order issuance. While no specific award value is detailed in the solicitation documents, the total construction budget identified is $2.5 million, with the contract incorporating a 0.33 percent contract administrative fee effective January 1, 2026, withheld from vendor invoices. The contract is structured on an AIA Document A141-2014 design-build agreement template utilizing either a stipulated sum, cost-of-work-plus-fee, or cost-of-work-plus-fee-with-guaranteed-maximum-price compensation model, with progress payments made monthly less a 5 percent retainage until substantial completion, and all subcontractors and suppliers required to be paid within 10 working days of the vendor's receipt of progress payments from the State.