Design-Build Services for Downtown Accent Lighting System Integration Project

The City of Orlando is soliciting sealed design-build services through RFP26-0366 for the Downtown Accent Lighting System Integration Project, a federally-funded construction initiative within Orange County, Florida. The procurement encompasses the design, permitting, and installation of new programmable Red/Green/Blue/White (RGBW) LED lighting fixtures with integrated control systems for multiple downtown structures, including the City Hall Rooftop Dome, Tower of Light Sculpture, Main Plaza Fountain, and thirteen additional art sculptures and architectural features throughout downtown Orlando such as Take Flight, Astrogenesis, Global Convergence, Cedar of Lebanon, and Union. The primary objective is to modernize lighting infrastructure while developing a unified control system allowing all color-changing lighting sites within downtown Orlando to be operated via a single remote or cloud-based platform, with integration required to the existing Pharos Lighting Playback Controller (LPC) at City Hall. All fixtures must meet or exceed IP65 outdoor ratings, accommodate 120-degree Fahrenheit heat exposure, and provide a minimum 50,000-hour lifespan to L70 with five-year warranty coverage. Respondents must be Florida-licensed contractors and include either a Florida-licensed architect or registered engineer; the design team must include a lighting designer holding Professional or Fellow IALD/FIALD membership or Certified Lighting Designer (CLD) credentials. Evaluation criteria include design and construction team experience and qualifications (40 points combined), Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE) participation (2 points), past performance (14 points), proximity to Orlando (4 points), prior work volume with the City (5 points), project understanding and approach (25 points), and design-build fee (10 points), totaling 100 possible points. Mandatory pre-proposal conferences with site tours are scheduled for May 11, 2026 and May 18, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at Orlando City Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue; the question submission deadline is June 8, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.; and sealed electronic responses must be submitted via OpenGov by 2:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, June 18, 2026, with anticipated design completion by September 2026, construction documents by December 2026, GMP execution by January 2027, and substantial completion by August 31, 2027.

VBE participation is evaluated as a separate scoring factor worth 2 points, though no specific set-asides are designated for disadvantaged enterprises. Respondents must secure performance and payment bonds from surety companies rated at least "A-" by A.M. Best and licensed to operate in Florida, with all surety companies required to be listed on the United States Department of the Treasury's Listing of Approved Sureties. The design-builder must comply with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements, with hourly rates ranging from $12.95 to $53.73 plus fringe benefits depending on trade classification, and maintain a living wage provision of $15.00 per hour minimum; Executive Order 13706 paid sick leave provisions (one hour per 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours annually) and Executive Order 13658 minimum wage requirements of $13.30 per hour also apply. Worker's Compensation coverage at Florida statutory limits, Comprehensive General Liability at $1,000,000 per occurrence, Business Automobile Liability at $1,000,000 per occurrence, and professional liability/errors and omissions insurance at $1,000,000 minimum with a $100,000 maximum deductible for design professionals are mandatory. The total project budget is $1,700,000, encompassing all design, permitting, construction, and related costs, with the design-build fee evaluated separately with a minimum allowable fee of 5.5% and increments of no less than 0.5%. The contract follows a two-phase engagement structure with pre-construction design phase fees and construction phase fees calculated as a percentage of the Cost of Work, with the City retaining full ownership of all work product and design documents.