Design-Build Services for OUC District Cooling

Orlando Utilities Commission is pre-qualifying one or more Design-Build firms for District Cooling projects on an as-needed basis under SOQ26 PR9347, with a Notice of Award issued August 24, 2026 naming Ajax Building Company, LLC, Kenyon & Partners, Inc., and S.I. Goldman Company, Inc. as the selected contractors. The original SOQ due date was August 14, 2026; this opportunity has closed and moved to contract negotiation phase.

All responding firms must maintain a local office within 125 miles of OUC's downtown location (100 W. Anderson St., Orlando, FL 32801). Minimum qualifications include ten years in chilled water design-build projects; seven years in chilled water distribution systems in high-density urban and greenfield areas; seven years with systems exceeding 2,000 tons; seven years with large-capacity chiller and cooling tower upgrades; seven years with heat exchangers 300 tons or larger; seven years with underground distribution piping; seven years in high water table areas; seven years with secondary pumping system design and construction; five years with LEED projects; and five years with chilled water plant commissioning. Proposers must demonstrate capability for expedited proposals, 24-hour and emergency two-hour site visit response, maintenance of traffic coordination, Florida Building Code and ASHRAE Standards compliance, and robust safety and quality assurance.

The scope encompasses preliminary and final engineering, feasibility studies, schematic and conceptual design, hydraulic modeling, cost estimating, detailed design, permitting, regulatory coordination, performance testing, operator training, construction management, general construction, and start-up and commissioning of District Cooling facilities. Work may include new chilled water production plants, expansion or replacement of existing plants or distribution systems, transmission and distribution pipelines, thermal energy storage tanks, pumping stations, filtration systems, metering systems, and automation controls.

The initial contract term is three years with two one-year renewal options, spanning 2026–2031. Evaluation criteria include qualifications and experience, responsiveness to requirements, safety and quality programs, and financial soundness. Payment and Performance Bonds equal to 100 percent of each Purchase Order value are required under Florida law and must be recorded in Orange County public records at the Design-Builder's expense. Awarded firms will compete against one another for individual project awards.