Fairgrounds Passenger Platform Improvements

Ben Franklin Transit is soliciting sealed bids under IFB 26-16 to reconstruct the Fairgrounds passenger platform and loading/unloading area at the Benton County Fairgrounds, with a non-mandatory pre-bid walkthrough today, October 26, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. and bids due November 17, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Pacific through the BFT OpenGov Procurement Portal. The source names no set-aside, preference program, or local-vendor requirement. Partial Federal Transit Administration funding applies, and the project is subject to prevailing wage under Chapter 39.12 RCW.

Mandatory contractor qualifications include a current Washington State certificate of registration, a Unified Business Identifier number, a Department of Revenue excise tax registration, industrial insurance coverage, two years of experience in the requested services, three commercial project references, and proof of L&I-authorized public works training. Bidders must post 5% bid security and submit pricing on BFT's bid form, with prices including delivery, mileage, labor, materials, and overhead. Prices remain valid for 90 calendar days from the bid due date.

The scope includes pavement removal and new hot mix asphalt paving, grading and excavation, two stormwater dispersion areas designed for 25-year, 24-hour storm events, concrete tall curb, cedar fencing and gates, bollards, pavement markings, landscape restoration with a 365-day maintenance period, and lighting and electrical modifications. The project adds more than 10,000 square feet of impervious surface, including more than 5,000 square feet of pollution-generating surface, which triggers the 2024 Stormwater Management Manual for Eastern Washington. The project qualifies for public road construction treatment under WAC 458-20-171, which exempts certain portions from sales tax, but contractors must pay sales or use tax on materials incorporated into the stormwater treatment system. BFT is not exempt from Washington State sales tax.

BFT will award to the most responsive and responsible bidder offering the lowest overall bid cost. Estimated award is January 18, 2027. The contract runs until completion of all work, and BFT may issue a Notice to Proceed up to 20 calendar days after award. Contractors must withhold 5% retainage, released upon an approved affidavit and Notice of Completion from all three agencies, and must file monthly affidavits of wages paid and certified payroll.