Fire Station #1 HVAC Removal & Replacement

The City of Bloomington, Illinois, is soliciting sealed bids for Bid #2026-37, Fire Station #1 HVAC Removal & Replacement, a public works project involving the complete demolition and replacement of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems at Fire Station #1 located at 310 N. Lee Street, Bloomington, Illinois. The procurement encompasses removal of existing hydronic unit heaters, ductwork, air handling units, boilers, and associated piping, with installation of new variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems featuring multiple fan coil units, dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS), energy recovery ventilators (ERV), gas-fired unit heaters, and electric duct heaters, along with associated ceiling replacement, electrical modifications, and controls installation. Bidders must submit sealed bids electronically via the City's e-Procurement Portal (OpenGov) by Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. CST, with a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting and site visit scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. The deadline for written questions is Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., with responses provided by March 31, 2026, and the anticipated award date is April 27, 2026, with final project completion required by April 30, 2027. All pricing must be submitted as a lump sum for HVAC removal and replacement per plans and specifications, plus a contingency line item equal to ten percent of the base bid amount, with unused contingency reverting to the City. Bids in excess of $10,000 require a bid guaranty of no less than ten percent of the bid amount, and the successful bidder must provide Performance and Payment Bonds equal to 100 percent of the contract price within ten business days of award. Evaluation will follow the lowest responsible, responsive bidder standard, and contractors must comply with Illinois prevailing wage requirements, provide evidence of substance abuse prevention programs, maintain general liability insurance of at least $2,000,000 per occurrence, and submit equal opportunity and diversity goal documentation.

This project is subject to the City of Bloomington's Project Labor Agreement ordinance for all public works projects exceeding $50,000 in public funds expenditure, though the PLA requirement may be waived if determined not to advance the City's interests in cost, efficiency, quality, safety, timeliness, skilled labor force stability, and minority- and female-owned business participation; however, any PLA terms must comply with the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act and cannot require union membership or fair share payments from contractor employees. The procurement does not identify any specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting respondent types, though the City has established diversity and minority-owned or female-owned business goals as evaluation considerations. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. The project requires coordination with existing infrastructure at the fire station facility and maintains the building in fully occupied operation during construction phases, necessitating temporary cooling and heating equipment coordination with the building owner and delivery of salvageable boilers to the City of Bloomington. The specific contract award value or budget range is not disclosed in the bid documents; however, the project scope and requirement for a Project Labor Agreement indicate the anticipated contract value exceeds $50,000.