Fire Station #3 HVAC Replacement

The City of Bloomington, Illinois is soliciting sealed bids for Bid #2026-08, a comprehensive Fire Station #3 HVAC Replacement project located at 2301 E. Empire Street. The procurement involves a complete removal and replacement of the existing HVAC system, including installation of new variable refrigerant flow (VRF) equipment, energy recovery ventilation, and associated electrical infrastructure. Qualified contractors must have a minimum of five years of experience in similar commercial projects and provide three favorable references from municipal, campus, hospital, or educational facility projects. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting and site visit is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 1:00 pm at the fire station. Sealed bids must be submitted electronically via the City's e-Procurement Portal (OpenGov) by Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 10:00 am CST, with an anticipated contract award date of August 25, 2025. Bidders are required to provide a bid guaranty of at least 10% of the total bid amount and will need to submit Performance and Payment Bonds equal to 100% of the contract price within ten business days of the award.

The City has established specific equal opportunity initiatives for this project, including aspirational goals for minority and women-owned business enterprise (MBE/WBE) participation. These goals include potentially awarding 8% of the total contract amount to MBEs, DBEs, and/or WBEs, with workforce participation goals of 10% minority workers and 2% female workers. The project is subject to the City's project labor agreement ordinance, which applies to public works contracts exceeding $50,000 and requires compliance with Illinois Prevailing Wage Act standards. The contract timeline anticipates execution by October 1, 2025, with substantial completion required by May 31, 2026, and a final completion date of June 30, 2026. While specific budget details are not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the HVAC replacement suggests a significant capital investment. The City will retain 10% of payments until project completion, with the potential to reduce retainage to 5% after 50% of work is completed. A 10% contingency is included in the bid to address unforeseen issues, to be used at the City's sole discretion.