Gorge Powerhouse Crane Replacement

The City of Seattle is requesting Statements of Qualifications from design-build firms to replace two 150-ton overhead bridge cranes at the Gorge Powerhouse Hydroelectric Facility in Newhalem, Whatcom County, Washington, with SOQs due November 6, 2026, and a mandatory pre-SOQ meeting scheduled for October 26, 2026.

Minimum qualifications are restrictive: applicants must be Washington State licensed contractors with at least ten years of overhead crane design experience, full 3D CAD modeling capability, five years of Allen Bradley PLC programming experience, five years of crane fabrication or equivalent subcontractor experience, and a minimum of three hydroelectric facility projects of similar scope and complexity completed within the past ten years. Applicants must demonstrate bonding capacity equal to the project estimate and maintain required insurance coverage.

The scope encompasses design, demolition, construction, and commissioning of replacement overhead cranes with either a single 275-ton main hook or dual 150-ton main hooks, each with 15-ton auxiliary hoists and an electric jib crane. The design-builder must remove existing controls and electrical systems, install new collectors and radio control equipment, perform rail inspection and realignment per CMAA 70 standards, complete hazardous materials abatement, and comply with the Skagit Historic Resources Management Plan. All design work must be performed by Washington State licensed professional engineers. The project requires a 90-day validation period for condition verification and includes submissions at 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100% design completion stages.

The estimated contract value is $12.5 million. Key project milestones include Notice to Proceed on December 1, 2026, a crane outage milestone on July 24, 2028, and Substantial Completion on October 31, 2028. Liquidated damages are $500 per calendar day for each missed milestone. The design-builder must provide a Payment and Performance Bond equal to the awarded contract price, signed by a surety approved by the Washington State Insurance Commissioner with a minimum A.M. Best rating of A-VII. Prevailing wage and Community Workforce Agreement compliance are mandatory.

Applicants must submit an Underutilized Business Inclusion Plan demonstrating meaningful participation of women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and small businesses in design and construction. The City will short-list up to four highest-scored SOQ teams to submit full proposals, with the final RFP issued November 18, 2026, a mandatory site visit on December 10, 2026, and proposals due January 13, 2027. Non-responsive proposers will receive a $75,000 honorarium upon contract execution.