Hart Plaza HVAC Replacement

The City of Detroit Office of Contracting and Procurement is requesting proposals for design-build services to provide HVAC upgrades at Hart Plaza (1 Hart Plaza, Detroit, Michigan) under RFP 550673, with proposals due October 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM EST and a pre-proposal walkthrough on September 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM at the Hart Plaza site. The City anticipates making one or multiple awards.

The scope encompasses replacement of two water-cooled air handling units (approximately 20 tons and 10 tons) and one air-cooled condensing unit (approximately 20 tons) to serve three underground areas. Work includes two phases: Phase 1 (site assessment, field investigation, equipment selection, design development, permitting) and Phase 2 (HVAC equipment replacement, electrical and plumbing reconnection, abatement, disposal, commissioning). The contractor must provide a turnkey system including all labor, materials, equipment, and subcontractors; maintain an onsite superintendent for daily observation; submit a master Gantt schedule with weekly updates; and conduct weekly coordination meetings and bi-weekly progress reports. All proposals must be submitted electronically through the Bonfire/EUNA portal; faxed or mailed proposals will not be accepted.

Minimum qualifications require five years of experience providing licensed HVAC services of similar scope and size, five professional references from the past five years, availability for 24/7 emergency repairs, and demonstrated experience with a minimum of three similar HVAC design-build projects in commercial facilities. Respondents must submit organizational charts, resumes for key personnel (President, Vice President, Controller, Safety Officer, and comparable roles), a staff roster identifying all personnel with credentials and Detroit residency status, a committed work capacity form documenting current projects, and five years of financial statements.

Technical proposals are evaluated on work plan/schedule (20 points), capacity including key staff and equipment (10 points), experience (20 points), and pricing (15 points) for 65 total points. Detroit Equalization Credits of up to 10 additional points are available for prime contractors and subcontractors meeting specified local business criteria. The contract term is three years with any renewal requiring Detroit City Council approval. A 10 percent retainage will be withheld until substantial completion; 5 percent is released upon substantial completion and the remaining 5 percent upon receipt of closeout documents and warranty information. The contractor must provide manufacturer's standard equipment warranties and a minimum one-year labor and workmanship warranty, with all extended warranties transferred to the City. Questions are due October 6, 2026. Work authorization requires both a Contract Purchase Agreement approved by Detroit City Council and a Standard Purchase Order issued by Procurement. Vendors must register with the City of Detroit and operate under NET 30 payment terms per the Prompt Payment Ordinance.