HHS Cherokee Mental Health Institute Wirth Hall Tunnel Repairs

The Iowa Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is soliciting professional design services through a Request for Proposals (RFP952900-01) for tunnel repairs at the Cherokee Mental Health Institute's Wirth Hall facility in Cherokee, Iowa. The project requires comprehensive evaluation and design of repairs for a deteriorating tunnel system that carries domestic hot and cold water, steam heat, and condensate lines serving Wirth Hall, with particular focus on concrete joint deterioration, water infiltration issues, and a structural crack located below a road on the tunnel's south end. Design services must include structural review of the crack, evaluation of the sidewalk above the tunnel, field examination of the existing system, and material recommendations with cost opinions, with deliverables encompassing 50% design development documents, 100% design development documents, 95% construction documents, and 100% construction documents. The selected firm must employ a licensed engineer, landscape architect, or registered architect per Iowa Code Chapter 26 and maintain professional liability insurance of $2 million. Evaluation criteria include staff qualifications and experience on similar projects, firm capabilities and financial stability, approach and proposed methods, proposed schedule, and stipulated fees with hourly rates. Key deadlines include a non-mandatory pre-proposal conference on March 31, 2026, at 11:00 AM (available in-person or via Microsoft Teams); a question submission deadline of April 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM; and proposal submission through the Iowa IMPACS Electronic Procurement System by April 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM. The design schedule targets contract execution for the week of May 12, 2026, design kick-off for the week of May 19, 2026, and final design completion by August 6, 2026, with construction occurring from September 14 through December 9, 2026. Proposals must be submitted as lump-sum pricing inclusive of all reimbursable expenses and limited to thirty single pages or less, excluding dividers, cover pages, and resumes, with a maximum file size of 10 MB.

Targeted Small Businesses are encouraged to apply for this opportunity, and design firms that submit proposals are prohibited from receiving awards from the resulting construction services request for bid. No incumbent vendors or existing contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The contract will be based on a modified ConsensusDoc 803 form, and the proposal period remains firm for 120 days following the submission deadline. No specific budget or award value range is provided in the solicitation materials; however, the State requests lump-sum pricing broken down by category including design development documents, construction documents, bidding or negotiation assistance, and construction phase services, with unit pricing per construction inspection visit provided separately as an additive or deductive factor based on actual visits. The award will be made to the company determined to be best qualified and provide the best value to the State, with negotiations to follow selection.