Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Facility Expansion

Hillsborough County, Florida is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from highly qualified, Florida-licensed professional architectural firms with substantial and successful experience designing and constructing medical facilities to provide comprehensive consulting services for the Medical Examiner Facility Expansion project. The scope of work encompasses architectural, civil, landscaping, structural, mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, and electrical design services for a facility expansion of approximately 10,000 square feet, including a new storage warehouse (6,000 to 12,000 square feet expandable) and forensics laboratory/office space (4,000 square feet), along with master planning for future expansion up to 30,000 square feet and associated on-site and off-site improvements including parking, drainage, utilities, and fire suppression systems. The selected firm must serve as the Architect of Record and cannot subcontract this responsibility; the Architect of Record services must be provided in-house with support from licensed engineers, and all project personnel are subject to criminal background checks at the consultant's expense. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the County's Euna Procurement system by May 1, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time. Evaluation criteria include firm and personnel ability to perform (35 points maximum), experience with similar projects (35 points maximum), willingness and ability to meet schedule and budget requirements (15 points maximum), and effect of current workload on capacity to deliver services (15 points maximum), with additional bonus points available for Small Business Enterprise participation (5 points maximum), volume of work report (5 points maximum), and past performance rating (5 points maximum). The tentative project schedule indicates consultant selection by August 2026, design and permitting completion by March 2028, construction award by December 2028, construction commencement by December 2028, substantial completion by March 2030, and final completion by June 2030.

The County offers a Small Business Enterprise participation goal of ten percent (10%) with potential bonus points for firms meeting this threshold; firms claiming SBE participation must submit the SBE-2 Form identifying registered small business subcontractors, execute Letters of Intent with participating SBE firms, and commit to subcontracting at least ten percent of ultimate project fees to named SBE firms. All proposing firms must comply with E-Verify requirements to maintain legally authorized workforces, incorporate IMAGE Best Practices, carry required professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 per claim, maintain comprehensive commercial general liability insurance with coverage limits between $500,000 and $2,000,000, and submit a Substitute W-9 form for tax compliance purposes. Firms must also submit an Affidavit of Compliance certifying that the company is not owned by a Foreign Country of Concern government and does not have its principal place of business in a Foreign Country of Concern, as defined under Florida Statutes Section 287.138. The facility is a 24-hour operation that must remain fully operational during construction, and the County reserves the right to conduct oral presentations with shortlisted firms and to reject any or all proposals. The Medical Examiner Facility Expansion project carries an estimated construction value of $10,500,000 with the architectural consulting services contract valued at approximately $800,000.00, though no work is guaranteed as a result of selection.