Historic restoration services for the cove warehouse

The Town of Wethersfield, Connecticut is seeking qualified historic restoration firms to submit proposals for comprehensive restoration and repair services on the Cove Warehouse, a circa-1680 structure located on Hanmer Road within Cove Park. This Request for Proposals (RFP 2026-04) encompasses exterior restoration work including roof repairs with new cedar shake installation, siding replacement, window restoration and reglazing, stone masonry repointing, door and hatch refurbishment, and general carpentry and framing repairs, as well as interior improvements including floor repairs and structural stabilization. Proposers must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Historic Preservation Professional Qualification Standards in Engineering and/or Historic Architecture, maintain a Connecticut-registered licensed architect on staff, and demonstrate experience with similar historic restoration projects of comparable scope and complexity. Mandatory site walkthroughs are scheduled for October 8 and 9, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., with written questions due by October 21, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. and responses provided by October 24, 2025. Proposals must be submitted by 2:00 p.m. on October 30, 2025, in three paper copies and one digital PDF copy to the Town Hall Finance Department at 505 Silas Deane Highway. Selection will be based on the lowest responsible and qualified bidder, with evaluation criteria including previous experience, qualifications, proposal quality, references, work samples, budget competency, and timeline feasibility. All work must comply with Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Preservation, applicable building codes, and local historic preservation guidelines, with the selected firm responsible for obtaining necessary permits and coordinating with local historic preservation authorities.

The RFP is open to all vendors with no stated disadvantaged enterprise set-asides or restrictions limiting bidder eligibility. However, a local vendor preference provision applies, allowing town-based businesses located within the jurisdiction to match the lowest responsible bid price within a ten percent threshold. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The estimated project cost is approximately $166,000, inclusive of a fifteen percent contingency, with an optional alternate scope for recreating a historic wharf on the west front of the building estimated at $120,000. Proposers must provide Certificates of Insurance meeting specified requirements, including General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Workers' Compensation with statutory limits, and Auto Liability of $1,000,000. Contract negotiations are targeted to begin in Fall 2025, with project commencement anticipated for Spring/Summer 2026, contingent upon funding availability and Town approval processes. The project is funded through the Town of Wethersfield's capital improvement budget with potential supplementation from state or federal historic preservation grants.