CONSTRUCT- Auxiliary Apparatus Storage for Fire Station #7

The City of Ocala, Florida, is soliciting competitive sealed bids through Invitation to Bid (ITB) #CIP/260548 for the construction of auxiliary apparatus storage for Fire Station #7, a pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) project encompassing approximately 7,500 square feet located at 885 SE 31st Street, Ocala, Florida 34471. The procuring jurisdiction is the City of Ocala within Marion County, Florida. The project deliverables include construction of a new PEMB with metal panel siding combined with partial mesh exterior siding, additional canopies, exterior signage, and one enclosed shop area equipped with a rolling door and designated work bench space, with all labor, materials, and equipment to be provided by the contractor. Bidders must be licensed general contractors in the State of Florida with a minimum of five years of verifiable building construction experience. Bids will be evaluated on a lump sum basis with award going to the lowest qualified bidder, and all line items must be included in the price proposal with an additional bid alternate for an exhaust removal system serving the Apparatus Bay to be evaluated separately. Key schedule dates include a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting and site visit on April 14, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST at Fire Station #7, with the final bid submission deadline of May 6, 2026; the contractor must achieve substantial completion within 75 calendar days of the notice to proceed, followed by 15 calendar days for final completion.

The procurement contains no identified set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though all non-governmental vendors must provide a notarized affidavit signed under penalty of perjury attesting compliance with Florida Statutes Section 787.06 regarding coercion for labor or services. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. Bonding and insurance requirements include a five percent bid bond, a public construction bond equal to the total bid amount, and a maintenance and guarantee bond of ten percent of the project value for three years; contractors must maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate and commercial automotive liability of $1,000,000 combined. The contractor must perform a minimum of 30 percent of the work with their own forces and is responsible for obtaining all required permits at no additional cost to the City, with estimated permit costs of approximately $7,350. A five percent retainage will be held until final project acceptance, and liquidated damages will apply at rates ranging from $904 to $10,224 plus 0.00005 of any amount over $40 million per calendar day of delay. While a specific budget or award value is not explicitly stated in the available documents, the scope and scale of the 7,500 square foot construction project, combined with bonding requirements and permit costs, indicates a substantial contract value.