Morton Theatre Stage Access Renovation

The Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, through its Leisure Services Department, is soliciting proposals via Request for Proposal (RFP #26031) for construction services to renovate stage access at the Historic Morton Theatre located at 195 W. Washington Street in Athens. The project scope includes replacement of existing stage access stairs and balcony support columns with new code-compliant stairs featuring oak treads and risers, installation of new handrails and guardrails compliant with the 2024 International Building Code, removal and replacement of a corner post to improve bearing conditions and load path, installation of new flooring to match existing finishes, modifications to existing knee walls and the footlight trough, and repainting of new steel components to match existing finishes. All work must comply with the 2024 IBC, IRC, IFC, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, and ADA Standards. Qualified contractors must demonstrate experience in public sector historic theatre construction and provide AISC-certified metal railing fabricators with shop drawings, paint and stain samples, and a minimum four-square-foot finish mock-up. The evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: firm experience in public sector historic theatre work (25 points), qualifications of assigned staff (25 points), understanding of requirements and ability to follow engineering specifications (25 points), references including prior work with Athens-Clarke County (10 points), contractor-furnished equipment adequacy (10 points), and cost (10 points). A mandatory pre-proposal conference and site visit is scheduled for May 20, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET, attendance is required for all potential offerors, questions must be submitted by May 27, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET, and proposals must be received by June 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET. The contract performance period extends for three months from the date of award, with either party able to terminate with 30 days' written notice.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises are identified in the procurement documents. However, the contractor must comply with Georgia's E-Verify requirements and the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act (O.C.G.A. 13-10-91). The contractor must procure comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation, commercial general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), automobile liability, builder's risk ($1,000,000), and umbrella liability ($2,000,000) with Athens-Clarke County named as additional insured. Metal railing fabricators must provide two-year warranties covering materials and workmanship from the date of substantial completion, and paint manufacturers must provide five-year material defect warranties. No incumbent contractors or existing vendors are identified in the procurement documents. The estimated project budget ranges between $50,000 and $70,000, and invoices will be paid monthly upon receipt with certificates of service signed by the Department Director. Proposals are valid for 60 days from the submission deadline, and award will be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal represents the best value based on the weighted evaluation criteria.