New Sunshine Substation Construction

The City of Gallup, New Mexico is seeking a qualified contractor to construct the New Sunshine Substation, a comprehensive electrical infrastructure project located at 949 Gomez Drive in McKinley County. The procurement involves replacing an existing dated substation through a full construction process that includes site grading, access road preparation, underground and above-ground facility construction, ground grid installation, conduit and foundation work, structural steel erection, equipment installation, bus work, control cable implementation, terminations, and system testing. Key project objectives include improving electrical distribution system reliability and performance with a new 115kV and 15kV electrical infrastructure. The Request for Proposal #2025/2026/02 was released on September 12, 2025, with a mandatory pre-bid meeting scheduled for October 6, 2025, and a question submission deadline of October 7, 2025. Proposals are due on October 15, 2025, at 2:00 pm, with an anticipated contract duration of 172 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed. Evaluation criteria will focus on firm history, capacity, capability, past performance, and cost competitiveness, with contractors required to possess a valid Construction Industries Division license and provide a 5% bid bond.

The project does not specify specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Contractors must meet comprehensive qualifications, including providing performance and payment bonds and complying with New Mexico public works statutes and labor regulations. The total estimated project cost is $8,000,000, with no federal funds involved and funding sourced directly from the City of Gallup. Liquidated damages are established at $1,000 per consecutive day beyond the contract completion time. The project includes substantial owner-furnished materials valued at approximately $3,125,000, with key equipment to be supplied by multiple vendors including McKinley Sales/Galvanizers, BSE/S&C, ABB, and others. The substation will be constructed with multiple critical components, including main and alternate power transformers, control building, relay and communication panels, and extensive grounding infrastructure. The city reserves the right to reject any proposal and will select the most advantageous bid based on the specified evaluation criteria.