North & South Plant Chiller Replacement

Lamar University, a member of The Texas State University System, is issuing a competitive sealed proposal (CSP) request for the replacement of four 800-ton water-cooled chillers at its Beaumont, Texas campus—two at the North Central Plant and two at the South Central Plant. The project scope includes demolition of existing chillers, removal of associated piping and electrical systems, installation of four new 800-ton centrifugal chillers with R-513A refrigerant, replacement of balance and isolation valves, control devices, and magnetic flow meters, and installation of new refrigerant monitoring panels compliant with MSA Chillgard 5000 standards. The contractor must provide factory-tested and certified equipment, comprehensive submittals including dimensional drawings and performance data, factory performance testing witnessed by owner representatives in accordance with AHRI Standard 550/590-2015, on-site startup services for a minimum of two days, commissioning support for at least five days, and operator training over three weeks. Qualified manufacturers are limited to Carrier, York, and Trane for the chillers. Evaluation will be conducted using a best-value selection methodology with six weighted criteria: Respondent's Statement of Qualifications and Availability (5%), Ability to Provide Services (5%), Qualifications and Experience of Construction Team (20%), Performance on Past TSUS or Similar Projects (20%), Project Planning and Scheduling (10%), and Pricing and Delivery Proposal (40%). Statements of Qualifications and Pricing Proposals are due April 28, 2026, by 2:00 p.m. CST/CDT, with HUB Subcontracting Plans due separately on April 29, 2026, by 12:00 p.m. A voluntary pre-submittal conference and site visit is scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., with the deadline for submission of questions and clarifications set for April 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. CST/CDT. The successful respondent will be notified by May 7, 2026, with contract execution anticipated by May 14, 2026, and construction scheduled to begin June 1, 2026, with substantial completion targeted for March 1, 2027.

All respondents must complete and submit a HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) Subcontracting Plan demonstrating good faith effort to utilize Texas-certified Historically Underutilized Businesses for contracts exceeding $100,000. The project requires performance and payment bonds for contracts exceeding $100,000 and $25,000 respectively, comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers' Compensation, Employer's Liability, Comprehensive General Liability, Builder's Risk, and Business Automobile Liability with minimum limits based on contract value, and prevailing wage rate compliance per General Decision Number TX 20260256 (effective 01/02/2026). Contractors must maintain five percent retainage on progress payments until final completion and are subject to liquidated damages assessed at a daily rate for delays beyond the Substantial Completion date. The contractor must coordinate with existing chiller CH-3, which will remain operational, and ensure no more than two chillers are offline simultaneously during the replacement process. Payment terms are net 30 days in accordance with Texas Government Code Section 2251.021. While specific budget ranges or award values are not explicitly stated in the procurement documents, respondents must submit lump sum pricing with an alternate price option for two-year parts and ten-year warranty coverage. The University reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.