Professional Design Services for 1st Avenue- River Road to Grant Road.

The City of Tucson is seeking a qualified multi-disciplinary consulting firm for professional engineering design services for the 1st Avenue corridor project, spanning approximately 3 miles between River Road and Grant Road. The primary deliverable is a Design Concept Report (DCR) that will transform the corridor into a modernized four-lane median-separated roadway, including a new four-lane bridge structure, pavement reconstruction, drainage facilities, sidewalks, protected bicycle lanes, traffic control elements, and transit stop enhancements. The procurement will follow a two-phase competitive selection process, with the first phase involving a written Statement of Qualifications evaluation scored across four criteria: firm experience (35 points), available resources (25 points), team experience and qualifications (25 points), and firm qualifications (15 points). Up to three firms will be shortlisted and invited to a presentation and interview phase, with final selection based solely on interview results. The Request for Qualifications (RFQ No. 230193) was published on June 28, 2023, with a submittal due date of July 21, 2023, and a pre-submittal virtual conference scheduled for July 11, 2023.

The City of Tucson has robust Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program provisions that will apply to this contract opportunity. Contractors are required to make good faith efforts to include certified small and disadvantaged businesses in the project, with detailed documentation and compliance requirements. The city mandates specific submission of SBE and DBE plans, including the names of subcontractors, scope of work, and contract dollar values. Non-compliance can result in significant penalties, including withholding of payments, contract termination, and disqualification from future bidding. While no specific contract value was disclosed in the documents, the comprehensive nature of the project—involving a 3-mile corridor reconstruction with multiple engineering and infrastructure components—suggests a substantial professional services contract. The city will negotiate contract terms with the highest-ranked firm, with the potential to amend the contract for continued design work after the Design Concept Report is completed. Firms will need to demonstrate expertise in urban infrastructure design and include a public relations component to engage community members, particularly in mobility-vulnerable areas.