Request for Letters of Interest - Conover Blvd Sidewalk PE & Design

The City of Conover, North Carolina, issued a Request for Letters of Interest (RFLOI) on March 19, 2026, seeking qualified professional consulting firms to provide preliminary engineering and design services for the Conover Boulevard Sidewalk project. The procurement specifically requires the addition of sidewalk along both sides of Conover Boulevard East connecting to City Park, installation of pedestrian signals at the intersection of 3rd Street Southeast and Conover Boulevard East, and right-of-way coordination to connect the existing walking trail in City Park to the sidewalk in front of Smurfit Westrock. Key deliverables include utility relocation and coordination, right-of-way plan preparation, construction contract proposals and cost estimates, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation and compliance. All prime and subconsultant firms must be prequalified by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to perform 23 specified discipline codes encompassing categorical exclusions, environmental assessment, erosion and sediment control design, historic architectural surveys, landscape and streetscape design, and urban roadway design. The contract term is 360 days with a lump sum payment structure and will be partially reimbursed through federal-aid funding from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Selection will be based on firm experience (30%), project manager and key staff experience (30%), past performance with similar projects (30%), and technical approach (10%). The critical timeline includes a deadline for questions on March 27, 2026, final addendum issuance by March 31, 2026, letter of interest submissions due April 9, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., anticipated firm selection notification on April 24, 2026, and expected notice to proceed by May 24, 2026.

The Department of Transportation encourages the participation of Small Professional Services Firms (SPSFs), and qualified firms with proposed SPSF participation will receive priority consideration if firms are otherwise equal in evaluation. Selected firms must maintain Professional Liability insurance coverage with a minimum of $1,000,000 and a $3,000,000 general aggregate, with the City of Conover named as an additional insured. Letters of interest are limited to 15 pages, excluding RS-2 forms, and must be submitted electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the procurement documentation, though the contract will utilize federal-aid reimbursement. No incumbent vendors or existing contractors are identified in the solicitation materials, nor are there specific disadvantaged enterprise set-asides mentioned, though the SPSF participation incentive provides preferential consideration for smaller professional service firms.