Request for Qualifications - Steam to Natural Gas Conversion

The Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC), a consortium comprising the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and University of Colorado Denver, issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for architectural and engineering services to support a steam-to-natural gas conversion project affecting eight campus buildings totaling over 750,000 square feet. The scope of work encompasses evaluating boiler equipment locations, developing design-build design intent requirements, completing early procurement packages for major equipment, coordinating with Xcel Energy for gas infrastructure design, developing phasing plans for occupied buildings, and providing cost and schedule projections. Minimum qualifications required firms to demonstrate architecture and engineering services on at least two infrastructure projects exceeding $3,000,000 in hard costs within the prior three years using Colorado office resources, specific experience with major utility infrastructure renovation upgrades for higher education or municipal clients, development of at least three design-build design intent documents, and success in developing early procurement and phasing packages. The mandatory pre-submittal conference was held on September 19, 2018, at the Auraria Higher Education Center Facilities Services Building in Denver, with submittals due on October 3, 2018, at 2:00 PM and oral interviews anticipated for October 23, 2018. The contract was projected for approval on November 15, 2018, with design work to conclude by May 3, 2019, and an anticipated project start date between May and July 1, 2019, following state funding appropriation with an 18-month delivery timeline.

The procurement was subject to the State of Colorado's standard Architect/Engineer Agreement Design/Bid/Build delivery method, and respondents were required to certify compliance with state procedures regarding unauthorized immigrants. The RFQ clarified that vendors could satisfy Design Build Design Intent documentation requirements through multiple pathways, including experience with the state's Construction Manager General Contractor (CMGC) with Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) process, programming work, design-build design intent documentation developed in markets outside higher education, or experience developing design criteria for CM/GC or Design/Bid/Build projects for State of Colorado higher education utility projects. The project budget totals $18,688,778 in capital renewal funding for fiscal year 2019/2020, with building-specific costs ranging from approximately $1.1 million to $5.8 million across nine project elements. The AHEC and three academic institutions committed to dedicating future utility savings from the conversion project to an annual controlled maintenance fund with a long-term target of 1 percent of combined building value.