RFQ CMGC North Portland Aquatic Center

The City of Portland Parks and Recreation is seeking a Construction Manager/General Contractor for the North Portland Aquatic Center, a $50 million project. The RFQ closed March 27, 2025, and the City has completed award evaluation; Balfour Beatty Construction, LLC dba Howard S. Wright was selected as the highest-scoring proposer on October 13, 2025, and the award becomes final seven calendar days after that notice date, subject to protest rights.

The project involves pre-construction and construction services for a new approximately 56,000-square-foot indoor aquatic facility at Northgate Park, featuring a 35-meter by 25-yard competitive lap pool, a 6,000-square-foot leisure and teaching pool, locker rooms, restrooms, staff offices, public lobby, multi-purpose activity rooms, contemporary mechanical-electrical-plumbing systems, and site improvements including parking, landscaping, and stormwater management. The selected CM/GC will execute separate contracts: pre-construction services on a time-and-materials not-to-exceed basis with Notice to Proceed anticipated June 2025, and construction services with a Guaranteed Maximum Price, with target completion in June 2029. Responders were required to demonstrate experience in pre-construction services, construction, and startup of aquatics facilities or community centers under CM/GC delivery.

The procurement prioritizes workforce equity and community benefits through compliance with the Regional Workforce Equity Agreement, requiring participation of disadvantaged, minority, women, emerging small, and service-disabled veteran business enterprises. The project must achieve LEED Gold or Living Building Challenge certification, net-zero energy targets, and Oregon's 1.5% green energy technology requirement. Required licenses and certifications include Oregon Construction Contractor Board licensing, City of Portland Business Tax Registration, prevailing wage compliance, EEO Affirmative Action certification, and equal benefits program compliance prior to contract execution. Insurance requirements include workers' compensation ($500,000 minimum), commercial general liability ($2 million per occurrence/$4 million aggregate), automobile liability ($2 million per accident), and professional liability ($1 million per occurrence/$3 million aggregate).

Eight firms responded to the RFQ; three were shortlisted May 1, 2025: Balfour Beatty Construction, LLC dba Howard S. Wright (highest Phase I score of 503 points), Pence Contractors, LLC, and Skanska USA Building Inc. Balfour Beatty achieved a combined total of 1,048 points across all three evaluation phases.