RFQ - owner advisor professional consulting services for wastewater treatment facility improvements

The City of Burlington's Water Resources Division (the "City" or "Owner") is seeking Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from qualified General Contractors (GC) to provide pre-construction and general contracting services for the Burlington Main Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Stage 1 Upgrade using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) method of project delivery. The SOQs will be reviewed, evaluated, and ranked using a qualifications-based selection process, as described in Section 6. The selected CMAR will work with the project team, including the City's selected engineering consultant ("Engineer") and Owner's Advisor, if selected. By selecting the CMAR delivery method for this project, the Owner expects the CMAR to collaborate closely with the Owner and Engineer during the pre-construction phase to develop a design that achieves the Owner's objectives at a mutually agreeable guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for delivery of the project. The Owner also expects the CMAR to perform construction phase services as identified in Attachment B. Design and construction objectives for the upgraded facility include increased hydraulic capacity, the addition of a tertiary treatment process, secondary treatment flexibility and overall facility longevity. Other project-specific objectives include: Quality Assurance: Deliver a high-quality project consistent with construction drawings and specifications and built to high standards. Cost Certainty: Minimize capital and lifecycle costs. Establish a guaranteed maximum price to control budget and limit financial exposure. Provide regular cost estimate updates with the project team to track cost and compare the cost to the available budget. Maintenance of Plant Operations (MOPO): Reduce impacts of construction activity on current facility operations and maintenance. Ensure existing wastewater treatment services remain operational and reliable throughout project delivery while meeting all permit requirements. Schedule Optimization: Achieve the schedule completion dates of the Project. Risk Management: Achieve an optimal balance of risk allocation between Owner and CMAR while maintaining collaboration. Safety Performance: Implement an effective safety program incorporating industry best practices to protect workers, City staff and the community. Early Contractor Involvement: Gain constructability input during design to reduce risks and improve efficiency. Value Engineering: Drive innovation and identify efficient solutions to reduce lifecycle costs. Early Procurement & Project Phasing: Distribute overall project into phases and pursue early procurement of equipment to mitigate the impact of tariffs, minimize cost increases, and maintain schedule, if applicable. Change Order Reduction: Minimize unforeseen changes through proactive planning and transparent cost tracking. Project Invoicing Schedule Estimates: Provide an anticipated schedule of invoicing to support Owner's cash flow need projections. Dispute Avoidance: Reduce disputes through shared goals and open communication. Federal Compliance: Complete the Project according to the federal and state funding requirements such as Davis-Bacon, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, American Iron and Steel, and the Build America Buy America Act. The City owns and operates three wastewater treatment facilities: Main, North, and East. Starting in 2014, the City began development of an Integrated Plan with the goal of addressing Clean Water Act requirements while balancing water resource priorities, infrastructure needs, and community needs. In 2018, the Clean Water Resiliency Bond was passed; a portion of the bond was committed to improvements at the City's wastewater treatment facilities. Improvements included a PLC/SCADA Upgrade at the Main WWTF, and Disinfection System and Headworks improvements at the Main, North, and East WWTFs. The City has recently passed the 2025 LAKE Bond, which included funding the Stage 1 Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade project at the Main WWTF. The Stage 1 improvements will complete major system upgrades at the Main WWTF to address age-related needs, ensure permit compliance, and to accommodate City growth. Therefore, the City seeks a GC to perform CMAR pre-construction and construction services for the Stage 1 Upgrade project. Procurement of said services will be in accordance with elements of the procurement process in 40 U.S.C. § 1101-1104, including public issuance of a request for qualifications (RFQ) and negotiation of contracts using the qualifications-based selection (QBS) process.