RFQ Pre-Design Services for Jail Replacement

Pierce County Facilities Management Department is requesting Statements of Qualifications from architecture firms for pre-design services for a Jail Replacement Project on the Pierce County Downtown Campus in Tacoma, Washington, with responses due July 31, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. and questions due by July 23, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.

The scope is pre-design (5% design) services encompassing stakeholder engagement, visioning workshops, building-programming validation, site analysis, cost and schedule estimation for alternatives, and development of a comprehensive pre-design report with recommendations for project-delivery methodology. The existing campus consists of the Cloverleaf Jail (910 Tacoma Ave), 2002 Jail Addition (701 Nollmeyer Lane), and County-City Building (930 Tacoma Avenue). The 2002 Jail Addition and portions of the County-City Building (A-wing and B-tower) are anticipated to remain; other buildings may be demolished and replaced. The analysis must account for existing systems and shared components extending across all campus buildings and address phasing impact. A separate 2002 Jail Renovation project is underway to enable temporary use during future Jail Replacement construction; additional systems modifications may be required as part of this contract rather than the renovation.

Proposing firms must demonstrate strength in correctional facility design, including experience with housing, security levels, observation models, technology systems, office space, courtrooms, medical facilities, and property storage. All consultant personnel must comply with Pierce County security requirements including background checks and CJIS clearance where applicable; the County does not reimburse background-check costs.

Pierce County allocated $1.6 million in its 2026–27 Capital Facilities Plan for this effort. The contract period concludes by December 31, 2027, with the final pre-design report due by end of Quarter 3, 2027. Evaluation criteria are organizational and staff capacity (20 points), project approach and schedule (45 points), relevant experience and past performance (25 points), physical accessibility to Pierce County (7 points), and SOQ accuracy and completeness (3 points). The SOQ is limited to 15 numbered pages, excluding cover page, cover letter, and appendices, submitted electronically through Pierce County's eProcurement Portal. The County anticipates issuing a notice of intention to negotiate approximately six weeks after submission and executing the contract approximately eight weeks after submission.