STAR Center AHU -104, -161, -162 Replacement

Pinellas County, Florida is conducting an Invitation to Bid for Construction (ITB-C #26-0306) for the replacement of three chilled water air handling units (AHUs) at the Young-Rainey STAR Center located at 7887 Bryan Dairy Road, Largo, Florida. The project requires the full replacement of AHU-104, a roof-mounted unit, and the consolidation of two indoor units (AHU-161 and AHU-162) located on a hanging structural platform into a single new unit, with all replacement units equipped with new Direct Digital Controls utilizing Niagara4 supervisory software and BACnet communication protocols integrated with an existing fiber optic backbone system. Deliverables include demolition of existing equipment, supply and installation of two completely assembled factory-equipped air handler units with accessories and warranties, new ductwork connections, piping reconnections, electrical connections to 460V three-phase power, condensate drainage systems, and comprehensive controls integration. The project must achieve compliance with the 2023 Florida Building Code, ASHRAE 52.2 standards, and all applicable federal, state, and local requirements including ADA, EEO, OSHA, E-Verify, and NPDES stormwater permit compliance. Qualified contractors must demonstrate factory authorization as a Niagara4 system provider, minimum five years' experience with Niagara4 systems, three factory-trained technicians on staff, and local service capability; bidders must also provide at least four customer references for similar projects. The procurement follows a two-step process with a mandatory Step 1 Qualification Submittal deadline of March 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM and a Step 2 Bid Submission deadline of March 26, 2026 at 3:00 PM, with a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit scheduled for March 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM, followed by a mandatory Microsoft Teams pre-bid conference on March 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM. The contractor must commence work within 15 consecutive calendar days of receiving a Notice to Proceed and complete all work within 365 consecutive calendar days, with work limited to regular business hours (7:00 AM to 7:00 PM) Monday through Friday unless otherwise approved; roof-mounted equipment removal and installation must occur during scheduled weekends using crane operations between Friday 5:00 PM and Monday 7:00 AM to accommodate tenant operations. Bidders must submit a 5 percent bid bond with their proposal and, upon award, furnish performance and payment bonds each equal to 100 percent of the agreement amount; partial payments will be made as work progresses with 5 percent retainage until final completion and acceptance.

Pinellas County has established a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal of 3 percent of the contract value, with subcontractors required to be selected from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, or Manatee Counties; bidders must complete and submit an SBE Compliance Form documenting their subcontracting commitments. All contractors and personnel requiring access to the facility must comply with St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport security requirements (Transportation Security Administration Regulation 49 CFR 1542), including criminal history record checks, Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) training, and airport badging for any staff accessing the facility; contractors must also acknowledge Raytheon Company occupancy requirements and coordinate security clearance and badging procedures for all personnel. Mandatory compliance affidavits and certifications include E-Verify registration confirming all employees hired after January 1, 2021 have verified work authorization through the E-Verify system, Common Carrier Attestation certifying non-transportation of unauthorized aliens, Human Trafficking Affidavit attesting to non-use of coercion for labor, and Foreign Country of Concern Affidavit certifying non-ownership by or controlling interest from designated foreign entities (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Syria). Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability at $1,000,000 per occurrence, and Business Automobile Liability at $1,000,000 combined single limit. The construction documents prepared by Brady & Anglin indicate the project requires integration with existing Distech JACE controls and Raytheon-occupied spaces requiring security coordination, with equipment staging areas on the roof requiring plywood sheathing and roofing work limited to Star Center-approved contractors (Precision Roofing Services or Allied Roofing). No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the available documents, although the Pricing Proposal references a lump sum contract structure with a $10,000 contingency line item and an hourly labor rate table for unforeseen conditions.