UGA_BR-10-2702 DP Oglethorpe House Renovation

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, on behalf of the University of Georgia, is soliciting qualifications from design professional firms for the Oglethorpe House Renovation (Project No. BR-10-2702) in Athens, Georgia, with qualifications due November 17, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eligibility is structurally restricted: individual firms must perform a minimum of 50% of architectural design services in-house, while associated firms may provide up to 50% of architectural services. No explicit set-aside applies, though proposers are encouraged to participate as minority-owned business enterprises, woman-owned business enterprises, or small business enterprises.

The scope covers comprehensive design services to renovate and modernize Oglethorpe House, a nine-story residential facility of approximately 93,538 square feet that currently provides 496 student beds. The project uses Construction Manager at Risk delivery and requires compliance with Georgia's Energy Efficiency & Sustainable Construction Act of 2008, including Georgia Peach certification and commissioning. Proposers must elect whether to negotiate a Section 179D deduction allocation agreement with the owner or decline participation. Required submittals include a notarized certification, a proposer disclosure statement, a project team composition form listing each firm's percentage of services and fees and its MBE or WBE status, a minority certificate, and a fee proposal. Contractors performing physical services must maintain E-Verify compliance under O.C.G.A. 13-10-91(b)(1).

The Design Professional Base Fee is estimated at approximately $2.345 million, covering basic design and construction administration services. The preliminary construction cost limitation is $33.5 million, subject to revision based on final programmatic requirements and funding availability. Programming, basic design, and specialty consultant fees are fixed; reimbursable expenses are lump-sum not-to-exceed amounts. Design services commence January 2027, with construction documents completed by December 2027, construction scheduled to begin May 2028, and reopening planned for Fall 2029.

Step I evaluates qualifications on firm stability (25%), relevant project experience and qualifications (45%), and suitability for the project type (30%). Step II combines fee proposals with formal interviews, scored on design team qualifications and experience (50%), design plan and methodology (25%), and team communications and project solutions (25%).

Finalist notification occurs November 18 through December 1, 2026. A mandatory pre-proposal site visit for finalists is scheduled for December 8, 2026, and finalist interviews are set for December 17, 2026.