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Commissioner Johnson - Public Works - To Authorize the County Manager, or Her Designee, to Execute a Professional Services Contract with Gensler Architecture, Design, and Planning, P.C. for the Design of Renovation of the 5th Floor of the Gaston County Courthouse
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STAFF CONTACT
Dan Ziehm, PE - Public Works Director - 704-862-6795
BUDGET IMPACT
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No additional County funds.
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BUDGET ORDINANCE IMPACT
N/A
BACKGROUND
In June 1998, Gaston County opened the newly constructed Gaston County Courthouse located at 325 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Gastonia, North Carolina. The facility comprises five above-grade floors and a basement, which total approximately 238,000 square feet. The 5th floor of the facility was left as open, undeveloped shell space, for future upfit. The 5th floor is approximately 46,000 square feet.
Board Action (file # 22-468), on December 13, 2022 Agenda, will accept and appropriate the NC Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) Grant funds of $5,000,000 to fund this project.
North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) §143-64.31 requires the initial solicitation and evaluation of firms to perform architectural, engineering, surveying, construction management-at-risk services, and design-build services (collectively “design services”) to be based on qualifications and without regard to fee. NCGS §143-64.32 authorizes units of local government to exempt contracts for design services from the qualifications-based selection requirements of NCGS §143-64.31 if the estimated fee is less than $50,000. However, the design fees for this project will exceed the $50,000 cap for exemption, thereby requiring the engineer to be selected through the qualifications-based process.
Public Works staff developed a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) packet for the Courthouse 5th Floor Renovation project in accordance with the statutory requirements and publicly advertised these projects beginning on September 27, 2022. Statements of Qualification (SOQ) submittals were received on October 19, 2022. The two (2) firms submitting SOQs were:
• Gensler Architecture, Design, and Planning, P.C.
• Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects, P.A.
After reviewing the SOQs submitted by the two firms, Gensler was deemed to be the best qualified for the corresponding project.
Approval of this Board Action by the Gaston County Board of Commissioners officially selects Gensler as the designer of record for the project listed above. Further, approval of this Board Action authorizes the County Attorney to negotiate and draft the necessary contract documents for the work and authorizes the County Manager, or her designee, to negotiate and execute said contracts.
POLICY IMPACT
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ATTACHMENTS
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