Frequently Asked Questions

CITY OF OXFORD

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES FOR A NEW CITY HALL
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GENERAL

The City of Oxford is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFQ) for an Architectural Services Firm with a strong record in successfully designing local government administrative buildings and city halls. This RFQ, more specifically, seeks the qualifications of an architectural firm capable of producing a redevelopment plan to include feasibility and use analysis, conceptual and preliminary architectural design, and cost estimating. These services are sought to provide full architectural, interior design, landscape architecture and building and site engineering design and construction documentation, bidding & negotiation services and construction administration required to fully document, bid and construct a new, free standing city hall building.

Responding firms should be technically qualified and licensed to provide architectural design services in constructing projects using local and state funds. Information, more specifically, should include prior project experience in planning and designing historic rehabilitations as well as construction and/or reconstruction of public buildings.

Procedures for selection of an individual or firm will be in accordance with local government requirements and the Common Rule Selection Process. All proposals will be evaluated in terms of project approach, schedule, experience, quality of prior work, and demonstrated capacity to perform. Prior experience in similar projects and qualifications of principal staff should be included. Past performances on local government construction projects also will be reviewed for project timeliness, completing work within budget, quality of work, and other factors such as knowledge of the community.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Mayor and City Council of Oxford, Georgia seek professional design services of an architect or architectural firm to provide full architectural, interior design, landscape architecture and building and site engineering design and construction documentation, bidding & negotiation services and construction administration required to fully document, bid and construct a new, free standing city hall building.

PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS

Budget: $750,000 -- $1,000,000 (including equipment and furnishings)

Size: 3,868 – 4,690 NET square feet (see Table 1).

Location/Orientation: Same parcel(s) currently occupied by city hall. The building will be oriented to face W. Clark Street, approximately in line with and scaled to the adjacent historic “rock store.”

Existing City Hall: To be demolished as part of this project or a later date, depending on budgetary and logistical constraints.

Parking: Estimated 40 spaces (though subject to further recommendations), to be located behind the building/rear of properties.

Architectural Style: Two-story or split level building of a 19^th century/early 20^th century civic/institutional style, consistent with the city’s history and mindful of existing historic styles and adjacencies. The city hall with be the northernmost “bookend” of the proposed town center area.

Landscape/Grounds: A “pocket park” will be designed for the space immediately west of the new building to offer an outdoor gathering space and to act as a transition zone between the town center and residential areas. While the scope of this project does not include the park design, the building should consider its relationship to the adjacent greenspace.

Green Building: The City is very interested in the possibility of achieving some level of sustainable building certification, such as a Silver or Gold rating under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for New Construction and Major Renovations (NC).

Timeline: Design and engineering should be completed in Calendar Year (CY) 2008. Construction should be completed during CY 2009.

EXPECTATIONS

Review of Work to Date: The selected architect/firm should review all studies and planning documents generated to date (see Background) and meet with City Council and Planning Commission to fully understand scope of project.

Preliminary Design: The selected architect/firm should develop preliminary design documents to include plans, elevations, and architectural renderings to detail compliance with the project assumptions.

Trade Study: The selected architect/firm should conduct a trade study (pros and cons) of various types of construction to determine best fit for Oxford’s needs, desires, and budgetary constraints. This will include consideration of sustainable design components and their relative value, accounting for life-cycle cost considerations.

Cost Estimate: The selected architect/firm should develop a detailed cost estimate for the proposed structure.

Client Review: The Planning Commission and City Council will review preliminary designs and cost estimates and identify required changes. The architect/firm will make revisions and go through further review until final approval of preliminary design is received from Planning Commission and City Council.

Final Design: Upon receiving approval of the preliminary design and cost estimate, the architect/firm will proceed with the final design, including:

• Building plans showing space allocations (in square feet) and location of various uses;

• Consideration of opportunities for future expansion;

• Elevations, plans, details, and other drawings required for construction;

• Layout of streets, parking, drive-thru, and pedestrian access;

• Details of landscaping design;

• Construction schedule;

• Construction budget (full cost estimate plus contingencies at each phase).

SPACE NEEDS/ESTIMATES

Table 1 identifies space uses and approximate allocations in the new city hall were generated in discussion by the city clerk, chief of police, city council chair of buildings and grounds, and the secretary of the planning commission. The selected architect/firm will compare these space allocations with municipal government office space standards, or other applicable office space standards, and recommend adjustments as appropriate.

Table 1. Estimated Space Needs and Allocations

Anticipated Space/Room Use	Space Allocation (square feet)*
Municipal Court, City Council Meetings, Community Activities	2,000 - 2,400
Judge’s Chamber and Major’s Office (dual use)	140 - 200
City Clerk’s Office	120 - 160
City Manager’s Office (future need)	120 - 160
Deputy Clerk’s Office	120 - 160
City Staff Workspace (up to 3 staff)	260 - 310
Chief of Police’s Office	120 - 160
Police Officers’ Workspace (up to 3 officers)	200 - 260
Evidence/Property Room (secured area)	100 - 120
Copy/Supply Room	120 - 140
Kitchen/Break Room	200 - 280
Attorney/Client Interview Room 1	64 - 100
Attorney/Client Interview Room 1	64 - 100
Archive File Storage Room	120 - 150
Archival Storage Space	120 - 150
Net Total Square Feet	3,868 - 4,690

* Does not include area dedicated to walls, structure, chases, unassigned storage, mechanical, telecommunications, data, security, stairs, elevator, restrooms or basic non department circulation – to be added for gross square feet.

BACKGROUND

During the last four years, the City of Oxford has undertaken multiple planning exercises with a wide breadth of scope. Below are brief summaries of those studies and the findings that relate directly to the construction of a new city hall. The full reports will be available to applicants upon request.

May 2004: City of Oxford Facilities Master Plan

Conducted by Armentrout, Roebuck, Matheny Consulting Group, P.C., the Facilities Master Plan specifically addressed options for all city-owned and proposed facilities, including city hall, a fire station, police station, maintenance facility, an expanded post office, and parks/trail systems. The final recommendations were, in part, to co-locate fire, police, and utilities in one complex and make minor additions to city hall to accommodate files. An assumption was that Oxford would not significantly increase its staff or otherwise increase its services and that the city as a whole would not grow significantly, despite Newton County’s rank as one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. The response to the final report and recommendations by the public was general ambivalence.

2004-2005: Work of Mayor’s Advisory Council

The Mayor (then Mr. Don Ballard) appointed a small group of residents to pursue further planning and ultimately implementation of key projects in the Facilities Master Plan. The Mayor’s Advisory Council (MAC) successfully oversaw planning and construction of the new maintenance facility. However, the facility was not built to accommodate the fire and police stations as recommended by the 2004 Facilities Master Plan. The MAC also proposed a city hall annex that would tie into the existing building and include a new community room/courtroom plus additional storage. The plans were not widely supported because of the site plan and the lack of city council and general public engagement in the planning process.

Winter 2006: Oxford Future Planning Workshop

The City of Oxford and Oxford College jointly engaged students of the UGA Metropolitan Design Studio in Covington to conduct a weekend charrette. The scope of the project included the whole town. A focal aspect, however, was planning and conceptual design for a town center area that would create an identifiable heart of the city, add limited commercial activity and services, and act as a point of interaction between citizens and college faculty, staff, and students. The students recommended constructing a new city hall on the city-owned open area immediately south of W. Clark Street, across from “Rock Store.” The city-owned land on which the city hall currently stands would, in turn, be sold for new residential construction and the property sale would help to finance the new city hall project. By this time in the evolution of thinking, the city leaders had begun to think of co-locating the city hall staff with the police. The question of whether or not to continue with a volunteer fire department versus engaging the Newton County or the City of Covington to provide full-time fire services was raised repeatedly. The fire station issue was not resolved, but it was demonstrated that a future fire station could be accommodated in the town center plan or located further north – perhaps adjacent to the maintenance facility. The highly public process generated enthusiasm. However, because the students only had time to create one concept and that concept was based upon a few assumptions that did not have broad support, city leaders asked “Good, but is this the only option?”

2006-2007: Remembering, Revisioning, and Recreating – Conceiving a Village Center in Oxford

To build upon the concept generated during the UGA charrette, local citizens David Eady (community planner and member of the city planning commission) and Erik Oliver (artist, Special Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives at Oxford College, and former urban growth management consultant) volunteered to generate additional concepts of the town center to give both city leaders and the public more options and to more fully engage people in the process. Mr. Eady and Mr. Oliver generated 16 additional designs and through a feedback process with city leaders narrowed the concepts to three plus the UGA concept. The emergent majority consensus was that the city hall would remain north of W. Clark Street at or immediately adjacent to its current location, that a new building would be built immediately in front of (south of) the existing building or immediately north of “Rock Store”, that the existing building might or might not be kept – depending on the findings of an inspection, and that the site would include an outdoor gathering space (pocket park).

2007: Council Sub-Committee Findings and Planning Commission Recommendations

In an effort to move planning and design of the new city hall forward, the mayor (then Dr. Bill Murdy) assigned three city council members to conduct an inspection of the current city hall and to solicit architectural firms. Initially the thinking reverted back to the original recommendations of the former Mayor’s Advisory Committee to build a simple annex to the existing building. The same previous objections from the public arose again, and the planning commission voted unanimously to recommend to the city council that a new, “proper” city hall be constructed and that it be located along W. Clark St. in front of the current city hall and in line with Rock Store. Opinions among the city council members varied, but it was clear that there was only one consensus – universal support to move some version of the project forward. Funds were budgeted to engage an architectural firm in FY 2008.

2007: City of Oxford Ten-Year Comprehensive Plan Update

During the summer and fall of 2007, the city undertook its state-mandated ten-year comprehensive plan update. The planning commission coordinated the process with the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center. The update included a citizen survey that yielded quantitative and qualitative responses from more than 70% of households. Among the responses was strong support for development of the proposed town center. As a result, the city formally added the town center development as part of its community agenda and added design and construction of a new city hall to its five-year short term work plan.

2008: At its February meeting, the city council voted unanimously to turn project management for the new city hall design and construction over to the planning commission given the relevant experience of the commission’s members. The commission is to oversee the RFP process, to interview applicant companies/firms, to make a recommendation for hire to the city council, and to assist the engaged company/firm during the process as necessary.

ADMINISTRATION

The project will be administered by the City of Oxford. Project funding is provided by the City of Oxford in combination with funding from Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenues allocated to the City of Oxford.

INFORMATION REQUIRED

Proposals shall contain the following:

1. A general description of the firm, including any firms to be included as sub-contractors. The lead firm must be clearly identified.

2. Names, qualifications, locations, and availability of principal staff whom would be assigned to the project. (This includes completing the “Statement of Qualifications Questionnaire” attached to this RFP.)

3. Fee schedules of key personnel and reimbursable expenses, along with an estimate of total cost (with breakdown) to provide the requested services.

4. Capabilities of the firm or firms to carry out the proposed work.

5. Recent experience of the firm involving similar projects.

6. References from prior projects similar in scope and type to this project.

7. A brief description of the firm’s general approach to the proposed project and a tentative schedule.

8. Any other information that the vendor wishes to submit for consideration.

PROCEDURES AND MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

The City of Oxford initiates the procedure for selection with this request for proposals (RFP) to which architects/firms are expected to reply. In addition to direct requests for proposals from identified architects/firms, the RFP will be posted in the Covington News and on the City of Oxford website (www.oxfordgeorgia.org).

The City of Oxford will review and rate proposals submitted according to this RFP. Review criteria will include, at a minimum: demonstrated qualifications and capabilities; general approach to providing the requested services; time and fee schedule; and cost estimates to provide the requested services. Top rated proposals will be selected for further comparison, which may include interviews with the architects/firms and requests for clarifications and/or additional information to ensure comparable proposals for evaluation prior to final selection. The City of Oxford will select the proposal that represents the best value to the City in relation to its needs, and the City will negotiate and enter to contract with the selected architect/firm to provide the requested services. All respondents to the RFP will be subsequently notified of the final selection results.

SCHEDULE

April 11, 2008 Request for Proposals Published

May 9, 2008 Proposals Submitted (deadline)

May 13, 2008 Review and Rate Proposals

May 14-30, 2008 Further Review of Top Proposals/Candidates

June 2, 2008 Proposal/Candidate Selected

This schedule is approximate. All items except the receipt date for proposals will be subject to change by the City of Oxford.

PROCEDURES FOR SUBMISSION OF STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

Proposals must be submitted electronically via email to cpoole@oxfordgeorgia.com, or delivered on Compact Disc (CD), and received by the City of Oxford no later than close of business on May 9, 2008. Portable Document Format (PDF) is preferred. Proposals received after the deadline will not be reviewed. Facsimile submittals will not be accepted. Hard copy versions of proposals may accompany electronic submittals; they must be mailed to the following address:

Ms. Carol A. Poole, CMC

Clerk, City of Oxford

Oxford City Hall

110 West Clark Street

Oxford, GA 30054-2274

Proposals must be accompanied by a cover letter stating the name and role of the primary architect/firm and any proposed sub-contractors. The cover letter must be signed by principals with the authority to submit proposals from their respective firms.

General questions regarding the building or the project can be made to the following individuals (email is preferred):

David Eady, Chair, City of Oxford Planning Commission

eadyd@ctc.com, 678-570-9030

Erik Oliver, Secretary, City of Oxford Planning Commission

erik.oliver@emory.edu, 404-226-4165

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

The City of Oxford shall not be responsible for any costs incurred in the preparation of the Statement of Qualifications or other related activities.

All questions pertaining to this RFP shall be submitted electronically via email no later than April 30, 2008. Responses to submitted questions will be provided as they are received; however, all questions and responses will be posted on the City of Oxford website (www.oxfordgeorgia.org) no later than May 2, 2008.

All materials submitted in connection with this RFP will be public documents and subject to the Open Records Act and all other laws of the State of Georgia and the United States of America and subject to the open records policies of the City of Oxford. All such material shall remain the property of the City of Oxford and will not be returned to the respondent.

All respondents to this RFP shall hold harmless the City of Oxford and any of their officers and employees from all suits and claims alleged to be a result of this RFP. The issuance of this RFP constitutes only an invitation to submit proposals and qualifications. The City of Oxford reserves the right to determine, as its sole discretion, whether any aspect of a respondent’s submittal meets the criteria in this RFP. The City of Oxford also reserves the right to seek clarifications, to negotiate with any vendor submitting a response, to reject any or all responses with or without cause, and to modify the procurement process and schedule. In the event that this RFP is withdrawn or the project canceled for any reason, the City of Oxford shall have no liability to any respondent for any costs or expenses in connection with this RFP or otherwise.

City of Oxford

By: ________________________________

Jerry Roseberry, Mayor

CITY OF OXFORD

STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE

Please provide the following information on your company/firm:

Company/Firm Name:

Address:

City/State/Zip:

• Firm Established (Year):

• Submittal is for: Parent Company Branch Office

• Principals: List not more than two principals to contact (Name, Title, Telephone)

• Describe organizational structure of firm, including relation and location of branch offices.

FIRM DESCRIPTION:

• Total Personnel:

• List in-house personnel by number and disciplines

• List available services

• List project specialties

• List the staff anticipated for this project. Include vitae, experience and qualifications relevant to this project. Attach resumes to questionnaire.

Principal-In-Charge
Project Manager
Project Designer
Project Architect
Architectural Staff
Interior Designer
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Plumbing and Fire Protection
Structural Engineering
Civil Engineering
Landscape Architecture

PERTINENT DESIGN EXPERIENCE: List projects that best describe your firm’s experience and expertise in the design of government facilities. Briefly describe the purpose, size, use and operation of each project and the date of completion. Indicate the final project cost and final construction cost for each project listed. Describe your firm’s responsibility or role in the projects. List all consultants and/or the project team providing services to the project, including the contractors, CM’s, etc., and their specific role. Label and attach pictures of the completed buildings.

Project One:

Project Two:

Project Three: ______

REFERENCES: Please provide the name, title, address and phone number of five individuals/clients who may be contacted as references for the projects described above.

PROOF OF INSURANCE: Provide the provider(s), contact information, policy numbers, and coverage for all relevant insurance policies held by your company/firm:

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: You may include as an appendix to this questionnaire, any additional information that you would like to have on file with the City of Oxford for reference.

Please respond to the following question in 500 words or less:

What are the reasons for your interest in this particular project, and why are you particularly well-suited to it?

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