Question No. 1: What does the following statement exactly mean: "Teams must provide evidence of complying with the State of Florida licensing requirements for Professional Architects and Engineers"? Must foreign firms collaborate with a Florida firm licensed in Florida?
Answer No. 1: The Design Team's SOQ submission must clearly indicate the applicable professional licenses of each Team member. It is understood that the lead designer may not possess a Florida license; however, the entity with whom the City will ultimately contract must be clearly identified in the SOQ and must demonstrate that they possess the necessary licenses to practice Architecture or Engineering in the State of Florida.
Question No. 2: In the registration form there is a line entitled "Design Team Description". Please explain what information is being requested.
Answer No. 2: The Design Team Description is intended to describe the composition of the team and identify the entity with whom the City will be entering into a Contract.
Question No. 3: Page 9 of the RFQ requests a Standard Form 330 for each member of the team. To clarify, are you asking for the resume section (Section E) only of the SF330 or are you asking for a full SF330 for each firm/consultant?
Answer No. 3: If the Standard Form 330 is used, then it shall be the full form (Part I – Sections A through G, and Part II).
Question No. 4: Is there a page limit for the SOQ (Stage 1) of the Competition?
Answer No. 4: There is no page limit, however it is requested that the submissions be concise.
Question No. 5: Can you please outline the disciplines that should be included on the team? Specifically, should geotechnical and environmental consultants be included on our team?
Answer No. 5: The composition of the team is entirely up to the submitter and should reflect the disciplines that the team deems necessary to provide the services being requested. The City intends to provide survey, testing and geotechnical services which are typically Owner furnished, therefore these services do not need to be included in the team composition, however the City reserves the right to negotiate these services with the selected team.
Question No. 6: Are any firms precluded from participating in this competition?
Answer No. 6: Yes. The following firms are precluded from participating: Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc., Miami, FL; Moffatt & Nichols Engineers, Tampa, FL: Oxley & Brannon Cost Consultants, St. Petersburg, FL.
Question No. 7: Does the $45 Million budget include demolition costs?
Answer No. 7: The $45 Million budget includes the demolition cost for the entire portion over the water. The City will provide the estimate for the demolition cost as an Allowance to each of the three short-listed teams. The City is working with a cost consultant to determine the estimate for the demolition and a final Allowance amount may not be known prior to submission of the SOQ.
Question No. 8: On the registration form it says to list team members and qualifications but it just has 5 small boxes-can you clarify exactly what we should put for "qualifications" in an individual box? Or is it advisable to attach separate CVS?
Answer No. 8: The intent is to simply list the primary members of the team and their associated discipline, such as Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Structural Engineer, etc. Teams may submit more than one registration form if necessary, but CVs are not intended.
Question No. 9: Will the list of registered teams be posted once the registration period ends?
Answer No. 9: Yes. The complete list of all registered teams will be posted following the conclusion of the registration deadline.
Question No. 10: In the registration form due on July 8, 2011-we can list the main firm and lead designer and contacts, etc. But can we add consultants to the list when we submit the full SOQ on July 19th?
Answer No. 10: The registration form due on July 8th is not intended to be limiting but rather to identify the primary members of the team. It is understood that additional consulting expertise may be included in the SOQ submission.
Question No. 11: Our firm is relatively new, but our partners have vast individual project experience relevant to your competition while as partners at other firms. We understand these qualification can be submitted under the SF "IE" category, it's been 4 years since the slow start of the economic downturn and some of these projects are now on hold , and were never completed or in progress. Are these project acceptable as part of the 10 relevant project examples for this contract in SF 330?
Answer No. 11: Given the economic downturn, deferred or non-completed relevant project examples can be included for consideration provided they were designed or developed within the past ten years.
Question No. 12: As deliverables, you are requiring "digital renderings, simulated fly-over computer generated models depicting the experience of moving through the project and the views back toward the city." The cost of this fly-over as described could alone well surpass the competition stipend. What is quality of animation expected? Can you set a time limit on the length? Actually, your intent is clearly to the select the team presenting the best planning and design options. Can this fly-over and model be commissioned AFTER the actual winner is selected?
Answer No. 12: The City will make available to the three teams invited to Stage 2, a 3D Model fly over of the site in three separate formats: 3D SketchUp – Version 8, 3D AutoCAD - .DWG and 3D Studio - .3DS, for the team's use in the Stage 2 submission. The 3D massing level model of existing conditions was created by Bermello Ajamil & Partners for the City's use in preparation for and during the competition. In addition, the City will provide to each of the short listed teams, the CAD base file used to develop the 3D model.
Question No. 13: One of our strongest client references on a similar project to the pier closed his firm 2 years back due to the global economic crisis. Can he still be used as a past /individual client reference if his firm does not exist anymore?
Answer No. 13. Yes. Please provide current contact information for verification.
Question No. 14: This is not by far a typical government building or project. It seems that the SF 254 and 330 score point system will clearly favor older and larger established firms than the newer, more creative, forward-thinking and smaller design firms. How will the jury take this imbalance in qualifications into account?
Answer No. 14: This competition is not intended to penalize firms based on size or number of years in existence. The Standard Forms help capture basic information in an established format. Additional information may be submitted to further explain any gaps in the Standard Forms.
Question No. 15: Is the registration form due date of July 8th a post-mark date, or does the form have to arrive at the office by 3:00pm on that day?
Answer No. 15: The registration form must be received by the City on or before 3:00 PM E.S.T. on July 8th.
Question No. 16: Does "registered mail" refer to the USPS registered mail service, or may we send the package via Fedex, or another secure carrier?
Answer No. 16: Any secure carrier will suffice provided the sender can verify the date and time of delivery to the City.
Question No. 17: In the SOQ requirements, you request a "copy of each member of the team's current applicable professional license." Please clarify as to whether this means each individual member of the team (ie: key personnel), each team member (firm licenses) or both.
Answer No. 17: The professional licenses requested are for key personnel and for the principal firms that comprise the team.
Question No. 18: Regarding the SF330 form, we understand that you require SF330 Part I, items A-G, and Part II. Are all of these items required for each member of the team (sub-consultant firms as well as lead design firm and/or contracted firm), or just for the lead design firm/contracted entity, with specific portions of the form filled out for sub-consultants?
Answer No. 18: Part I, items A-G should be inclusive of the entire Team and a single form will suffice. A separate Part II should be submitted for each individual Team member.
Question No. 19: Given that the project will not actually start until the late winter/early spring of 2012, it is hard to know exactly what each of our partners will be managing. Our Principal has far beyond the requisite experience, but may not be the full-time designer on the project – he is involved in design of all projects in the office. Several of our partners have at least ten years, but not all. What is the expectation for the lead designer's role? Is this the person who is full-time on the project, or is this the oversight role?
Answer No. 19: The intent is that the submission includes a lead designer with the experience and demonstrated design capabilities to conceive and guide the solution for the Pier. The expectation is that the lead designer will continue in a design capacity throughout the project and will not abandon the effort. The City recognizes that other members of the team may take on a far greater role as the project progresses.
Question No. 20: Is it permissible that a design team can have members in one or more teams?
Answer No. 20: The composition of the design team is entirely up to the team. There is nothing to prohibit individual firms from participating on more than one team.
Question No. 21: We intend to associate with a local firm if we are selected for Stage 2. Is it important for us to identify that local firm before the Stage 2 submission (i.e. should it be included in the registration or Stage 1 submission)?
Answer No. 21: The purpose of the Stage 1 evaluation is to determine the most qualified design teams, while the Stage 2 submission will be to judge the best concept. It would stand to reason therefore, that the full composition of the team be included as part of the evaluation of the Statement of Qualifications (Stage 1).
Question No. 22: Can you please tell me if the Design Competition for St Petersburg Pier is an open competition and if there is a local participation goal.
Answer No. 22: The competition is a two stage competition. The first stage, which is the review of qualifications, is open to all and there are no local participation goals. The second stage is the concept submission stage and is by invitation to the three highest ranked design teams selected by an independent jury during Stage 1.
Question No. 23: Should the relevant project examples, which will include budget and schedule info., objectives and solutions, etc be separate from, and perhaps greater or fewer in number than, the 10 projects featured in Part 1, question F of the SF330?
Answer No. 23: The relevant project examples can be separate from or in addition to the SF330 and it is entirely up to the team to determine the quantity and content of this information.
Question No. 24: Is the team that is the lead entity with which the city will contract for the project responsible for putting together and defining the content of the SOQ submission or can the lead designer be the one that is responsible for the content of the SOQ?
Answer No. 24: The party responsible for the content of the SOQ may be the lead designer or the entity with whom the City will contract for the project if other than the lead designer.
Question No. 25: Please confirm that Section F – 10 (of SF330), example projects – should be comprised of 10 examples for the entire team, rather than 10 projects from each member of the team? Can there be more given the fact that there will be multiple firms to represent work from, and 10 might not be enough?
Answer No. 25: The ten most relevant projects of the entire team are sufficient for the SF330. Additional relevant project examples can be included in the body of the SOQ.
Question No. 26: Both the SOQ and the SF330 form for the Pier competition request an organization chart for the team. Would it be appropriate to include an internal organization chart for each team member in the SF330 and an overall organization chart for the entire design team in the "Proposed Team Organization" section of the SOQ?
Answer No. 26: The overall Team organization chart could be included either within the SF330 or within the more detailed description of the Proposed Design Team Organization section. An internal organization chart for each team member is up to the discretion of the Team.
Do you have a question not listed?
Submit your questions to PierCompetition@stpete.org