Bridge of the America's Land Port of Entry Modernization Project, El Paso, TX

This is a Sources Sought Notice THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Project: Design Build Services for the Bridge of the America’s Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization Project, El Paso, Texas This is a Sources Sought and not a request for proposal for Design and General Construction for the Bridge of the America's (BOTA) U.S. Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization project. Responses shall be used for planning purposes only and shall not commit the General Services Administration (GSA) to issue a solicitation for this requirement. It is anticipated the solicitation based on the outcome of this market survey will be published and that a subsequent contract from the solicitation will be awarded. The GSA Greater Southwest Region, Acquisition Management Division, Capital Program, is conducting a market survey seeking qualified sources to provide general construction services for the expansion of the Bridge of the Americas U.S. Land port of Entry (LPOE) in El Paso, TX to determine if there is adequate competition among qualified Design-Build contractors. The design-build construction services will be awarded on a firm-fixed prices basis. If determined that adequate competition exists, GSA may set the requirement aside for the competition among the selected group. All interested design-build contractors should respond to this office in writing by e-mail on or before due date listed. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from the potential sources as a result of this market research. BACKGROUND The Bridge of the Americas (BOTA), Land Port of Entry (LPOE), was built in 1967. It is located on the international border separating El Paso, TX, and Juarez, Chihuahua, MX. This LPOE connects with the Mexican LPOE of “Cordova” in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, MX. The facility processes privately owned vehicles (POV), pedestrians, and commercial traffic. The bridge leading to the facility is the only toll-free bridge in El Paso, creating extensive traffic at the crossing. The BOTA LPOE is one of four crossings in El Paso. BOTA is in a populated Urban area of El Paso, TX. It sits on approximately 27 acres of fully developed property surrounded on three sides by an extensive highway system. The site is bordered to the north by E. Paisano Drive/U.S. Highway 62 East, a busy two-way street, U.S. Highway 54/Patriot Highway borders to the east, Delta Drive/Loop 375 borders to the south, and Highway 110 on the northwest side of the Port which is a connector to Interstate Highway 10 and is the primary entry and exit from the Port. Chamizal National Memorial borders the site to the west. The LPOE is landlocked on all four (4) sides of the port. The port processes toll-free inbound and outbound commercial, non-commercial, and pedestrian traffic. As a result, the volume of traffic is heavy with many travelers and commercial vehicles choosing to enter and exit through this facility in lieu of paying a toll. Much of the port facility has reached the end of its’ life cycle. Most of the buildings and infrastructure are operating beyond capacity. Building, fire and life safety codes have changed so much that the facility is generally non-compliant with the most current codes and standards including CBP design standards. Since this facility operates as a toll-free port of entry, an increase in truck and vehicular traffic in the last few years has created significant congestion so that the site is unable to support this increased volume of traffic. The planned project is to provide a design for the U.S. Land Port of Entry that will reflect the critical importance of this crossing as a gateway to the United States of America. The design should reflect the openness of the United States and its democratic institutions and should be a compelling piece of architecture which is also a source of community pride. This project will need to be registered through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The target USGBC LEED rating for this project is Gold level. The latest LEED certification criteria shall apply to this project. Design will also need to achieve at a minimum SITE’s Silver certification and all GSA P100 sustainability requirements that includes high performance green building objectives and Interim IRA Low Embodied Carbon Materials Requirements and Interim IRA LEC Material Requirements. PROJECT INFORMATION This project will provide the design and construction of a new port of entry to replace the existing port. The current LPOE is a full-service port that inspects privately owned and commercial vehicles and pedestrians. It is currently operating from outdated, deteriorating facilities that do not adequately meet the functional needs of the tenant. The new construction project will correct port deficiencies and modernize its facility to accommodate the increasing traffic. The current LPOE will be required to stay in continuous operation during the construction; the contractor will be required to phase the construction. The project construction components include construction of an administration building to include an expanded pedestrian inspection area; primary and secondary passenger vehicle inspection facilities; outside vehicle parking expansion; seized vehicle processing area; a kennel; export cargo booths; and, canopy structure, office building and new paving for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the potential of commercial primary and exit booths; a cargo building and dock. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), Pub. L. No. 117-169, enacted in August 2022, provided GSA with significant funding for (a) measures necessary to convert facilities to high-performance green buildings, (b) acquisition and installation of construction materials and products with substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions, and (c) emerging and sustainable technologies. The Contract resulting from this Solicitation will be funded in part by IRA appropriations, and it contains numerous IRA-specific requirements. Requirements include, but are not limited to, requirements regarding pricing, invoicing, submittals, materials, and construction. In addition, please note that this Solicitation contains an evaluation factor favoring certain construction materials with the lowest possible levels of embodied carbon. Offerors shall carefully review this Solicitation, the Agreement, the Statement of Work, the Specifications, and the Drawings. Offerors are responsible for accurately pricing and, if successful, fully performing all Contract requirements. The Design Build (DB) and/or Construction Contractor will be required to provide a product-specific cradle-to-gate Type III Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for each concrete mix design specified in the contract and used at the project, using NSF International’s product category rule for concrete. The DB Contractor will also be required to provide low embodied carbon concrete that meets the Global Warming Potential (GWP) limits for concrete of the mix type and strength class. Potential NAICS is 236220 with a size standard of $45.0m. The PSC/FSC is Z2AZ (Repair or Alterations of Other Administrative Facilities and Service Buildings). The estimated construction cost range for the project is between 500,000,000.00 and $550,000,000.00. Estimated contract duration is approximately three (3) to four (4) years from notice to proceed for the project. This notice is being issued to determine if there is adequate competition among Small Business or Large Business concerns. The award will be on a firm-fixed price basis. If it is determined that adequate competition exists, GSA may set the requirement aside for competition among small business concerns. All interested contractors should respond to this office in writing by email on or before the due date listed herein. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from the potential sources because of this market research. It is anticipated a solicitation based on the outcome of this market survey may be issued on or about August or September 2024. Award of any resulting procurement will be based on employing a “Best Value Concept” methodology. CAPABILITY STATEMENT Firms interested in this effort must be able to demonstrate experience with at least two (2) similar projects. SIMILAR PROJECT is defined as a project that is similar in size, type and complexity. To qualify as a SIMILAR PROJECT, the project must meet all three elements of size, complexity, and type as further defined here. To be considered similar in size, projects managed must have exceeded $300,000,000.00 in costs, consist of design and construction, construction schedule over two years and be completed in the last fifteen (15) years. To be considered similar in complexity, a project consisting of major modernization of a LPOE, Airport, Military Complex, campus or facility area (a project on one site that has multiple buildings or facilities on it), must include elements of significant design and construction of a facility, land port of entry, and/or site. Each project need not contain every element, but the combination of projects should demonstrate the ability to perform these services in a satisfactory manner. Construction services include demolition, various construction activities (mechanical, electrical, civil, architectural) and site work. Similar in Type: A project consisting of major modernization of a LPOE, Airport, Military Complex, campus or facility area (a project on one site that has multiple buildings or facilities on it), including but not limited to canopies, administration buildings, holding cells, administration offices, visitor and employee parking areas, major utility relocations, and road and paving site work. Additional and higher consideration will be given to projects completed as a result of a design/build construction project with modernization on occupied southern border LPOEs, including but not limited to POV primary inspection lanes with booths, secondary POV inspection area with inspection canopies, LPOE Admin buildings with passenger processing, holding cells, admin offices, kennels, visitor and employee parking areas, major utility relocations, and road and paving site work. Residential housing, warehouse projects or improvements to office renovation limited to reconfiguration of spaces within a high-rise office structure are not considered similar in type, regardless of size. In responding to this notice, please indicate your experience and interest in this project as a contractor, and a brief description of your firm’s past experience completing activities similar to those described above, including project dates, cost, and role as either Prime Contractor or Subcontractor. Include points of contact and all information necessary to contact the owner of the project who can substantiate similar project characteristics. Interested firms are invited to respond to this notice by providing the following information: Provide project experience of two (2) related projects of similar size, complexity, and type. Provide a letter from your Surety that you can be bonded. Please indicate the maximum bonding capacity per project and aggregate maximum bonding capacity. At a minimum, the contractor must be able to obtain bonding in the amount of $550,000,000.00. Any interested firm should provide a Written Letter of Interest with the aforementioned information (no more than 5 pages) by 3:00 pm CST, April 16, 2024, to Jason Gerloff via email [email protected]. The subject line should state “Letter of Interest for BOTA D/B Services”. SUPPLIERS AND MANUFACTURERS : In addition to the construction opportunity reflected herein, GSA is seeking suppliers and manufacturers that are interested in supplying low embodied carbon asphalt, concrete (and cement), glass, and steel materials for the project. Suppliers and manufacturers of materials meeting GSA’s Interim Inflation Reduction Act Low Embodied Carbon Material Requirements may submit an Expression of Interest by 3:00 pm CST, April 11, 2024 , to Jason Gerloff via email, [email protected] . Th e subject line should state “Expression of Interest for BOTA LPOE Project.” Expressions of Interest should indicate materials available and global warming potential values reflected in materials’ environmental product declarations. Submission of an expression of interest grants GSA your permission to publish your firm’s contact information and offerings for use by potential offerors on the construction requirement. Supplier and manufacturer contact information will be published in an informational amendment issued by GSA. By participating in the competition, offerors consent to GSA sharing their suppliers’ names and the global warming potential values associated with suppliers’ materials with the successful offeror. Technical solutions, supplier pricing, and supplier-offeror terms and conditions will not be shared, in accordance with the Procurement Integrity Act. NOTE: Questions submitted may or may not be answered. This is a market survey to identify interested and qualified firms to determine if adequate competition exists to set aside any potential procurements. Note: All information submitted is subject to verification. Additional information may be requested to substantiate responses. Reimbursement costs for information received are not authorized. IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Project Labor Agreement Solicitation Provision will be included in the RFP. FAR 52.222-33, Notice of Requirement for Project Labor Agreement (January 2024) (a) Definitions. As used in this provision, the following terms are defined in clause 52.222–34, Project Labor Agreement, of this solicitation “construction,” “labor organization,” “large-scale construction project,” and “project labor agreement.” (b) Offerors shall— (1) Negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreement with one or more labor organizations for the term of the resulting construction contract; and (2) Require its subcontractors to become a party to the resulting project labor agreement. (c) The project labor agreement reached pursuant to this provision shall- (1) Bind the Offeror and subcontractors engaged in construction on the construction project to comply with the project labor agreement; (2) Allow the Offeror and all subcontractors to compete for contracts and subcontracts without regard to whether they are otherwise parties to collective bargaining agreements; (3) Contain guarantees against strikes, lockouts, and similar job disruptions; (4) Set forth effective, prompt, and mutually binding procedures for resolving labor disputes arising during the term of the project labor agreement; (5) Provide other mechanisms for labor-management cooperation on matters of mutual interest and concern, including productivity, quality of work, safety, and health; and (6) Fully conform to all statutes, regulations, Executive orders, and agency requirements. (d) Any project labor agreement reached pursuant to this provision does not change the terms of the resulting contract or provide for any price adjustment by the Government. (e) The Offeror shall submit to the Contracting Officer a copy of the project labor agreement with its offer. (End of Provision) As prescribed in 22.505(a)(4), substitute the following paragraph (b) in lieu of paragraphs (b) through (e) of the basic provision: (b)(1) If awarded the contract, the Offeror may be required by the agency to negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreement with one or more labor organizations for the term of the order. The Contracting Officer will require that an executed copy of the project labor agreement be submitted to the agency— (i) With the order offer; (ii) Prior to award of the order; or (iii) After award of the order. (2) The Offeror shall require its subcontractors to become a party to the resulting project labor agreement for the term of the order. All interested contractors should respond to this office via email on or before due date listed herein. Negative responses are welcomed. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from the potential contractors as a result of this market research. This is a Sources Sought Notice and NOT a Request for Proposal. This is not a guarantee that a Request for Proposal will be issued in the future.