REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS- Administration Building and Senior Center

Avery County, North Carolina

Administration Building and Senior Center

PURPOSE

The County of Avery is accepting statements of qualifications from architectural firms interested in contracting with the County for architectural services related to two projects:

1. The design and construction administration of a new Avery County Administration Building.

2. The design and construction administration of a new Avery County Senior Center.

SCOPE

The Avery County Administration Building and Senior Center were severely damaged by TS Helene (DR-4927-NC). Both buildings have been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for replacement and relocation along with demolition of the existing facilities. Avery County plans to construct a new Administration Building and a new Senior Center on the County property known as the radio station property located at 1281 Newland Highway, Newland, NC. Both facilities will be located on the same property and are to be designed and constructed as two separate buildings. Because both projects will be funded primarily with FEMA Public Assistance grant funds, compliance with all applicable federal requirements is essential. Estimated programming needs are expected to be at least 10,000 square feet for each building along with parking and ancillary site improvements. The selected firm will be responsible for the following for each building:

• Site Planning Design

• Schematic Design

• Design Development

• All Permitting

• Project Schedule

• Construction Documents

• Bidding

• Construction Administration

• Budget Development

• Landscape Design

• Engineering Services-structural, civil, mechanical, electrical and plumbing

• Interior Design

• Overall Project Management, including compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements

• Procurement and installation of non-fixed furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E), e.g., furniture, telephone system, computer systems, etc.

• Compliance with all Federal, State and Local Code Requirements

Architects must be properly licensed and registered as required by Chapter 83A of the North Carolina General Statutes. Engineering and Land Surveying consultants must be properly licensed and registered as required by Chapter 89C of the North Carolina General Statures.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

All questions related to this RFQ shall be directed to:

Cindy Turbyfill

County Manager

PO Box 640

661 Vale Road

Newland, NC 28657

828-733-8212

Cindy.turbyfill@averycountync.gov

In addition, the County strongly urges interested firms to schedule a site visit to evaluate the appropriate size and design of the facility.

Proposal Content

The written proposal should provide background information about the company, its employees, and its experience with related projects and related clients. It should cover the experience of the firm as well as any consultants on the proposed team. For the purposes of the RFQ, the term “prime firm” shall refer to the prime respondent of the RFQ or, in other words, the firm with whom Avery County will contract. The term “consultant” shall refer to all consultants which the prime firm will include on the project team, including subcontractors to the firm. The proposal shall clearly delineate any experience, background, etc. between the “prime firm” and “consultants.”

Specifically, the RFQ should address the following information. Firms may submit their standard qualification package supplemented by a cover letter or attachments as necessary to comply with this request.

1. Prime Firm Experience

a. Prior Experience – Government. Identify at least three multi-purpose governmental offices similar to an administration building and a senior center that your firm has designed. Provide the following information:

• Building name, address and telephone number

• Client name, title, address and telephone number

• Description of scope of project including use of pre-engineered construction, if any.

• Size of project, including number of gross square feet.

• Project design

• Cost of project, including estimated cost, actual cost, and dollars per square foot. Also explain any factors that contributed to the actual cost exceeding the estimated cost by more than 2%. Indicate how you control costs and how this has been effective in the past.

• Estimated schedule and actual schedule. Explain any factors that caused the actual schedule to exceed the estimated schedule by more than 30 days.

• Identify all consultants, subcontractors and /or firms that participated in the project and their respective roles.

• Three references.

b. Prior Experience – Commercial. Identify all other commercial projects that have multi-purpose facilities in which your firm is currently engaged or has completed within the last ten years. Provide the name and address of the project, along with the client’s name and telephone number.

c. FEMA Compliance Experience. Identify whether your firm has previously designed and overseen construction on a project funded with FEMA Public Assistance grant funds, including demonstration of your firm’s knowledge of FEMA and federal grants compliance requirements.

2. Consultant(s) Profile

Identify the consultant(s) that will be used on the project. Provide the following for each consultant(s):

• Firm name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, principal/CEO and contact person (including title).

• Intended role for this project.

• Identify, by name, the members of the design team, their roles and responsibilities.

• Brief description of firm history.

• Three references.

3. Prime Firm and Consultant(s) Key Personnel

Provide an organizational chart and identify the following:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

• Principals

• The project architect who will manage the Project

• Consultant(s)

• Educational backgrounds

• Hourly rates of each individual working on the Project

4. Understanding of the Project

Briefly state your firm’s understanding of the Administration Building and Senior Center projects. North Carolina state law prohibits submitting any work product such as preliminary designs, sketches, or renderings of the proposed projects in response to this RFQ (N.C.G.S. 143-64.31(f)). Submittal of prohibited work product will not be considered and may be grounds for rejection of your response. Work product of prior completed work may be submitted but is not required beyond what is requested in this RFQ.

5. Project Approach

Describe your firm’s project approach and schedule of implementation and operation.

6. Prime Firm’s Submission

The prime firm shall submit a digital copy of its response to this RFQ on a thumb drive and three hardcopies of the RFQ response by the date and to the address listed below. Facsimile submissions will not be accepted. Submissions must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the firm to a contract. Proposals must be received no later than November 30, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Proposals received after the response deadline will be disqualified from consideration. All proposals must be contained entirely within a package that is clearly marked on the outside “Avery County Administration Building Project” and addressed to the following: Avery County, ATTN Cindy Turbyfill, PO Box 640, 661 Vale Road, Newland, NC 28657. Respondents are solely responsible for ensuring that responses are complete and received by Avery County by the deadline.

The County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, and to terminate the Request for Qualifications process at any time.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Selection Process:

The County Manager, Finance Officer, and members of the Avery County Board of Commissioners will serve as the selection committee for all respondents deemed eligible and qualified, seeking the advice and input of such other local officials as they may deem appropriate.

The selection committee will review and identify the firm or firms that are most qualified for the services requested. At the sole discretion of the selection committee, interviews may be conducted with the short-listed respondents to permit further evaluation of qualifications. The selection committee may choose, in its sole discretion, to request additional information from respondent(s) selected for interviews. Any such request for additional information shall be provided in writing prior to the interview(s).

At the conclusion of the selection process, the County will select the best qualified firm and negotiate contract price with that firm. If such negotiations are not successful and are terminated, the County will then negotiate contract price with the next best qualified firm and so on. All firms submitting qualifications are expected – if selected – to prepare a scope of services, fee estimate, and any other required documentation in a timely manner. Failure to provide timely response may result in termination of the negotiations process. The County reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations at any time.

Evaluation Criteria:

The following evaluation factors will be utilized during the selection process from the submitted and eligible proposals; firms are strongly encouraged to address the following evaluation factors in their responses to this Request for Qualifications (evaluation factors are listed in order of relative importance):

• The thoroughness of the proposal regarding the tasks addressed in the Scope section of the RFQ and the information requested in this RFQ.

• The firm’s capacity to satisfactorily undertake two (2) projects simultaneously

• The firm’s familiarity with federally funded projects including compliance requirements.

• The firm’s experience in designing multi-purpose governmental offices and senior centers or similar projects.

• The firm’s proven ability to complete tasks on time and within budget.

• The successful experience of the staff proposed to be assigned to this project to perform the type of work required.

• The firm’s financial ability to undertake the work and assume liability for the project.

• The firm’s proven ability to complete tasks on time and within budget.

• Project approach and methodology including methods of regular communications with the County on project status.

• Overall performance on past projects, as evidenced by previous contracts.

• Overall consideration of design elements.

The County reserves the right to interview any or all respondents to this RFQ, or to ask for additional information or clarifications. By completing and responding to Avery County’s RFQ, the firm allows the County to call any person, business, group or organization that may have information to determine the firm’s ability to complete the projects as presented.

The contract awarded to the selected firm must comply with all applicable federal procurement requirements including incorporating the contract provisions required under 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix II applicable to FEMA Public Assistance grants into the final contract awarded by the County. By completing and responding to Avery County’s RFQ, the respondent agrees to be bound by these provisions.

The County expects to complete its evaluation process to select a qualified firm within the timeline listed below but reserves the right to change key dates and actions as the need arises.

Questions

Questions must be submitted in writing electronically only to Cindy Turbyfill, Avery County Manager, at cindy.turbyfill@averycountync.gov. Responses will be issued in the form of an addendum available to all interested parties. Questions must be submitted to the person listed above no later than November 23, 2026. The last addendum will be issued no later than November 23, 2026 at 4:30 p.m.

PROPOSAL AND SUBMISSION DEADLINES

Project schedule milestones and dates are as follows:

Milestone Date

Request for Qualifications Published October 30, 2026

Submittal of Questions November 23, 2026

Addendum Issued November 23, 2026

RFQ Proposals Due Date November 30, 2026

Board of Commissioners

Approve Award of a Contract January 4, 2027

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.