Pre-Design, Architectural, and Engineering Services for 2002 Jail Renovation

The Pierce County Facilities Management Department (County) is soliciting Statements of Qualifications from experienced professional architecture firms for pre-design and architectural services for the 2002 Jail Renovation. The project is primarily located at 701 Nollmeyer Lane, Tacoma, WA 98402, but may include components and staging elsewhere on the Pierce County Downtown Campus that also includes the Main Jail at 910 Tacoma Ave S and County-City Building at 930 Tacoma Ave. The successful firm to this RFQ will initially complete pre-design, including alternative analysis and submit the deliverable to the Owner for determination of next steps, including project delivery methodology. This document will guide subsequent phases of design and construction. At the end of each phase there will be a deliberate and written decision as to if the project should continue into the next phase of architectural services as outlined below. 

The successful firm for this project will possess strength in design of jail, correctional or detention facilities. The Jail must remain operational during the construction. The firm should be experienced in housing, separation, and security levels in jails sufficient to develop phasing and temporary service plans.

In addition to jail design experience, the successful firm will possess experience in other secure government facilities with comparable characteristics, organizational strength for projects of the same size and timeframe, firm/team strength and experience with overall project planning, programming, coordinating consultant team specialists, scope and budget development, design, permitting, bidding, construction administration, project closeout, and all other services required to complete the project. This description is not necessarily all-inclusive, and the consultant team should consider any tasks or services deemed necessary to complete the project satisfactorily. Consultant teams are encouraged to bring any expertise gained from other projects, creative ideas tested elsewhere, and best practices applicable to this project.

Pierce County is separately soliciting for an Owner Advisor (OA) with expertise in Washington State’s alternative delivery methods. They will participate with the Owner in pre-design activities and make recommendations to the County on preparation, training, processes, application, and next steps throughout the project. At the conclusion of pre-design the OA will make recommendation to the County as to if the project would best be procured and executed utilizing an allowable alternate delivery method. The OA will also make recommendations to the County, and the County will then determine based on recommendations, if under the resulting contract from this solicitation for A/E services, the project should advance forward through Schematic Design (SD) (30% Design), or if such design shall be conducted as part of an alternate delivery contract. If the project advances through SD, the same such pause and determination shall be made regarding alternative delivery.  

If the project does not utilize an alternative delivery method, and traditional Design-Bid-Build will be utilized for the remainder of the project, the County plans to continue with the remaining architectural services, provided appropriation of funding for continued services for the project.

Background

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-RFQ-107
• Department: Procurement and Contract Division
• Department Head: Jana Prince (Procurement & Contracts Manager)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-04-22T23:30:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Organizational and Staff Capacity (20 pts) —

  Provide information regarding staff experience and qualifications that demonstrate the respondent’s capacity to perform the required services.  Include the following:  

  • In a narrative, identify the team including specific individuals and sub-consultants for key positions (to include working titles, degrees, certificates, and licenses), describe the roles and responsibility of each team member, and how each team member will contribute to the successful completion of the scope of work, and how the satisfy the minimum requirements included in the RFQ. 
  • Describe how team members meet or exceed the preferred experience being requested in this RFQ.   
  • Provide an organizational chart demonstrating the relationships and hierarchy of the team described above. Identify individuals by name, position, discipline, and firm. Identify key back up personnel.
  • Indicate in a narrative what software or tools the team will utilize and the advantages this brings the team and value to the County.  

  The body of the proposal should include enough information about your team members as described above, but a single-sided, letter-size page resume for each team member may be included as part of the appendix. Resumes exceeding the page limit will not be reviewed.

• Project Approach Narrative and Schedule (45 pts) —
  • Provide a detailed description of the team’s general approach, problem solving and methodology for accomplishing the scope of work.  The approach should be consistent with the objectives and requirements set forth in the RFQ. The narrative should clearly address the team’s availability to execute the pre-design phase upon contract execution. Provide a narrative and bar graph type schedule indicating, in weeks, how the work will proceed under the contract.  Include proposed processes for ensuring effective coordination, as well as procedures for reporting and disseminating information.  Describe cost estimating, value engineering and QA/QC approach.
  • Describe experience working with key stakeholders (elected officials, prosecutors, end users, community members), including presentations and facilitation of discussion related to key project features and decision points. Describe the flow of information and project communications with team members, the County’s project construction manager, contractor, owner advisors, and stakeholder groups.  

   

• Relevant Experience and Past Performance (25 pts) —
  • Provide evidence that the proposing company has been in business a minimum of 10 years. If submitting as a joint venture, or another entity formed solely for the purpose of responding to this RFQ, show evidence that the aggregate of the partner’s history is a minimum of 10 years, or if the joint venture has a history of a minimum of 10 years. 
  • Include a list of a minimum, four (4) successfully completed projects your firm/team has undertaken of similar scope and complexity within the last eight (8) years. 
  • At least one project shall demonstrate experience leading architectural and engineering services for  jail, correctional or detention facilities with County Jail experience preferred.
  • At least one project shall be in Washington State and demonstrate familiarity with Design-Bid-Build that complies with RCW 39.04 for public works.
  • For each project identified, provide the following: 
  • Project name and address. 
  • Project Delivery Method 
  • Describe the scope of the project 
  • List the key project team members who were involved with the project and in what capacity. Include a brief description of the services relevant to the items listed in the Scope of Work as performed by the team members.
  • The client name and contact person.  Include address, email, and phone number (verify contact information is current). 
  • The size of the project (square footage constructed/renovated) 
  • Dollar value of services and dollar value of the project. 
  • Start and completion dates.
  • Codes, Laws and Regulations: Demonstrate, through written explanation, the respondent’s familiarity with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and codes, including all laws governing the accessibility the project must have for persons with disabilities and Washington Clean Building Standards. 
  • Other: Identify experience designing and conducting CA for detention security and surveillance systems, and courtroom and meeting room audio/visual systems.
• Access to the firm / team staff/ documents (7 pts) —
  • Describe how physically accessible the firm/team is to Pierce County, in terms of communications, meetings and field work. 
  • Include any alternative methods of communications, meetings, or innovative methods that your team may propose, including any real time shared data access methods with Pierce County and/or consultants and contractors. 
• Accuracy and Completeness of the Statement of Qualification (SOQ) (3 pts) —
  • Coherent and logical flow of written responses 

  • Legibility of figures and chart information. 

  • Accurate project name and address and associated contacts 

  • Formatting and layout follows parameters 

  • Spelling and grammatical accuracy.  

• Interviews (if applicable) (100 pts) —

  Pierce County may interview the top ranked from the evaluation list. If interviews are conducted, rankings of the firms shall be determined by Pierce County using the combined results of interviews and proposal submittals

Submission Requirements

• Proposal (required) —

  Upload Proposal

• Project Description (required) —

  Please provide a brief, one to two paragraph, description of the project.

• Initial contract period: —

  Please enter the initial contract period:

   

  EXAMPLE:

  The initial contract period is anticipated to be for 12 months. The County has the option of renewing for an additional four years after initial contract is executed. The actual schedule will be negotiated with the selected firm based on consultant and agency staff availability and finalized scope of work.

• Renewal Options (required) —

  Plese enter the renewal options for this project.

  EXAMPLE:

  The initial contract period is anticipated to be for 12 months. The County has the option of renewing for an additional four years after initial contract is executed. The actual schedule will be negotiated with the selected firm based on consultant and agency staff availability and finalized scope of work.

• Do Federal Terms & Conditions Apply to this Project? (required)

Questions & Answers