Sierra Madre Park

The Town of Fountain Hills (the “Town”) is issuing this Request For Qualifications (this “RFQ”) seeking statements of qualifications(“SOQ”) from qualified, licensed firms (“Vendors”) interested in providing professional services for park design services (the “Services”), as more particularly described in the Scope of Work. In accordance with the Town’s Procurement Code, the Town will accept sealed SOQ for the Services specified in the Scope of Work.

Background

The Town of Fountain Hills overlooks the Verde River Valley and the east valley of the metro Phoenix area. The Town is a master planned community established in 1970 by McCulloch Properties (now MCO Properties, Inc.). Prior to 1970, the area was a cattle ranch and was part of one of the largest land and cattle holdings in Arizona. The land was purchased by Robert McCulloch in the late 1960s and the community designed by Charles Wood, Jr. (designer of Disneyland in southern California). The centerpiece of Fountain Hills is one of the world's tallest man-made fountains, a focal point that attracts thousands of visitors each year. 

Located on 13,006 acres of land, Fountain Hills is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains and Scottsdale on the west, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation on the east, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community on the south, and by the McDowell Mountain Regional Park on the north. The elevation is 1,520 feet at the fountain, 2,460 feet at the Adero Canyon Trailhead, and is approximately 500 feet above Phoenix. Over the past thirty years, Fountain Hills has grown from 10,030 residents to a town of about 24,000 in 2023. On June 5, 2006, the Town of Fountain Hills became twenty square miles and about ten percent larger by annexing 1,300 acres of State Trust Land.

The Town is also renowned for its preservation of the natural desert, its abundant wildlife, scenic qualities and dark skies. One of Fountain Hills’ most valuable assets is its natural beauty. The Town’s scenic terrain provides for a wide range of outdoor activities including hiking, biking, and golf in support of healthy lifestyles. Fountain Hills contains some of the more challenging and picturesque golf courses in the State of Arizona. Its dark skies provide opportunities for star gazing.

This design project is for a 30-acre park in Fountain Hills. See attachments.

Project Details

• Reference ID: RFQ-2026-007
• Department: Community Services
• Department Head: Kevin Snipes (Community Services Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-06-18T16:00:00.000Z — Town Hall/Council Chambers 9:00-10:00 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

Meetings & Milestones

Evaluation Criteria

• General Information (1 pts)
• Experience and Qualifications of the Vendor in park design (40 pts)
• Project Approach/Basic Design/Basic Concept(s) (33 pts)
• Project Schedule (20 pts) —

  The Town would like to start design as soon as possible.

• Familiarity with local community (5 pts)

Submission Requirements

• Certification —

  By confirming questions under this section, the Vendor certifies:

• No Collusion (required) —

  The submission of the SOQ did not involve collusion or other anti-competitive practices.

• No Gratuity (required) —

  It has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip favor or service to a Town employee, officer or agent in connection with the submitted SOQ. It (including the Vendor’s employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists, attorneys, and subcontractors) has refrained, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process, including the Selection Committee, elected officials, the Town Manager, Department Heads, and other Town staff unless such person is designated as a Town Representative. All contact must be addressed to the Town’s Procurement Agent, except for questions submitted as set forth in RFQ Submission Process section Inquiries. Any attempt to influence the selection process by any means shall void the submitted Proposal and any resulting Agreement.

• Financial Stability (required) —

  It is financially stable, solvent and has adequate cash reserves to meet all financial obligations including any potential costs resulting from an award of the Agreement.

• No Signature/False or Misleading Statement (required) —

  The signature on the cover letter of the SOQ and the Vendor Information Form is genuine and the person signing has the authority to bind the Vendor. Failure to sign the SOQ and the Vendor Information Form, or signing either with a false or misleading statement, shall void the submitted SOQ and any resulting Agreement.

• Professional Services Agreement (required) —

  In addition to reviewing and understanding the submittal requirements, it has reviewed the attached sample Professional Services Agreement including the Scope of Work and other Exhibits, and agrees to the terms and conditions. 

• Reference Checks (required) —

  References will be checked, and it is Vendor’s responsibility to ensure that all information is accurate and current. Vendor authorizes the Town’s representative to verify all information from these references and releases all those concerned from any liability in connection with the information they provide. Inability of the Town to verify references shall result in the Proposal being considered non-responsive.

• Vendor Proposal
• General Information (required) —
  1. One page cover letter as described in the section titled "RFQ Submission Process ", the subsection titled "Required Submittal".
  2. Provide Vendor identification information. Explain the Vendor’s legal organization including the legal name, address, identification number and legal form of the Vendor (e.g., partnership, corporation, joint venture, limited liability company, sole proprietorship). If a joint venture, identify the members of the joint venture and provide all of the information required under this section for each member. If a limited liability company, provide the name of the member or members authorized to act on the company’s behalf. If the Vendor is a wholly owned subsidiary of another company, identify the parent company. If the corporation is a nonprofit corporation, provide nonprofit documentation. Provide the name, address and telephone number of the person to contact concerning the SOQ.
  3. Identify the location of the Vendor’s principal office and the local work office, if different from the principal office.
  4. Provide a general description of the Vendor that is proposing to provide the Services, including years in business.
  5. Identify any contract or subcontract held by the Vendor or officers of the Vendor that has been terminated within the last five years. Briefly describe the circumstances and the outcome.
  6. Identify any claims arising from a contract that resulted in litigation or arbitration within the last five years. Briefly describe the circumstances and the outcome.
• Experience and Qualifications of the Vendor (required) —
  1. Provide a detailed description of the Vendor’s experience in providing similar services to municipalities or other entities of a similar size to the Town, specifically relating experience with respect to Sierra Madre Park.
  2. Vendor must demonstrate successful completion of at least three similar projects within the past 60 months. For the purpose of this Solicitation, “successful completion” means completion of a project within the established schedule and budget and “similar projects” resemble this project in size, nature and scope. Provide a list of at least three organizations for which you successfully completed a similar project. This list shall include, at a minimum, the following information:
     1. Name of company or organization.
     2. Contact name.
     3. Contact address, telephone number and e-mail address.
     4. Type of services provided.
     5. Dates of contract initiation and expiration.
• Key Positions (required) —
  1. Identify each key personnel member that will render services to the Town including title and relevant experience required, including the proposed Project Manager and Project Engineer.
  2. Indicate the roles and responsibilities of each key position. Include senior members of the Vendor only from the perspective of what their role will be in providing services to the Town.
  3. If a subcontractor will be used for all work of a certain type, include information on this subcontractor. A detailed plan for providing supervision must be included.
  4. Attach a résumé and evidence of certification, if any, for each key personnel member and/or subcontractor to be involved in this project. Résumés should be attached together as a single appendix at the end of the Proposal and will not count toward the Proposal page limit. However, each resume shall not exceed two pages in length.
• Project Approach (required) —
  1. Describe the Vendor’s approach to performing the required Services.
  2. Describe any alternate approaches if it is believed that such an approach would best suit the needs of the Town. Include rationale for alternate approaches, and indicate how the Vendor will ensure that all efforts are coordinated with the Town’s Representatives.
• Project Schedule (required) —

  Provide a Project schedule showing key project milestones and deliverables. The schedule shall demonstrate Vendor’s ability to meet the designated project milestones.

• W-9
• Does the bid contain confidential information? (required) —

  Please clearly mark any confidential information. 

Questions & Answers