SPECIFIC EXPLANATION: The General Services Department (GSD) recommends that City Council award a construction contract to Gadberry Construction Company Inc on the low bid amount of $3,188,000.00 to provide construction services for TIGER Project #3 – White Oak Path: Downtown for the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. The TIGER grant consists of six separate projects. This sixth project is in partnership with the Houston Parks Board. On August 21, 2013, Ordinance No. 2013-744, City Council appropriated $11,400,000.00 out of the Parks Consolidated Construction Fund for the Bayou Greenway 2020 Initiative for construction services. Of this amount $1,482,060.00 is to be allocated to TIGER Project #3 as part of the Initiative.
BACKGROUND: In June 2012, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded the City of Houston a $15 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant for the Regional Bike/Ped Connections to Transit. The grant agreement administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was executed on March 15, 2013. The TIGER grant program provides infrastructure investment in surface transportation projects, which includes road, rail, transit and port projects. Houston’s project focuses on eliminating gaps in the hike and bike grid and providing direct pedestrian transportation connections to local bus stops and rail stations. Council will be requested to approve each TIGER Project under a separate Council action.
PROJECT LOCATION: Along White Oak Bayou downtown between Quitman St. and the University of Houston (493 G and M)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project will construct .6 miles of new 10’ wide shared use concrete trail in three segments along White Oak Bayou near Downtown connecting the Heritage West Trail with neighborhoods along Quitman Streets, with the intersection of Main St. and Wood St. and with the existing Buffalo Bayou Trail near the U of H Downtown Campus. The scope of work will also include associated grading and drainage work, signed bike lanes and crossing, retaining walls, pile walls along the bayou, sidewalks, stairs, ADA ramps, cathodic protection work, fiber optic communication work, trail signage and marking, pedestrian railing and landscaping and irrigation.
The contract duration for this project is 270 calendar days from the date of the Notice to Proceed. Traffic Engineers, Inc. is the design consultant for this project.
BIDS: The following two bids were received on January 7, 2016:
BIDDER BID AMOUNT
1. Gadberry Construction Company Inc $3,188,000.00
2. Carrera Construction, Inc. $3,299,777.00
AWARD: It is recommended that City Council award the construction contract to Gadberry Construction Company Inc., and appropriate funds for the project.
FUNDING SUMMARY:
$ 3,188,000.00 Construction Contract Services
$ 318,800.00 10% Contingency
$ 3,506,800.00 Total Funding
DBE GOAL: The USDOT requires the City to establish a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program as a condition of receiving federal funds. In compliance with the federal requirements, the Office of Business Opportunity has established a 12% DBE goal for this contract, which can be achieved by the DBE prime contractor.
Firm |
Work Description |
Amount
|
% of Contract |
Gadberry Construction Company, Inc |
Supervision & Administration |
$508,019.00 |
15.94% |
PAY OR PLAY PROGRAM: The Office of Business Opportunity has approved a waiver of the City’s “Pay or Play” Ordinance for the proposed contract based on the determination that it will have an adverse financial impact, as described in the attached correspondence. Additionally, FHWA has determined that the City’s “Pay or Play” Ordinance does not comply with the terms of the TIGER Grant.
HIRE HOUSTON FIRST: Hire Houston First does not apply to this expenditure, because it involves the use of federal funds and is subject to specific procurement rules of the federal government.
CIP FISCAL NOTE: There are no operating and maintenance costs for this project, because this project is included under an agreement for trail maintenance with the Houston Parks Board.
Capital Project Information:
See Attached Form A for a breakdown of capital costs.