RFQ No. 21-006 Structural Public Art Screen Wall at the 318 E. Main Street Parking Deck 318 East Main Street, Durham North Carolina 27701
Advertisement Date September 1, 2020 Last Date for Questions September 20, 2020 by 3:00 P.M. (EST) Proposal Due Date September 29, 2020 by 5:00 P.M. (EST)
The County of Durham, North Carolina, invites qualified artists or artist teams to submit Qualifications for the design of a structural public art screen wall to enhance the exterior of the new 318 E. Main Street Parking Deck.
Project Goals
Create artwork that will artistically promote the new 318 E. Main Street Parking Deck as a vibrant, modern environment and vital component of the downtown culture and surrounding neighborhood.
Project Description
The County of Durham, North Carolina is seeking artists or artist teams (“Candidates”) to design permanent public artwork in the form of the east-facing parking deck screen wall. Candidates should have experience creating structural building components as public art elements, and will work closely with the Designers of Record and the Construction Manager At Risk (CMAR) to insure that the proposed art element properties are compatible with the overall structural design of the parking deck. The materials for the artwork screen (including miscellaneous structural frame) are assumed to be light weight with a maximum of 20 psf to be within the overall structural design allowance. Steel embed plates will be located at 8’-0” OC at each floor level for attachment points as needed by the artwork designer. Maximum loads used for design of the main structure and embed plate are service level shear=4 K, tension=4 K and moment=3 k-ft
Construction documents for the project are currently at 75 percent completion and we anticipate subcontractor construction bidding to occur in November 2020. A simple screen wall will be included as part of the bid package and replaced by the Public Art screen wall design, issued as a Change Order during construction, once its design is complete.
The screen design must comply with the requirements of the Durham Unified Development Ordinance and the existing Certificate of Appropriateness for the project. UDO parameters that affect this public art project are shown on the attached site plan and exterior elevation. The UDO can be viewed in its entirety at https://durham.municipal.codes/
The east-facing screen wall of the new parking deck has been identified as the location for this structural artwork. This installation will be highly visible to all pedestrians, passing traffic and visitors to downtown Durham who approach on Main Street from east of the Roxboro Road intersection. Durham County’s design award-winning new Main Library is sited behind this parking deck, and its design award-winning Durham County Human Services Building is located diagonally across Main Street from the site.
The East Main Street area has long been under-served, and this project is the beginning of a concerted effort to create a distinct neighborhood just east of the downtown core, and to connect Main Street from East to West through downtown. This area is being planned to incorporate mixed uses, incomes and modes of transportation, of which this parking garage is the first step.
Commissioned artwork should be respectful of the values and mission of Durham County and its Public Art Program. The work should be culturally responsive and make visible strides to engage with and connect to the public by activating and enhancing the facility’s grounds. Interested Candidates seek to create an inviting civic statement that welcomes visitors, County employees, residents, and passersby.
The 318 E. Main Street Parking Deck represents a significant capital project costing approximately $22,000,000. Designed by Little, the new 262,300 square foot state-of-the-art parking deck will replace existing surface parking lot and include street level retail. Affordable housing units will be constructed along the other three sides of the parking deck.
Eligibility
• Candidates must be professional artists or designers as stated in your resume
• Candidates must be age 18 or older and are eligible regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identification, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical ability.
• Candidates must eligible to work in the United States
Other Project Considerations
Maintenance and Durability: The selected artwork must be able to sustain, over time, natural weather conditions and require minimum maintenance.
Safety and Security: The selected artwork will be evaluated on the overall safety and security of the finished work. Objects that provide places to hide or places that are obscured from lines of sight to the public are discouraged.
Submission Requirements
Application materials must be received by September 29, 2020 at 5:00 pm EST via the submission portal on https//callforentry.com. Items required shall include the following:
1. Statement of Interest: Including Statement of Thematic Concept and Planned Medium: Narrative
Outlining interest and qualifications for this project, including experience in community engagement around public art. This should include a brief statement on your concept of for the artwork, including any particular theme or themes that it might include. If appropriate, include which medium (s) you plan to use in the artwork and description.
2. Work Samples: visual representations of past artwork that demonstrate qualifications for this project, including experience in community engagement around public art. In order to be considered for this project, candidates must upload a total of 10 images that represent no more than 5 previously completed projects. Slides, prints, or any physical submissions of artwork will not be accepted. Each sample should have an accompanying summary of the title, location, cost, materials/media, and timeline associated with that piece.
3. Project Personnel Resume: resumes for each artist/artist team member. If submitting as a team, compile all resumes into a single document.
4. References: each artist/artist team should provide three (3) current professional references or recommendation letters with contact information for each reference.
Tentative Project Timeline
• Issue date: September 1, 2020
• Submittal deadline: September 29, 2020
• Finalist selection: October 6, 2020
• Finalist interviews: October 13-14, 2020
• Artist selection: October 15, 2020
• Contract proposal from Artist: November 17, 2020
• Contract Issued: December 15, 2020
• Outreach Survey (online:) January 1, 2021 – February 1, 2021
• Concept design and development approval: July 19, 2021
• Board of County Commissioners presentation: August 2, 2021 WS /August 9, 2021 RS
• AHJ Design Approval: September 2021
• Parking Deck Construction Begins: March 2021
• Public Art Screen Wall Shop Drawing Approvals: March 2022
• Fabrication and installation: April-May 2022
• Project Completion: July 2022
Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria
Staff will preview application for completeness and may reject incomplete applications or non-responsive submissions.
An Artist Selection Committee (which may include staff from the Durham County Library system, Engineering Project Management, General Services, visual art/design professionals, and other community members) will review and evaluate Candidates’ applications based on criteria that may include but is not limited to the following:
• Quality and strength of past work as demonstrated in submitted application materials
• Experience, success, and/or interest in community engagement in the process of creating public artwork
• Statement of thematic concept and planned medium(s)
• Proven track record of using the materials and methods appropriate for this project
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects with similar budgets on time and on budget
Artist Selection Panel
The Artist Selection Panel will invite up to three (3) Finalists to interview remotely with Artist Selection Panel members. Reasonable compensation for travel and accommodations will be provided.
After the interviews, the Selection Panel will recommend a Finalist who will be invited to contract with the County for the commission of this work.
Scope of Services
The services which will be required from Finalists during the selection process but are not necessarily limited to:
• meeting with potential stakeholders
• interviewing with the Artist Selection Panel
• The County of Durham will commission the Finalist with the best qualifications (referred to as “Awardee”) to design, fabricate, and install the structural public art screen wall at the 318 E. Main Street Parking Deck. We anticipate the contract to start between November 2020 and January 2021, and terminate upon completion of construction, scheduled for July 2022.
• The services which will be required from the Awardee(s) during the contract include but are not necessarily limited to:
o Collaborating with the County on the design concept
o Leading an engagement process to raise awareness within the community and gather input on the resulting installation
o Coordinating with the Designer of Record and CMAR to insure that the proposed design is compatible with the parking deck structure
o Submitting final design concept and proposed budget
o Reviewing the shop drawing submittal
o Overseeing the installation of the selected artwork
o Devising a maintenance plan to ensure the proper conservation of the installation
Non-Contact Provision
Candidates and Finalists are prohibited from contacting any County official or employee during course of the application period, interview process, or other processes of this solicitation, except to submit questions via the designated project managers listed at the beginning of this RFQ. Any such contact shall be grounds for disqualification of any Candidate who may have initiated such contact.
Rights and Disclaimers
The County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. The County reserves the right (i) to negotiate changes of any nature with any Finalist or Awardee with respect to discrepancies between the designs selected for the contract and the art that will be commissioned by the County, and (ii) to enter into an agreement for some or all of the work with one or more Candidates who do not submit proposals. Although Candidates should make their best faith effort to comply with the requirements outlined in this call for artists, the County may, in its discretion, waive non-compliance. The evaluation criteria are intended to be used to make a recommendation
to the entity or person within the County authorized to award the contract. That entity or person is not bound to use these criteria or to award on the basis of the recommendation. The County reserves the right to change the criteria and to otherwise vary from this procedure as it determines to be in the County’s interest. Unless the artist indicates otherwise all materials submitted to qualify for this Opportunity will be discarded after the conclusion of this solicitation. Under the terms of the contract, the Awardee(s) will agree to allow the County to incorporate the design and installation it has commissioned into the County’s permanent art collection.
Proposers are required to make a good faith effort to include Minority and Women Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) as part of their management team. Describe the program (plan) that your company has developed to encourage participation by M/WBEs to meet or exceed the goals set by the County of Durham’s M/WBE Program Ordinance. Include a copy of that plan in your response. Provide documentation of M/WBE participation that you have achieved over the past two years on both public and private construction projects. Outline specific efforts that your Company takes to notify M/WBE firms of opportunities for participation. Indicate the M/WBE participation goal that you expect to achieve on this project.
Durham County hereby establishes the following goals for the expenditure of funds with MWBE firms. Questions concerning M/WBE should be directed to Rick Greene, Assistant Procurement Manager, at (919) 560-0059.
All questions and requests for clarifications relative to this RFQ should be submitted in writing via email to Hilda W. Williams purchasinggroup@dconc.gov by 3:00 P.M., on September 20, 2020.
All responses to questions will be submitted online via Call for Entry (located at https//callforentry.com)