JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars are seeking bids from companies who want to work on the proposed “Stadium of the Future,” according to News4JAX news partner the Jacksonville Daily Record.
The bids for surveying, architect of record, preconstruction, and project management and consulting will be sealed. The bids are one of the first steps toward beginning construction on the $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion stadium project, which will also have a $550 million to $668 million mixed-use neighborhood around it.
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The first prebid conference -- or surveying for potential companies -- is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday at EverBank Stadium, the Record reported.
The deadlines for the bids are Nov. 27 for surveying and subsurface utility engineering and Dec. 2 for the architect, preconstruction and project management bids.
News4JAX asked the president of a local engineering and construction firm, about the bidding process, and what it will take to win this project, that every major company in the country may want in its portfolio.
Sheldon Gibbs who is the president of the Gibbs Group, said it may be difficult for out-of-town contractors or startup businesses to win a bid for the stadium renovation because of the scope of the local job.
“You’re going to have to have some interconnectivity with the FDOT, The Jacksonville Transportation Authority. And you’re just not going to be able to reasonably expect for someone that’s either smaller and doesn’t know that or larger and out of town just doesn’t have that, that background information to be able to provide a more comprehensive type of approach,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs points out that it’s not always the company with the lowest price tag that wins a construction bid but instead the company considered to be what’s called the lowest responsible bidder, who takes everything into account.
“So that’s where it started checking into things like your insurance, if you’ve got, you know, any type of requirements for your labor force, if there’s some requirement that you’re going to demonstrate how you’re going to train, hire and train so much labor, if there’s a minority component to it. If there are, whatever type of requirements, you’re bonding capacity, and if any of those things do not check out, then you’re not the lowest responsible bidder,” he said.
Gibbs said in his opinion it’s possible that one company can win all of the bids for the stadium construction, but he said that decision would also depend on the comfort level of the mayor and city council members of having one company accountable. The first pre-bid conference and surveying opportunity for potential companies is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday at Everbank Field.
If approved, stadium renovations are set to begin in 2025. The current proposal would split the $1.2 billion price tag costs 50-50 between the Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville.
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Mayor Donna Deegan has said the city and team have met twice on the development, and they hope to meet again before Thanksgiving.
Mike Lopez is the contact for the bids -- 704-975-3812 or by email at mlopez@impactdm.com.
For the full story, go to JaxDailyRecord.com.