Subject:
Title
Ranking of firms and agreement with Exhibit Concepts, Inc. for the Weedon Island and Brooker Creek Educational Refurbishment Project.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the ranking of firms and agreement with Exhibit Concepts, Inc. (ECI) for the Weedon Island and Brooker Creek Educational Refurbishment Project.
• This contract is for the refurbishment of the Weedon Island and Brooker Creek Educational Centers.
• Award of the contract in the amount of $2,700,000.00 is recommended to ECI as the sole, responsive proposer.
• This project was previously advertised per the Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act resulting in no qualified responses. This project has a very specific scope that few firms are available to provide.
• Education Center Display Replacement at Nature Preserves Project is budgeted in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 of the FY25-FY30 Capital Improvement Program and funded by Local Infrastructure Sales Surtax (Penny for Pinellas).
• The FY25 project budget will be supplemented with an FY24 appropriation lapse of $2,103,000.00 that is scheduled for the Board and County Commissioner's carryforward approval on January 28th, 2025. If approved, the FY25 project budget will increase to $3,200,000.00.
Contract No.24-0958-RFP(AJM) in the amount of $2,700,000.00 from the Notice to Proceed date for six hundred ninety-three consecutive calendar days; Authorize the Chairman to sign and the Clerk of the Circuit Court to attest.
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Strategic Plan:
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources
5.4 Strive to exceed customer expectations
Summary:
Summary
This project will result in an immersive, interactive, and informational visitor experience that will be location based:
• The exhibits will engage a broad audience to the discoveries and unique ecology and cultural history of each Preserve.
• Realistic décor, scenery, and graphics will create the feeling of being inside different ecosystems.
• Visitors can familiarize themselves with the different plants and animals at the Preserves. Artifacts will showcase ancient Weedon Island culture and complement interpretation.
• Many low-tech, hands-on interactives will allow kids to engage easily scientific and historical content easily boards/committees that is relevant to this action.
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Background Information:
The exhibit redesign was initiated to update old exhibits, fix, and replace broken interactives and décor and improve interpretive clarity, readability, appeal to children, and ADA accessibility at Brooker Creek and Weedon Island. Some elements from the existing exhibits will be cleaned and reused, and signage will be replaced for both Centers. The visitor experience will be place-based, immersive, interactive, and informational. Each section will carry visitors through different aspects of each
Center. The exhibits will engage a broad audience to celebrate the discoveries and unique ecology and cultural history of each Preserve. Realistic décor, scenery, and graphics will create the feeling of being inside different ecosystems. It will help visitors become familiar with the different plants and animals at the Preserves. Artifacts will showcase ancient Weedon Island culture and complement interpretation. Many low-tech, hands-on interactives will allow kids to engage easily scientific and historical content easily.
A Request for Proposal was re-released by the Purchasing Division on July 23, 2024. Written evaluation commenced on August 30, 2024, with final negotiation of the agreement concluding on October 21, 2024. The item was held until a carryforward amendment was approved.
Fiscal Impact:
Estimated not to exceed: $2,700,000.00
Education Center Display Replacement at Nature Preserves, project 004174A, is budgeted in FY25 of the FY25-FY30 Capital Improvement Program and funded by Local Infrastructure Sales Surtax (Penny for Pinellas).
The FY25 project budget is 1,091,000.00. FY24 appropriation lapse of $2,103,000.00 will be presented to the BCC as a carryforward amendment on January 28th, 2025, as well. If approved, the FY25 project budget increases to $3,200,000.00.
Staff Member Responsible:
Paul Cozzie, Director, Parks and Conservation Resources
Merry Celeste, Purchasing Director, Administrative Services
Joe Lauro, Director, Administrative Services.
Partners:
N/A
Attachments:
Agreement
Evaluation Ranking