2025 5 12 Work Session Packet 1

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Agenda Item  
III B. Selection of an Architect to Design Fire Station #3  
 
Overview 
The City Council authorized the City Manager to begin planning for the design and future 
construction of an additional fire station on Elizabeth Street during the January 21, 2025 regular 
session. Based on that directive, a Request for Qualifications (RFQ  25-06) was prepared during 
February and distributed on March 6, 2025. On the submittal deadline date of April 3, 2025, 12 
responses were received.  
 
An evaluation committee of 11 city employees was formed to evaluate all 12 responses. That 
committee consisted of the C ity Manager, Fire Chief, P roject Manager, Building O fficial, six 
Firefighters, and the Purchasing Assistant. After evaluating all 12 responses, four were selected to 
continue in the evaluation process with personal interviews to discuss their qualifications further 
and answer questions and concerns. Those four architectural firms were Wold Architects & 
Engineers (Brentwood, TN), MBI (Knoxville, TN), Tinker Ma ( Chattanooga, TN) , and 
Renaissance Group (Lakeland, TN). On April 23, 2025, the evaluation committee met  with each 
of the four firm s in personal interviews. After the personal interviews  were concluded , the 
evaluation committee selected Wold to design the city’s new Fire Station #3.  
 
Wold prepared a standard AIA contract for the council to consider (attached). That contract consists 
of two phases. Phase I consists of programming, concept planning, cost estimating, and exterior 
façade rendering for a flat fee of $45,000 and a two-month duration. After the completion and City 
Council acceptance of Phase I, Phase II will begin and consist of the completion of the design, 
preparing construction documents, assisting with bidding, and providing construction 
administration for a fee of 6.5% of the final construction cost  and a ten-month duration. As an 
example, if the new fire station is 10,000 square feet  x $700 a square foot  to build including site 
development cost, the total construction cost would be $7,000,000 and the architect fees would be 
6.5% of that or $455,000. This cost does not include furniture/fixtures, generator, permit fees, 10% 
contingency, or annual operational cost. If approved, this construction project would be funded by 
the Capital Improvement Fund over two fiscal years.  
 
Attached is a memo from the Purchasing Assistant . A representative from Wold will attend the 
May 12, 2025 work session to answer any questions or concerns.  
 
Action to Consider 
Consensus is needed to move this item to the May 20, 2025 regular session for consideration.  
 
Affected Departments 
Fire Department  
 
 
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