Airport Selection Committee Narrows Architectural & Engineering Firms to Three
For Immediate Release
March 3, 2016
For more information, contact:
Robert Callahan, 233-6473, extension 113
The Lafayette Airport Commission has accepted their Architectural and Engineering (A/E) Selection Committee’s recommendation for the final three A/E firms that are seeking work on airport projects. Eight qualified firms responded to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to aid in the completion of airport construction projects over the next three to five years. The centerpiece of the work is the New LFT Terminal project.
The final selection of an A/E firm completes the first stage of a three-part process to be followed by the selection of a project management and construction management (PMCM) firm to oversee the terminal project and the selection of a construction firm. The selection committee has reviewed the responses to the PMCM RFQ and this week completed interviewing the four firms seeking selection. The selection committee will make its recommendation of the top three to the full airport commission.
“We were pleased to receive so many responses to our RFQ,” says Lafayette Airport Commission Chairman Paul Guilbeau. “Any of the eight firms could have done a great job. But only one can be selected to be our A/E firm and these three firms were the best of the best.”
The three finalist firms are: HNTB of Baton Rouge; RS & H of Houston, Texas; and Gensler of Baton Rouge. The three firms will make presentations to the full airport commission between March 21 and March 24. Once that is completed, the full commission will score the firms, make their final selection and begin contract negotiations.
Guilbeau says “The Selection Committee worked hard in the review process, the Committee members spent between 14 and 16 hours reviewing the responses and an additional two and a half hours interviewing each firm before scoring each.”
The selection committee, consists of Guilbeau, Airport Commissioner Paul Segura, airport Executive Director Steven Picou, transportation consultant Dr. Kam Movassaghi, and airport Environmental Quality Officer Ashley Simon.
The A/E will provide general professional A/E consulting services for the new terminal and supporting infrastructure projects, and additional support services. The A/E services are for a three-year term, with two possible one-year extensions. The projects will be evaluated annually based upon developments and new information, and funding availability. Projects may be added and deleted throughout the term of the contract.
Guilbeau says an important aspect in the selection process is the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal for the selected firms that offers opportunities for minority-owned or woman-owned businesses. To participate, small businesses must become DBE certified, a process through the state for which applications are also facilitated by the Small Business Development Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Interested small businesses that meet DBE qualifications are encouraged to become certified.
“Meeting the DBE requirement is the responsibility of the general consultant awarded the contracts to provide airport design work, facility development, infrastructure construction and maintenance during the term of the contract,” says Guilbeau, who stresses that the airport will not have a role in the selection of individual subcontractors proposed, including those certified as a DBE. “That does not mean this is not important to our commission. In fact, the opposite is true. Seeing the DBE goal met is very important to the Lafayette Airport Commission. Our DBE goal is not only for work done with federal funds – it is a goal for all of our current and new terminal work, regardless of the funding source.”