MURIEL BOWSER
MAYOR
November 1, 2021
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Reference: Design-Build Services for Takoma Aquatic Center HVAC & Roof Upgrades
Contract Number: DCAM-20-CS-RFP-0004
Contractor: GCS, Inc.
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
Pursuant to Section 451 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (D.C. Official Code 1-204.51) and
the Procurement Practices Reform Act (D.C. Official Code 2-351.01 et seq.), enclosed for consideration
and approval by the Council of the District of Columbia is the proposed Contract No. DCAM-20-CS-RFP-
0004 (the Contract) for design-build services for the renovation of the existing Takoma Aquatic Center,
between the Department of General Services (DGS or the Department) and GCS, Inc. (the
Contractor).
If approved, the proposed Contract will authorize the Contractor to provide design-build services
for the renovation of the existing Takoma Aquatic Center, located at 300 Van Buren Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20012 (Project).
The Contractor is required to provide all management, personnel, design-build services, hazardous
materials abatement, supervision, labor, materials, equipment and other services necessary to
substantially complete the Project. The Project must achieve substantial completion by February
2, 2022.
On December 21, 2020, the Department issued a Letter Contract in the amount of $950,000.00. The
proposed Contract establishes Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) in the amount of $4,897,916.95. As
the proposed amount of the Contract exceeds $1 million, Council approval is required for this action.
In addition to the proposed Contract, attached is (i) a contract summary; (ii) a fiscal certification; (iii) legal
sufficiency reviews and/or certifications; and (iv) a Citywide Clean Hands certificate for the Contractor.
If you have any questions regarding this proposed action, please feel free to contact Keith A. Anderson, the
Departments Director, or George G. Lewis, the Departments Chief of Contracts and Procurement, at (202)
727-2800.
Sincerely,
Muriel Bowser
 GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES
________________________________________________________________________________
Pursuant to section 202(c-1) of the Procurement Practices Reform Act of 2010, as amended, D.C.
Official Code 2-352.02(c), the following contract summary is provided:
COUNCIL CONTRACT SUMMARY
(Letter Contract)
Letter Contract and Proposed Contract for Design-Build Services for Takoma Aquatic Center
HVAC & Roof Upgrades
(A) Contract Number: DCAM-20-CS-RFP-0004 (the Contract)
Proposed Contractor: GCS, Inc. (the Contractor)
Aggregate Amount of Letter
Contract and Proposed Contract: $4,897,916.95
Total Proposed Contract Amount: $4,897,916.95
Unit and Method of Compensation: Progress payments on a monthly basis
Term of Contract: December 21, 2020 (the date of execution of the
Letter Contract by the Department) through August
27, 2022 (with a substantial completion date of
February 2, 2022).
Note: Council approval is requested on or before to
November 22, 2021 in order to timely complete the
Project.
Type of Contract: Cost Plus Fixed Fee with a Guaranteed Maximum
Price (GMP)
Source Selection Method: Competitive Request for Proposals
(B) For a contract containing option periods, the contract amount for the base period and for
each option period. If the contract amount for one or more of the option periods differs from
the amount for the base period, provide an explanation of the reason for the difference:
Not applicable.
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(C) The date on which the letter contract or emergency contract was executed:
A Letter Contract with the Contractor was executed by the Department of General Services (the
Department) on December 21, 2020 (the Letter Contract).
(D) The number of times the letter contract or emergency contract has been extended:
The Letter Contract was extended two times. Modification No. 1 to the Letter Contract, executed
on June 30, 2021, extended the term of the Letter Contract from June 30, 2021 to October 31,
2021. Modification No. 2 to the Letter Contract, executed on October 12, 2021, extended the term
of the Letter Contract from October 31, 2021 to the earlier of November 30, 2021 or the effective
date of the proposed definitive contract. Upon Councils approval and the Departments execution
of the definitive contract, the Letter Contract shall merge with and be superseded by the Contract.
(E) The value of the goods and services provided to date under the letter contract or emergency
contract, including under each extension of the letter contract or emergency contract:
The total value of the services provided to date under the Letter Contract is $950,000.00, which
represents the initial not-to-exceed (NTE) amount established by the Letter Contract.
(F) The goods or services to be provided, the methods of delivering goods or services, and any
significant program changes reflected in the proposed contract:
If approved, the Contract will authorize the Contractor to provide design-build services for the
renovation of the existing Takoma Aquatic Center roof, heating, ventilating and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems, as well as mechanical upgrades for both the building and the indoor pool,
which is located at 300 Van Buren Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012 (the Project). Takoma
Aquatic Center contains a masonry and steel-framed building that was constructed in 2004. The
aquatic center is a one-story building plus a clerestory for an overall floor to ceiling height (at
center) of 22 feet. The approximately 76,000 square foot building contains a 50-meter x 25-meter
indoor pool on the main floor, with an observation deck on the mezzanine above. The building
also contains mechanical and pump rooms, locker rooms, weight and exercise rooms and various
staff rooms, classrooms and storage. Mechanical systems and pumps are on multiple levels. It is
also important to note that the aquatic center is mechanically connected to the Takoma Recreation
Center via water supply and return piping. In general, the Contractor has developed a GMP and
will be required to provide a full range of services, through construction and close-out.
(G) The selection process, including the number of offerors, the evaluation criteria, and the
evaluation results, including price, technical or quality, and past performance components:
On February 14, 2020, the Department issued the RFP to engage a Design-Builder (Design-
Builder) to design and renovate the existing Takoma Aquatic Center, located at 300 Van Buren
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012 (the Project). Three (3) addenda were issued.
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Addendum No. 1- Issued on February 27, 2020:
-Extended the pre-proposal conference and site visit to March 2, 2020; and
-Revised Section 5.7 of the RFP (Explanations to Prospective Offerors).
Addendum No. 2- Issued on March 23, 2020:
-Provided the pre-proposal conference sign-in sheet;
-Provided the questions and answers spreadsheet;
-Provided the updated Attachment B1 of the RFP (Takoma Facility Architectural Drawings);
-Provided the Attachment M of the RFP (Form of Contract);
-Provided Attachment N of the RFP (Notice to Proceed and Letter Contract); and
-Revised Section 1.5 of the RFP (Milestones and Substantial Completion Date).
Addendum No. 3 Issued on March 26, 2020:
-Revised Section 5.2 of the RFP (Delivery or Mailing of Proposals).
Technical Evaluation:
The proposals were evaluated by a Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP or Panel) in accordance
with the criteria set forth in the RFP. Each proposal was independently evaluated utilizing a point
scale, certain points of which were for the technical evaluation component as follows: (i) builders
past performance relevant experience and capabilities; (ii) builders key personnel; (iii) architects
past performance experience and capabilities; (iv) architects key personnel; and (v) project
management plan and schedule as discussed more fully below.
The Panel virtually met on July 30, 2020 to develop a consensus technical score. Prior to convening
for the evaluation meeting, each of the Panel members individually completed an evaluation of the
proposals. In doing so, each Panel member rated each Offeror with respect to specific subfactors
in the five categories. In developing the consensus score, the Panel discussed the details of each of
the proposals in light of the evaluation factors. Following the Panels discussions and consensus
ratings of the Offerors, the ratings were converted to numbers.
Pricing Evaluation:
As outlined in the RFP, in addition to the technical scoring, certain points were available for price.
The RFP required Offerors to submit pricing in the form of: (i) Preconstruction Fee; (ii) Design
Fee; (iii) Design-Build Fee; and (iv) General Conditions Budget. Offerors were assigned price
points on a sliding scale, with the lowest proposed price receiving all of the available points and
the remaining proposals receiving a portion of the available points relative to their position in the
range established by the highest-price Offeror.
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 Certified Business Enterprise Preference Points:
In addition to the price and technical scoring, a certain number of points were available for each
Offeror based on its status as a Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) as determined by the
Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). The Contractor was so
certified and received points accordingly.
Contracting Officers Independent Evaluation:
After thorough review of TEP consensus report, the consensus notes and in absence of the original
award memo, the current contracting officer believes that the original award to the Contractor was
made in good faith and clear judgement based upon criteria presented in the RFP. In addition, the
Contracting Officer also found the proposed pricing to be fair and reasonable. The Contractor was
the highest scoring Offeror; thus, the Contracting Officer awarded the Contract to the Contractor.
Contract Award:
On October 1, 2020, the Department awarded Contract No. DCAM-20-CS-RFP-0004 to the
Contractor, as such award was determined to be the most advantageous to the District.
(H) A description of any bid protest related to the award of the contract, including whether the
protest was resolved through litigation, withdrawal of the protest by the protestor, or
voluntary corrective action by the District. Include the identity of the protestor, the grounds
alleged in the protest, and any deficiencies identified by the District as a result of the protest:
The award of the Contract was not protested.
(I) The background and qualifications of the proposed contractor, including its organization,
financial stability, personnel, and performance on past or current government or private
sector contracts with requirements similar to those of the proposed contract:
GCS, Inc. is a CBE and long-time resident-owned business with decades of general contracting
and design-build experience in the District of Columbia. The firm has a tremendous portfolio of
relevant design-build services experience within the past decade including several projects
performed within Washington, DC. The Contractors team brings together highly qualified
construction professionals with complementary strengths to successfully deliver the Takoma
Aquatic Center upgrades.
The Contractor and its team are fully knowledgeable of the critical need to perform with a high
degree of quality and deliver this project on-schedule, while maintaining operations for the
surrounding facilities and minimizing disruptions to the surrounding neighborhood.
The Contractor currently provides construction services for Arboretum Community Center,
Takoma Aquatic Center, and the Department of Corrections (DOC) Emergency Power Systems
Upgrades in the District. The Contractor has been determined responsible in accordance with 27
DCMR 4706.1.
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(J) A summary of the subcontracting plan required under section 2346 of the Small, Local, and
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Development and Assistance Act of 2005, as amended,
D.C. Official Code 2-218.01 et seq. (Act), including a certification that the subcontracting
plan meets the minimum requirements of the Act and the dollar volume of the portion of the
contract to be subcontracted, expressed both in total dollars and as a percentage of the total
contract amount:
Pursuant to D.C. Code 2-218.46 (d-1), the Contractor shall submit a detailed subcontracting plan
to DSLBD that meets the requirements of D.C. Code 2-218.46(d), before entering into a
guaranteed maximum price.
The Contractor is a certified business enterprise in accordance with the Act (CBE Number:
LZXR70910012022). Pursuant to D.C. Code 2-218.46 (d-1), the Contractor submitted a detailed
subcontracting plan as part of this contract action to meet the requirements of D.C. Code 2-
218.46(d).
The Contractors subcontracting plan meets the minimum requirements of the Act as follows:
Contract Dollar Value $4,897,916.95
Subcontracting Requirement % 50%
50% of Total Dollar Amount: $2,448,958.48
Total Amount of All SBE/CBE subcontracts $2,575,000.00
(K) Performance standards and the expected outcome of the proposed contract:
In general, the Contractor will be required to fully design, modify, construct and renovate the
existing Takoma Aquatic Center for an amount that does not exceed the agreed upon GMP. The
design, modification, construction and renovation will include but not be limited to the Takoma
Aquatic Center building, roof replacement, HVAC replacement, mechanical upgrades, and related
work. Improvements shall comply with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Contractor will engage in extensive preconstruction efforts to ensure that the design is
developed in a manner consistent with the Departments goals for the Project (e.g., programmatic,
budgetary, schedule and quality); to solicit competitive trade bids for the construction work and to
develop an acceptable guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and corresponding scope and schedule
for the work; and to implement the requisite construction and other work necessary no later than
February 2, 2022.
The Contractor must perform the requirements contained in the Contract and meet or exceed the
performance standards therein. The Contractor is subject to liquidated damages of: (i) $1,000 per
deliverable per day for failure to timely submit the Projects deliverables; and (ii) $500 per day of
delay for failure to timely achieve substantial completion of the Project. The Contract also provides
a disincentive of $25,000 for replacement of key personnel without the Departments prior
approval. The Department may also withhold payments to the Contractor based on defects in any
application for payment or performance on the Project. The Contractors performance will be
monitored by DGS staff and DGS designated Program Manager.
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(L) The amount and date of any expenditure of funds by the District pursuant to the contract
prior to its submission to the Council for approval:
The Letter Contract executed by the Department on December 21, 2020, provides for an initial
NTE amount of $950,000, representing the total expenditure of funds authorized to date.
(M) A certification that the proposed contract is within the appropriated budget authority for
the agency for the fiscal year and is consistent with the financial plan and budget adopted
in accordance with D.C. Official Code 47-392.01 and 47-392.02:
The Office of the Chief Financial Officer has certified that the proposed Contracts initial NTE
amount is consistent the Departments budget and that adequate funds are available in the
Departments budget in accordance with D.C. Official Code 47-392.01 and 47-392.02. The
applicable Fiscal Sufficiency certification accompanies this Council Package.
(N) A certification that the contract is legally sufficient, including whether the proposed
contractor has any pending legal claims against the District:
The proposed Contract has been deemed legally sufficient by the Departments Office of the
General Counsel and the Contractor does not appear to have any current pending legal claims
against the District.
(O) A certification that Citywide Clean Hands database indicates that the proposed contractor
is current with its District taxes. If the Citywide Clean Hands Database indicates that the
proposed contractor is not current with its District taxes, either: (1) a certification that the
contractor has worked out and is current with a payment schedule approved by the District;
or (2) a certification that the contractor will be current with its District taxes after the District
recovers any outstanding debt as provided under D.C. Official Code 2-353.01(b):
The Citywide Clean Hands database indicates that the Contractor is in compliance with the
Government of the District of Columbia tax laws and regulations. The applicable Clean Hands
certification for the Contractor accompanies this Council Package.
(P) A certification from the proposed contractor that it is current with its federal taxes, or has
worked out and is current with a payment schedule approved by the federal government:
The Contractor has certified that it is current with its federal taxes.
(Q) The status of the proposed contractor as a certified local, small, or disadvantaged business
enterprise as defined in the Small, Local, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
Development and Assistance Act of 2005, as amended; D.C. Official Code 2-218.01 et seq.:
According to the DSLBDs website, the Contractor is a certified Local Business Enterprise. The
Contractors CBE Number is LZXR70910012022 with an expiration date of January 28, 2022.
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(R) Other aspects of the proposed contract that the Chief Procurement Officer considers
significant:
None.
(S) A statement indicating