Request for Proposal: Design Competition for the Marine, Business, Research and Innovation Center (MBRIC) in Ceiba, Puerto Rico
Request for Proposal: Design Competition for the Marine, Business, Research and Innovation Center (MBRIC) in Ceiba, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s Local Redevelopment Authority for Roosevelt Roads (LRA) is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP #2022-004) through a Design Competition. The objective for this RFP is to obtain proposals from qualified architectural and engineering firms able to provide a full range of services – including studies, design, sustainability design, permits procurement and other services – for the development and construction of the Marine Business, Research and Innovation Center (MBRIC). Located in the eastern region of the island – specifically in the former Coast Guard Pier in Roosevelt Roads, Ceiba, municipality – the project will be developed in conjunction with Bluetide Puerto Rico, Inc., which collaborated with the LRA in the development of the program, as well as in establishing the needs and requirements necessary for the development of MBRIC. Bluetide will be responsible for overseeing the operation and maintenance of the facilities.
The development of MBRIC is funded through a $16 million grant issued to the LRA on June 26, 2021, by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA). Along with Bluetide, the LRA’s determination is to operate MBRIC as a HUB, bringing together marine-related businesses and scientific knowledge. Ultimately, the building will work as an education, training, and certification facility to foster marine-related technical skills, contributing to the 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The EEZ is an area of the sea in which the U.S. Caribbean has particular rights to explore, research, develop and use the ocean’s marine resources. Therefore, MBRIC has the potential to advance the EEZ of the U.S Caribbean and attract innovative marine-related industries, including energy production from water and wind.
Promoting the preservation and regeneration of the marine environment, the Design Competition is a good opportunity to set standards within the “Blue Economy” of the Caribbean, uniting a broad network that includes the academia, scientific community, marine-related businesses, policy-makers and the general public. At the same time, the project becomes an architectural reference of great impact, following LRA’s vision to transform Roosevelt Roads.
It is advisable, but not a requirement, for Respondents to this Design Competition to have prior experience working with EDA’s terms and conditions for construction projects, including (but not limited) to environmental and engineering requirements. It is also recommended to have experience working with projects funded by EDA or similar federal agency programs. Moreover, it is advisable, but also not a requirement, for Respondents to have prior experience working with Solid Waste Management Units (SWMU’s) sites under environmental remediation by the US Navy or a federal agency, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA). The selection process shall include a review of proposals by the LRA Evaluation Committee, the LRA Board of Directors Selection Committee, Bluetide, the University of Puerto Rico, and the Roosevelt Roads Community.
History of the former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads property (NSRR)
Formerly used for sugar cane cultivation and cattle grazing, NSRR was used as a military installation since its acquisition and development by the Navy in the 1940s, until its closure in 2004. The property is a unique, rare resource, having been isolated from normal development trends since the beginning of the last century and situated along the foothills of El Yunque National Rainforest. Thus, it represents an interesting mix of natural ecological areas (where approximately 3,340 acres are under the care of the Conservation Trust), physical infrastructure, a major airfield with an 11,000-foot long runway (under the care of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority), and waterfront development areas.
In accordance with Section 8132 of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Act No. 108-87), the Navy was directed to close NSRR pursuant to the procedures and authorities contained in the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, as amended (title XXIX of Public Law No. 101-510, 10 U.S.C. § 2687 note) (the “Base Closure Act”). The Navy closed NSRR on March 31, 2004, and all industrial and commercial operations on the former NSRR with a significant potential for environmental contamination were ceased.
The LRA and Navy executed that certain Economic Development Conveyance Memorandum of Agreement between the United States of America Acting by and through the Department of the Navy and the Local Redevelopment Authority for Naval Station Roosevelt Roads dated December 20, 2011; Amendment No. 1 dated December 11, 2012; and Amendment No. 2 dated September 1, 2015 (as amended, the “EDC Agreement”), to set forth the terms and conditions of the transfer of land at NSRR to the LRA.
Following the processes outlined in the Base Closure Act and its implementing regulations, as well as the terms and conditions set forth in the EDC Agreement, the LRA and Navy have carried out numerous deeds, bills of sale, and easements. They have also executed that certain Lease in Furtherance of Conveyance between the United States of America and Local Redevelopment Authority for Naval Station Roosevelt Roads at the Former Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, dated January 25, 2012, as amended on March 20, 2013 and May 6, 2013 (as amended, the “LIFOC”).
The LRA divided the NSRR Property into nine zones, including an airside industrial park, institutional clusters, a waterfront district, eco-tourism lodges and housing. These are further described in the 2014 Development Zones Master Plan, which complements the 2014 Special Plan published by the Puerto Rico Planning Board. Since the 2004 closure, the Navy has transferred land at NSRR to the LRA for economic development purposes, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority for airport purposes, the Commonwealth’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources for conservation purposes, and the Municipality of Ceiba for municipality purposes.
The project site
Overall, the project site encompasses 2.7 acres of ground surface and 2.9 acres of aerial space site within the Former Coast Guard Pier Facility, which consisted of a closed steel structure with an area of 5,795 square feet. On the other hand, the Former US Customs Building was a wood trailer-type structure with a total area of 2,080 square feet. Due to the location’s weather conditions, many of these buildings presented damages, whether it be degraded exteriors and interiors, mechanical equipment, electrical systems, windows and illumination, among others.
LRA’s goals for the project
The goal is to seek design proposals from qualified architecture or engineering firms to develop a conceptual design for a future contract, providing a full range of services ranging from studies and design, to permits procurement and services. The LRA’s expectations for the MBRIC are as follows:
- Meet the objectives of the Master Plan in terms of development for the Roosevelt Roads Community
- Meet the objectives of EDA for which the grant was awarded, to create a Project that promotes economic development for the community of Roosevelt Roads and Puerto Rico
- Integrate the community into the Project development process
- Transform the Project into a landmark for the Roosevelt Roads Community
Submission requirements
Language: All proposals must be submitted in the English language
Written proposal:
- Cover Letter
- Registration Form
- Lead contact name, address, team affiliation, phone number and contact email address
- Project and Concept Description (500 min. -2,000 max. word counting)
- Proposed Project Schedule
- Proposed Fee Schedule
- Firm Profile with a portfolio or completed project reference. The Firm Profile or portfolio must contain all the documents listed on General Requirements, Eligibility and Legal Requirements on the RFP Document
Graphic representation of proposed design:
- Concept Diagrams
- Site Plan
- Roof Plan
- Floor Plans
- 4 Elevations (North, South, East and West Elevation)
- 2 Sections
- 4 (min) Tridimensional Images or Perspectives Views (a view/perspective from Ensenada Honda Bay is strongly recommended)
Schedule:
- Registration Deadline: 09.15.2022
- Pre-Submittal Meeting and Site Visit: 09.29.2022
- Submission Deadline: 11.17.2022
- Evaluation Period: 11.21.2022 – 12.08.2022
- Award Announcement: 12.12.2022 – 12.16.2022
Registration Fee: $0
For more information and supporting documents, visit Roosevelt Road’s website.
Reservation of Rights: The Local Redevelopment Authority for Roosevelt Roads reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to cancel or suspend this RFP process or any or all phases, at any time for any reason, and to change or amend the business opportunities described in this RFP.
About the Local Redevelopment Authority for Roosevelt Roads
The Local Redevelopment Authority for Roosevelt Roads (LRA), is a public corporation created under Act No. 508-2004, as amended, known as “The Authority for the Redevelopment of Lands and Facilities of the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station Act “. It is, by definition, the government instrumentality established as the entity responsible for developing, directing, and implementing the reuse plan for a former military base. The entity is the only organization recognized by the U.S Department of Defense through its Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC). In 2013, the U.S Navy transferred the lands and facilities to the LRA for the promotion and redevelopment of the 3,400 acres of developable land at the former Roosevelt Roads Naval Base, located in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.
Mission and Vision
Comprised of 8,300 acres of high ecological, cultural and historical value, the LRA manages the 3,400 acres of developable land in Roosevelt Roads. The LRA seeks to drive – through investment and job creation – a robust economic development in the region to create a dynamic model of urban communities that generate lasting social benefits, as well as enhance Puerto Rico as a premier tourism, commercial, industrial and recreational destination.
The LRA is currently focusing its efforts on upgrading the necessary infrastructure to attract private investment to create a multi-use development in accordance with the Master Plan. Simultaneously, it continues to promote and develop specific projects that stimulate economic growth in Ceiba, Naguabo, and in the entire eastern region of Puerto Rico.