Friday, November 8, 2024

Here’s what nearly $3 million is getting Wilmington (and its design firm) for Riverfront Park

Credit: City of Wilmington

WILMINGTON — The City of Wilmington approved a contract Tuesday evening to award the nearly $3 million project to Hargreaves Jones Landscape Architecture, a company with offices in California, New York and Massachusetts, to design the park.

The total cost for the design work is not to exceed $2,892,430.  According to the contract, selection was made based upon qualifications and experience, overall quality of detail of submitted, time required to implement all aspects of the scope of services, demonstration of prior success with similar projects, capacity to perform the workload, and M/WBE outreach experience.

A breakdown of service fees include personnel rates which list Hargreaves at $450 per hour, Jones $425 per hour, McMillian $375 per hour, “principal” $200-$300 per hour, “associate” $100-$200 per hour, and “staff” $50-$150 per hour.

The City of Wilmington is also agreeing to pay “reimbursable costs.” These are costs to Hargreaves Jones Landscape Architecture that will be reimbursed at cost, plus 10 percent more. These costs are not included in the fee for professional services.

Reimbursable costs

According to the contract, these are reimbursable costs for the city:

  • Cost of copies of drawings, specifications, reports and cost estimates; xerography and
    photographic reproduction of drawings and other documents furnished or prepared in
    connection with the contract.
  • Costs of commercial carrier and public transportation, lodging, car rental and parking,
    subsistence and out-of-pocket expenses. Private automobile travel at current government per-mile rate.
  • Cost of postage and shipping expenses, other than first class mail.
  • Long distance telephone and fax charges.
  • Photographic services and film processing.
  • Cost of professional models, special renderings, promotional photography, special process printing, special equipment, special printed reports or publications, maps and documents approved in advance by the city.

Scope of services

Per the contract:  “Hargreaves Jones shall provide professional services on the Project … the extent of which includes a 6.63-acre park with integrated performance venue consistent with the North Waterfront Park Development Master Plan.”

The contract calls for seven distinct phases, some of which include trips to the city and running public forums. The phases include: pre-design, concept design, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, 100 percent CD/subcontractor bid support, and construction observation.

Below are the required steps for each phase:

Phase one

  • Analyze the North Waterfront Master Plan
  • Analyze the property’s Brownfields Agreement
  • Analyze “opportunities and constraints”
  • Public outreach and communications plan
  • Project design and implementation schedule
  • Site survey
  • Trip 1: Project kick-off. This includes a site visit and kick-off meetings

Phase two

  • Three alternative concepts 
  • A preferred North Waterfront Park vision
  • Benchmark opinion of probable cost and feasibility
  • A permitting and regulatory approvals plan
  • Trip 2: Concept Alternatives presented at a public meeting

Phase three

  • A 30 percent drawings package
  • Table of contents specifications (sampled portions of project documents)
  • Preliminary opinion of probable cost and feasibility
  • Trip 3: North Waterfront Vision presented at a public meeting.
  • Trip 4: North Waterfront 30 percent city review

Phase four

  • A 60 percent drawings package
  • Table of contents specifications (sampled portions of project documents)
  • Refined opinion of probable cost and feasibility
  • Regulatory agency coordination
  • Trip 5: North Waterfront 60 percent city review
Phase five
  • 90 percent contract drawings package
  • 90 percent specifications
  • Final opinion of probable cost and feasibility
  • Regulatory agency coordination
  • Trip 6: North Waterfront progress presented at a public meeting
  • Trip 7: North Waterfront 90 percent city review
Phase six
  • Review design analysis and give cost estimate
  • Develop alternates (consistent with design and budget)
  • 100 percent,  bid-ready construction contract drawings
  • 100 percent bid-ready construction specifications
  • Respond to Bidder questions and requests for information
  • Addenda as necessary
  • Evaluate substitution requests
  • Review bids
  • Regulatory agency coordination
  • Trip 8: Pre‐bid conference
  • Trip 9: Pre‐construction meeting

Phase seven

  • Review and respond to requests for information and submitted bills, documents, etc. from contractors
  • Site visits to observe construction progress
  • Field reports
  • Oversee change orders (with city approval)
  • Trips 10‐21: Construction observation (One trip per month)

The proposed schedule of events has phase seven, construction, beginning in August 2018 and running into summer 2019.

Supporting Documents North Waterfront Park by Michael James on Scribd


Michael Praats can be contacted via email at Michael.p@localvoicemedia.com

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