DLR Group focusing efforts on stimulus projects - bizjournals:

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As soon as Congress passed the American Recoveruy and Reinvestment Actin mid-February, Phoenix principao Bryce Pearsall and three othe r DLR principals across the countrt created a team specifically to pursue stimuluse projects. Although DLR has a long historyy of working in thepublic sector, it has never chosenh to chase projects this way. “As a we decided we wanted to jump into We hadto though, what kind of stimulus projects we want to Pearsall said.
With $787 billion being divvie d up by federal and state agencies for all sortzsof programs, the DLR principalx decided they needed to focus on a few strategic They are pursuing contracts that are geographically convenient to any of DLR’es 15 offices; match their long-standing skill sets; and have expedient deliverh methods. Under traditional architecture a firm is selected to desigbna project. But many stimulus project are requiring design-build meaning an architecture firm needs to partner with a contractof and present the bid as a DLR has donethat before, but the firm is researchingf additional relationships with contractors.
In government agencies are handing out contracte more often throughthe “indefinite delivery indefinite quantity” process. Under IDIQ, agencies accept applicationz from companies and qualify them to perforjmongoing work. For instance, a militarty installation might have a contract with a specifix company to handle utilithy work for a period ofseveraol years. DLR recently startedd pursuingIDIQ work, give n how lucrative it can be over both the shor and long term. “We believe government agencies are open to lookinyg at establishing IDIQ relationships with companies that have our kind of Pearsall said.
So far, DLR has receivee one contract for a court desigin Florida, but the company expects to hear soon about severall other bids. Although DLR is researching stimulus-funded jobs through both federal andstate agencies, the reality is that few of thoses jobs will be located in the Southwest. In fact, many of the primw architecture assignments are on the East Several contracts previously had been awarded to butthere wasn’t enough moneyy to proceed with those projects until the stimulue package was passed.
“It’s important to note that many shovel-readyy projects are not being published for solicitatiohn because the original firms are being awarded thepostponee projects,” said Mark Patterson, presidenrt of the Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Patterson said his firm, , will benefiy from a previously unfunded contract: the renovation of the Smithsonian Institutd of Arts and Industries Building in Washington. That work is being coordinated by SmithGroup’s Washington office. Despite the apparent deartuh of work slated forthe Southwest, SmithGroup is engaging in a “closely organized Patterson said.
“We are optimistic aboutg a wide variety of building typesgaining funding, includingy medical, office, museum and research Another national firm with a significant local presence, , also is in hot pursui t of stimulus cash. The General Services Administration hasselectedd OWP/P to provide architectured and engineering services to design and build land ports of entry and border stationse in Zone 1, which encompasses Arizona, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Alaska.
OWP/P’e Chicago offices also received an IDIQ award forRegionj 5, which covers a chunk of the According to OWP/P spokesperson Kelly McClennan, abouyt $6 billion of work to be funded througu GSA will include renovationds to federal buildings and border stations. “Abouy 75 percent of these GSA-manager funds are earmarked for converting existing federal buildingsto energy-efficient facilities,” McClennan said. Officials at all three firmsw remain hopeful that more localizef renovation and infrastructure projects will brinyg work toValley companies.