Construct Arabian Leopard Exhibit at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Amendment 0002 to the RFQ is hereby issued and attached for download. The purpose of the amendment is to make the following change to the Solicitation: Response to RFI Question #5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amendment 0001 to the RFQ is hereby issued and attached for download. The purpose of the amendment is to make the following changes to the Solicitation: Responses to RFI’s for Questions 1-4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Smithsonian Institution is issuing this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to identify qualified firms for the Phase 2 construction of the Arabian Leopard Facility (Project #2533105) at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, located at 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008. The proposed contract listed here is UNRESTRICTED. All responsible sources are encouraged to submit a proposal, which will be considered by the Smithsonian. This procurement will be conducted as a two-step solicitation process. This RFQ constitutes Step One and is intended to identify qualified firms for participation in Step Two of the procurement for Phase 2 construction of the Arabian Leopard Facility, which consists of the Habitat areas and Animal Care Building. Phase 1 – Early Site was solicited previously from IDIQ Contractors and that award is in process. See Phase 1 – Early Site Drawings and Specifications attached hereto as Appendices 1 and 2 for Phase 1 scope of work, which is provided for reference only. At the conclusion of Phase 1, offerors will be expected to coordinate and take over responsibility for site logistics and overlapping scope such as, but not limited to, the laydown area and erosion and sediment control (E&S) measures. Background and Project Description The Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park (NZP) in Washington DC is one of the most visited zoos in the world, attracting millions of visitors annually. The National Zoo was founded by an act of Congress in 1889 and opened in 1891. The campus is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Arabian Leopard Facility (ALF) will be located southeast of the Connecticut Avenue entrance to the National Zoo. It replaces the former Bison Habitat and the existing Zoo in Your Backyard, which is situated along the historic Olmsted Walk, across from the Africa Trail Exhibit (currently under renovation), just north of the Elephant House, and abuts the Panda Habitat. The Smithsonian’s NZCBI has entered a partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in Saudi Arabia to advance Arabian Leopard conservation efforts. The proposed new Arabian Leopard Facility will provide year-round public viewing of adult and cub leopards that will support education around conservation of this unique species. The Facility has three main components: 1) Site; 2) Habitats (East, West and Off View), and 3) Animal Care Building. The Facility has been designed with the flexibility to accommodate future species such as the Amur Leopard or Jaguars. All three Habitat areas have been designed with the influence of the arid, rocky mountains of the Arabian Peninsula while taking into consideration the historic environment of the National Zoological Park Historic District and Olmsted Walk. This project features two 30-foot high, outdoor, mesh enclosed areas that make up the East and West Habitats. These two Habitats will be open to the public with multiple viewing areas. The rock work and trees within provide opportunities for the cats to display their natural climbing behaviors. The West Habitat area is connected to the Animal Care Building by an overhead animal walkway under which the visitor can walk. Visitors can experience the leopards from a variety of vantage points including from an underground tunnel that traverses a section of the West Habitat. A smaller, Off View Habitat, which is not open to the public, will be used during quarantine, training or cubbing activities. The Animal Care Building consists of three leopard dens; one cubbing den; one quarantine stall; a day room for visitor viewing of animals all year round; research and staff areas, and; building support areas. The intent of this facility is to create a program like that of the NZCBI Panda program, with the goal of breeding the Arabian Leopards and sharing the story of their conservation and rewilding with Zoo visitors through an immersive habitat experience. Critical Elements of the Work : The successful Contractor shall be experienced  and fully qualified with critical elements of the project, as listed, but not limited to, the items below: Working within an occupied, historic campus active with public, staff and animals Coordination of specialty trades within a small site footprint Coordination and installation of specialty animal doors, transfer systems and manually operated remote do