Pennsylvania Re-Issues $180 Million RFP
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of General Services re-issued the RFP for the new 2,000-bed state prison in Benner after suspending of the original process in 2009 when bids came in tens of millions in excess of the $200 million project budget.
The planned 2,000-bed medium-security State Correctional Institution Benner will be sited adjacent to the existing Rockview state prison in Centre County. The Benner development, which will be designed to achieve LEED certification, will include administrative and support buildings and a transportation hub located outside the secure perimeter.
Officials altered the original specifications in a number of areas when re-issuing the RFP in an effort to streamline the project, improve building performance and increase operational efficiency. In light of the previous bids, the maximum contract award has been revised downward and fixed at $181.5 million.
Officials amended the controversial Project Labor Agreement stipulation to permit bids that do not include a PLA certification.
The DGC worked with the Department of Corrections to change the layout of the facility so as to reduce the area within the secure perimeter and altered the size of the transportation hub. The specification for facility roofing was altered from built-up construction to a TPO system, while the design of one housing unit was revised to reduce building square footage.
The project team eliminated the central heating plant with inmate housing utilizing rooftop gas-fired units. The central cooling plant will be a pre-engineered building.
The revised RFP included several changes to the scope and specifications for electrical and telecommunication systems. Laundry facilities were bumped to a separate RFP.