Design Build Services Forest Ridge Park Mountain Bike Trail

The City of Raleigh is seeking a qualified design-build team to deliver a 7.5-mile expansion of natural surface mountain bike trails at Forest Ridge Park under a qualifications-based selection process governed by North Carolina’s Mini-Brooks Act. The solicitation, identified as 274-PR-2026FRPMBT-DB, issued on August 6, 2026, with a deadline of September 11, 2026, requires proposers to demonstrate team experience, corporate background, project understanding, familiarity with the local area, and overall submittal quality through a scoring system that awards up to three points per evaluation factor, with no consideration of price in the selection decision. The contract will be structured in two phases: Phase 1 encompasses design, permitting, and environmental assessments, culminating in final design and budget reconciliation, while Phase 2 involves construction using primarily bench cut methods with some lift and tilt or turnpike techniques in flatter areas, all in alignment with IMBA guidelines and other trail development standards referenced in the 2023 Forest Ridge Bike Trails Extension Design Report. Performance standards are defined by the DBIA 535 Standard Form of General Conditions, modified to reflect North Carolina statutes including GS 143-128(f1), which mandates mediation for disputes exceeding $15,000, and N.C.G.S. 143-134.1(b2), which applies retainage provisions specifically to early-finishing subcontractors such as those handling structural steel, piling, or demolition. The Design-Builder must adhere to an approved QAQC Plan, develop an Acceptance Testing Plan in coordination with the City, and complete all work by a schedule defined after contract award, with substantial completion required by a specified date and final completion no later than 30 days thereafter. The proposer must submit a comprehensive package including a cover letter on official letterhead, corporate background details with three past project references, financial statements, and a separately sealed hourly rate schedule for all proposed personnel, alongside electronic and hard-copy submissions in PDF format on a flash drive. The City will negotiate contracts exclusively with the highest-ranked proposer, moving sequentially to the next if negotiations fail. All contractual commitments are governed by specific insurance requirements including $1 million each for workers’ compensation employer liability limits, $1 million combined single limit for automobile liability, and $2 million in general liability coverage for both aggregate and completed operations, along with mandatory performance and