Enhanced Use Lease at Ellsworth AFB, SD

This is not a notice of Solicitation Issuance. This is a request for information (RFI) for planning purposes only. With this RFI, the Department of the Air Force is requesting information from interested parties regarding a potential lease of Air Force real property located at Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB), South Dakota. The Air Force plans to use information received in response to this RFI in determining whether to issue a solicitation for the project and, if so, to develop the content for the solicitation. Background Information: The Air Force is authorized by statute to lease real and personal property that is not currently needed for public use but is not considered "excess" property available for sale or other permanent disposal. The Air Force refers to these leases as "Enhanced Use Leases" (EULs). The Air Force is required by law to receive rent for an EUL in an amount not less than the fair market value of the lease interest. In addition to, or in lieu of, cash rent, the Air Force may accept one or more of the following types of in-kind consideration: (i) the lessee's repair, alteration, or improvement of the leased property, if there is a direct benefit to the Air Force (the lessee generally will not be credited for any repair, alteration or improvement required for its business operations); (ii) the lessee's provision of other services to the Air Force relating to the lessee's activity on the leased property; and (iii) the lessee's provision of facilities or utility services at any Air Force-controlled property, including facility construction, alteration, repair, maintenance and environmental restoration. The term of an EUL will depend on several factors, including the amount of the lessee's financial investment in the project and the Air Force's need for flexibility to use the property for future mission-related purposes. Current Air Force EULs range from five to fifty years. Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, the Government will not enter into a lease-back arrangement or require Air Force contractors to lease space within an EUL project. The lessee will be required to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws applicable to similar development and operation on private land. The lessee will also be required to comply with additional Air Force rules governing activities on Air Force installations. For more information about the Air Force's EUL program, visit http://www.afcec.af.mil/eul/index.asp. Description of Project or Need: The Air Force is considering the merits of leasing a single facility within the fence at Ellsworth AFB. Building 4040 has 30,048 square feet (sf) of administrative space on the first floor and is fully furnished. The second floor is currently occupied by the Air Force Finance Center. Please see the attachments for maps, floor plans, pictures and general information on the facilities. Should the Air Force proceed with a solicitation and lease, the lessee will be responsible for verifying all existing conditions. Desired Response: Please include in your response answers to as many of the following questions as possible, together with any available supporting materials. 1. Would you occupy the space or sublease to other companies? 2. What is your intended use for the facility? 3. Would you intend to use the space as furnished? 4. Would you be interested in having runway access and hangar space? There is the possibility such additional space could be made available. Please contact POC for more information. 5. Do you foresee any issues associated with being located on Air Force land and complying with installation security requirements? Would the nature of your proposed use require a significant level of access by persons who are not your employees or contractors and would therefore be more difficult to clear through security (e.g., customers, clients, foreign nationals)? 6. How long a lease term would you need to make the project worthwhile? 7. What additional information from the Air Force would have been helpful to you in responding to this RFI? 8. What additional questions or concerns would you need answered/mitigated before deciding to submit a proposal to a solicitation? Attachments: Attachment A: Ellsworth AFB Building 4040 Description Attachment B: Ellsworth AFB Building 4040 Maps and Photos Attachment C: Ellsworth AFB Building 4040 1st Floor Floor Plan Handling and Processing: The Air Force will consider all submittals responsive to this RFI for purposes of deciding whether to issue a solicitation and to develop the content for the solicitation. The Air Force may hold all responses received for an extended period of time or may destroy them. In no case will the Air Force return any responses to the originator. Respondents must clearly and appropriately identify and mark all information desired or required to be handled as proprietary or as confidential business information. The Air Force will safeguard such information in accordance with the applicable federal regulations. The Air Force may submit information received in response to this RFI to non-government consultants employed by the Air Force to review and analyze the responses, and submitting proprietary or confidential information to the Air Force shall be deemed consent to release such information to such consultants. These consultants sign non-disclosure agreements with the Air Force. This RFI is issued for planning purposes and does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a solicitation will be issued or that a lease will be executed. No entitlement to payment by the government of direct or indirect costs or charges will arise as a result of the preparation or submission of information. The government shall not be liable for any direct or consequential damages for any improperly identified proprietary information. Except as may be authorized by law, the Air Force will use competition to pursue any EUL projects. General Due Date: Please feel free to reach out to the point of contact listed below at any time to obtain clarification on any and all questions and/or issues. Responses to this RFI are preferred via regular USPS mail to Joe Weathersby and should be received no later than October 18, 2013 5PM CDT. Please submit an additional copy via e-mail. Please include a point of contact, telephone number, and email address in your response. The Air Force reserves the right to review and consider any late submittals.