Swimming Stone Brick Paver Replacement

The City of Aurora is soliciting bids for the replacement of 1,000 square feet of brick pavers at the Swimming Stones water feature located at 1 W Benton Street, with the work required to be performed exclusively by a Unilock-approved contractor. Bidders must submit proof of Unilock certification with their proposal and adhere strictly to the specified materials, including Unilock IL Campo Black pavers measuring 4 x 8 x 2-3/8 inches for both the outer ring and inner circle. The scope includes removal of existing pavers and barrier curb, installation of a new 6-inch-wide flush barrier curb, application of up to a 3/4-inch layer of leveling sand, and joint filling with engineer-approved nitro joint sand. Bidders must purchase a minimum of 3,000 square feet of pavers to secure reduced unit pricing, with the excess material delivered to the City’s storage facility at 339 Middle Avenue. All work must comply with the City of Aurora General Specifications, Illinois Department of Transportation standards, and Standard Specifications for Water and Sewer Main Construction in Illinois, Seventh Edition. Bidders must demonstrate responsibility by providing evidence of facilities, experience, equipment, personnel, and financial capability to perform the work, with failure to do so resulting in automatic disqualification. The award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with price being a key but not sole evaluation factor; technical adherence, qualifications, performance schedule, quality of workmanship, warranty, and maintenance costs are also considered. The contractor must furnish a 100% Performance and Payment Bond, with coverage extended for a second year via automatic renewal certification, and carries comprehensive insurance including worker’s compensation, general liability ($1M per occurrence/$2M aggregate), auto liability ($1M), and umbrella excess liability ($2M per occurrence/$2M aggregate). Insurance policies must be issued by carriers licensed in Illinois with an A:VII or higher AM Best rating and include 30-day cancellation notice provisions. The project must begin no later than ten calendar days after contract execution, but not before October 15, 2026, with the adjacent waterfront walkway required to be open to pedestrians by October 30, 2026 after 3 PM and fully operational by November 20, 2026. All work is subject to inspection by the City’s Engineer, and materials must conform to ASTM standards if no specific specification is provided. Contractors