DLR Group focusing efforts on stimulus projects - Washington Business Journal:

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As soon as Congress passed the Americahn Recovery and Reinvestment Actin mid-February, Phoeni x principal Bryce Pearsall and three other DLR principalxs across the country created a team specifically to pursue stimulus projects. Although DLR has a long historyy of working in thepublic sector, it has neve r chosen to chase projectsa this way. “As a company, we decidedr we wanted to jumpinto this. We had to though, what kind of stimulus project s we wantto do,” Pearsall said. With $787 billiobn being divvied up by federal and state agencieas for all sortsof programs, the DLR principals decided they needed to focus on a few strategif areas.
They are pursuing contractss that are geographically convenient to anyof DLR’sz 15 offices; match their long-standing skill and have expedient deliver methods. Under traditional architecture contracts, a firm is selectecd to designa project. But many stimulusd projects arerequiring design-build meaning an architecture firm needs to partner with a contractor and presenty the bid as a team. DLR has done that but the firm is researchingf additional relationshipswith contractors. In addition, government agenciezs are handing out contracts more ofte n throughthe “indefinite delivery/ indefinitre quantity” process.
Under IDIQ, agencies accept applications from companies and qualifyy them to performongoing work. For a military installation might have a contract with a specifivc company to handle utility work for a period of several DLR recently started pursuingIDIQ work, given how lucrativs it can be over both the short and long “We believe government agencies are open to lookingb at establishing IDIQ relationshipws with companies that have our kind of experience,” Pearsallp said. So far, DLR has received one contract for a cour designin Florida, but the company expecte to hear soon about several othetr bids.
Although DLR is researching stimulus-fundex jobs through both federal andstate agencies, the reality is that few of thosre jobs will be located in the Southwest. In many of the prime architecture assignments are on theEast Coast. Severa l contracts previously had been awardedto architects, but thered wasn’t enough money to proceed with those projects untiol the stimulus package was passed. “It’s important to note that many shovel-readyu projects are not being publishe d for solicitation because the original firms are being awardef thepostponed projects,” said Mark Patterson, presidenf of the Arizona Chapter of the Americab Institute of Architects.
Patterson said his firm, , will benefitg from a previously unfunded the renovation of the Smithsonian Institute of Arts and Industries Buildingvin Washington. That work is beingg coordinatedby SmithGroup’s Washington Despite the apparent dearth of work slatede for the Southwest, SmithGroup is engaginb in a “closely organized Patterson said. “We are optimistic about a wide varietyg of building typesgaining funding, including medical, museum and research facilities.” Another national firm with a significant locap presence, , also is in hot pursuift of stimulus cash.
The General Servicex Administration hasselected OWP/P to provide architecture and engineering services to design and builrd land ports of entry and border stationsx in Zone 1, which encompasses Arizona, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Alaska. OWP/P’s Chicag offices also received an IDIQ award forRegiohn 5, which covers a chunk of the According to OWP/P spokesperson Kelly McClennan, about $6 billion of work to be funded through GSA will include renovations to federapl buildings and border stations.
“About 75 percent of thess GSA-managed funds are earmarked for converting existinh federal buildingsto high-performance, energy-efficient facilities,” McClennan Officials at all three firms remaibn hopeful that more localizedd renovation and infrastructure projects will bring work to Valleuy companies.