Renovation of a municipal facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Conceptual plans call for the renovation of a municipal facility.

As of May 21, 2024, a design team has not been selected. At this time, it is not known when a design team will be selected. Closed solicitation has been included below for reference. ……………….. The Western Arkansas Intermodal Authority (WAIA) is soliciting RFQs from qualified consultants to perform work involving the following areas: preliminary engineering and design for an inland river port and intermodal development; coordination with NEPA environmental regulatory and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) oversight along with other federal, state, and local agencies and their requirements and protocols; Other design considerations and specifications associated with the development of and use of proposed port and intermodal property; and other technical expertise may also be required. The work conducted by consultants for this effort is managed and supervised by WAIA and the Western Arkansas Planning & Development District (WAPDD). The responsibilities of WAIA includes project oversight and technical review; WAPDD will provide project administration duties. The objective of this work effort is to assist WAIA in determining the feasibility of the development of an inland river port at this site. WAIA is a transportation division of WAPDD with a mission to grow the economy of Western Arkansas through transportation, logistics, and revitalization. This project is funded through the Economic Development Administration, the City of Van Buren, Crawford County, the City of Fort Smith, and Sebastian County. Project Background Historically recognized as an advantageous site for transportation, resupply, and early fur trading, the Arkansas River Valley remains a strategic center for commerce with Fortune 500 trucking firms, supply chain managers, freight companies, railroads, and marine services providing exceptional logistical support. Equally, the Arkansas River now sustains commercial barge traffic, large river craft, passenger, and recreational users. The proposed intermodal site is comprised of 2,000 acres located in Van Buren, Arkansas that is primed for intermodal railroad, distribution centers, warehousing, and an integrated riverport. The site possesses easy access to I-40 and I-49, Class I and Class III railroads along with the ability to reach 47% of the U.S. market and population. The region acts as a significant conduit of freight in the U.S., and by some estimates 1/3 of the country’s total cargo passes through Arkansas on I-40. For many years, a intermodal transportation and industrial facility on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System near Van Buren has been seriously considered. In 2000, a Regional Port study for the City of Van Buren proposed: An intermodal facility (volumes up to 250,000 lifts at build out), a cross-dock operation for trans-loading bulk commodities between barge and rail; barge and truck; and truck and rail (handling 550,000 tons of scrap iron per year), an industry "team" track, outside and inside storage for bulk materials, an office building. In May 2017, the USACOE (Little Rock District) issued a draft feasibility report and environmental study that recommended that a new River Port be constructed at mile mark 297 on the Arkansas River. Components include a slack water harbor, a regional airport, access to Union Pacific (UP) rail service connection to I-40, an intermodal rail-truck terminal and warehousing. Equally, refrigeration flash/freeze units are also desired design element. Later in August 2017, WAIA's intermodal port project market overview and assessment showed a benefit-to-cost ratio of 4.4 to 1 (https://www.wapdd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Northwest-ArkansasRegional-Port.pdf). WAIA is developing the project as an intermodal freight hub that will expand the region’s capacity to move freight using rail, barge, and motor carrier transportation through Western Arkansas to regional and national markets, such as New Orleans, Dallas, and others. The following items will be part of the scope of work for this project: A. Phase I Preliminary Engineering & Design Services B. Phase II Regulatory Agency Coordination & Expertise C. Phase III Preliminary Engineering & Design - Alternatives & Recommendations For all questions regarding this RFQ, contact Ashley Garris by email at agarris@wapdd.org. All questions must be submitted by September 4,2020. *Project information, including timeline and contacts, has been obtained through public sources. The content management team continues to pursue additional details; however, the contact(s) listed have yet to disclose or confirm any information. Inquiries should be directed to the contact(s) listed.