This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Fort Worth, Texas. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2024/09/04/fort-worth-convention-center-expansion.html As Fort Worth completes a construction milestone of its convention center, city officials and one of the companies managing construction say they hope to "level up" the building to help attract new convention business to the city. In early August, the construction team behind the project placed the highest structural beam for the convention center's $95 million first phase, a step known as topping out. Now, leaders from the public and private sector have shared more details about the strategy behind the expansion and the construction process. Mike Crum, director of the public events department at the City of Fort Worth, said the city was ready to pull the trigger on expansion in 2020, but the start of the Covid-19 pandemic put the project back on the shelf because it was funded with hospitality tax revenue. But the injection of $52 million in American Rescue Act funds brought the project back to life. All in all, the project is estimated to cost around $700 million. Voters in May approved a hospitality tax increase to help finance the expansion. The first phase, which is ongoing, will include a new southeast entrance, new food and beverage facilities, demolition of the annex to double loading docks and realignment of Commerce Street to create a site pad for a future convention hotel. The goal, Crum said, isn't necessarily to be competitive with other major cities such as Dallas, which is expanding and rebuilding its convention center. It's to "level up" to be able to attract new conferences. The convention center was last updated in 2003. "Our bread and butter is state association business," Crum said. "Texas is a big state, huge population, big associations. So that's not bad business to go after, but our market has the potential to do more. And so what we expect is that we'll continue to work with the state meetings market, but instead of doing one meeting at a time, we'll be able to do two." Crum also said the expansion will make Fort Worth one of the biggest players in the southwestern meetings market, and tap into the national meetings calendar on a more frequent basis. Fort Worth Convention Center to stay open during expansion Other major Texas cities -- such as Dallas, Houston and Austin -- are also undergoing their own expansion projects. What's different about Fort Worth's plans, Crum said, is that the city is keeping the center open while it's doing renovating, across two phases. AECOM Hunt, Byrne Construction Services and E.J. Smith Construction fill the role of construction manager at risk for the first phase. Monte Thurmond, executive vice president and south division manager at AECOM Hunt, said construction teams are focusing on enclosing the structure that's been topped out and preparing interior spaces. He estimates the first phase will be finished by early 2026, and said the project is about keeping up with the city's overall population growth and its growing downtown. "It's really all about preparing for their future and taking that focal building and creating a space today that just doesn't exist and prepare for the future," he said. Corissa Smith, AECOM Hunt's executive vice president for national vertical markets including convention centers, said Fort Worth fits in with a trend of cities experiencing a huge post-Covid rebound in people traveling, spending and hosting events, driving efforts to revamp convention centers. Part of modernizing a convention center is removing space that's not functional anymore, such as an arena, and replacing it with more usable space for modern convention shows, she said. There's also a renovation component to the projects. For example, the southeast entrance of Fort Worth's convention center is getting a makeover that brings in more natural light. "Once you expand and make a beautiful new addition to your building, of course, the existing inventory just looks that much more dated," Smith said. "Oftentimes, with expansions comes renovations to really give the rest of the building a facelift so that all of the spaces have continuity of look and feel for the shows." One of the biggest challenges with the project, Thurmond said, is old infrastructure. With any older building, he said, there are utilities that haven't been documented. They have to make protocols and work with the city to handle unexpected finds such as sewer and electrical lines, he said. Smith added that they also have to coordinate with show organizers on which parts and entrances of the building they will use while construction occurs. "Every day is a new challenge, because every day the circumstances change as to who's in the building, how they get to the building, what we're doing in the building, how the construction is advancing," Smith said. "It's like a giant puzzle to be solved." The second phase of the convention center is still in planning, and will cost an estimated $606 million. Part of the second phase will involve demolishing the saucer-shaped arena at the north end of the building and adding a new exhibit hall. Crum said the design and planning work will start in 2025. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2024/08/26/le-meridien-opens-downtown-fort-worth.html The new Le Meridien follows a wave of new development in downtown Fort Worth, with Texas A&M Fort Worth, convention center expansion and the Deco 969 high-rise apartments all nearby. Andy Taft, president of Downtown Fort Worth Inc., said during a ribbon cutting that the building was a "dark hole in the heart of downtown." Now, light spills out on the sidewalk. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2024/08/08/from-cowtown-to-boomtown-how-fort-worth-texas.html As the fastest-growing large city in the country, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Fort Worth, Texas, boasts many unique characteristics that add up to an especially fertile ground in which businesses can thrive. The city's low cost of real estate combined with its booming population growth, exciting strategic developments, world-class cultural assets and strong workforce pipelines all play a role in Fort Worth's economic success as the city becomes a destination for companies and top-tier talent alike. A city of cowboys, culture and commerce Data from the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership shows that Fort Worth's population grew by almost 55,000 people between 2020 and 2023. While many of these new residents came for the low cost of living or professional opportunities, others came for the area's amenities and excellent quality of life. After all, Fort Worth boasts several thriving entertainment districts as well as a world-class Cultural District filled with five award-winning museums. The Fort Worth Stockyards recently announced a $630 million expansion that will see the popular historic district nearly double in size by 2032. Nature lovers enjoy the Fort Worth's 300 parks and more than 100 miles of running and biking trails along the Trinity River. Music enthusiasts can catch a national touring act in one of the 14,000 seats available at Dickie's Arena, drop-in on local artists performing at a neighborhood venue in the Near Southside or witness a virtuoso in action as part of the city's signature Cliburn International Piano Competition. DickiesArenaexpand Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. Keith Tiner Meanwhile, local companies like Lockheed Martin, Bell and BNSF appreciate Fort Worth's business-friendly environment -- no corporate, state or local income tax -- and a cost of doing business that is 2.8% below the national average according to Moody's Analytics. The presence of American Airlines' corporate headquarters at DFW International Airport in Fort Worth also puts either coast within reach of a four-hour domestic flight. Reimaging the urban core Perhaps no place in Fort Worth better represents the city's potential than its central business district, which currently has an estimated $2.5 billion of new development in its pipeline, as noted by the Fort Worth Report. From the recent opening of Southern Land Company's Deco -- Fort Worth's first high-rise residential tower in more than 30 years -- to the multi-phase update of the Fort Worth Convention Center, these major projects are poised to reshape the urban core of the 12th largest city in the country. Arguably the most transformative project in Fort Worth's central city is Panther Island. Brought about by the need for improved flood control along the Trinity River, Panther Island will ultimately convert approximately 450 acres of land into a vibrant mixed-use waterfront district, complete with green space and pedestrian-friendly connectivity to several of the city's other commercial corridors. HR&A Advisors and their consulting team recently unveiled an updated strategic vision for Panther Island, calling the project "the largest, most consequential re-development opportunity near a major American downtown in the entire country." Where top talent begins Another defining project in downtown Fort Worth is being spearheaded by Texas A&M University, whose nationally-ranked law school is undergoing an ambitious expansion into a 3.5-acre urban campus known as Texas A&M-Fort Worth. This campus will combine the university's tier-one research expertise with private sector collaboration and customizable workforce development programs, all within the city's downtown innovation district. Texas A&M-Fort Worth is expected to spur economic growth through unique public-private partnerships with companies like Alcon and Lockheed Martin, which will capitalize on the strengths of the city's deep foundations in the life aerospace, energy and health science sectors. The University of Texas at Arlington also has a strong presence in Fort Worth, with a satellite branch located downtown near Texas A&M-Fort Worth and the UTA Research Institute (UTARI) located on the eastern side of the city. Fort Worth's public and private sectors join forces to achieve impressive growthexpand UTA Research Institute in Fort Worth. Jeremy Enlow UTARI applies cutting-edge technologies to real-world engineering problems, working closely with local startups, corporations, governments and entrepreneurs to facilitate early-stage product development, paving the way for future patents and commercialization opportunities. Recent UTARI success stories include several health-monitoring and biomedical technologies -- some of which include the integration of VR -- alongside their research in advanced composite manufacturing and advanced prototyping and work with unmanned aerial vehicles. With several ambitious projects moving forward and a strong pipeline of local talent, Fort Worth's growth is proving to be a catalyst for a city that's firmly staking its claim as the center of the modern West. __________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2024/07/22/deco-969-near-complete.html The tower, located 969 Commerce St., sits in an area that is seeing a lot of new construction, such as the renovation of the downtown convention center, the Texas A&M Fort Worth campus and Le Meridien hotel. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/city-timeline-fort-worth-convention-center-renovations/287-d1806aa4-6b9d-4c40-aef1-1194ea993974 City updates timeline for Fort Worth Convention Center renovations Fort Worth voters in May approved a hotel occupancy tax increase to fund the second phase of construction on the center, including a makeover on Commerce Street. More Videos NEXT UP IN 5 North Texas woman celebrates 90th birthday at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert in Paris & London with granddaughters DFW Weather: Our first 100° day could happen next week Storm debris cleanup across North Texas to extend through July Gateway Church Board of Elders release statement on Robert Morris' sexual abuse allegations 'We did all we can legally do' | Texas Medical Board chair talks abortion guidelines Author: Matt Houston (WFAA) Published: 10:47 PM CDT June 6, 2024 Updated: 10:47 PM CDT June 6, 2024 Facebook FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth officials now expect to complete by 2030 a series of transformative renovations to the city's aging convention center. In May, voters raised the city's hotel occupancy tax rate to fund the second phase of construction on the facility. Work on the first phase has been underway for months. The refreshed convention center, in combination with Texas A&M's new School of Law building, promises to turn downtown's southeastern quadrant into a destination. "Those projects will spur development around those facilities," Fort Worth Director of Public Events Michael Crum said. "It will, essentially, be a convention and learning district that is unlike any other in the country." Construction crews installed the first steel piers for 'back-of-house' improvements in May. Those beams will support a new entrance to the convention center, as well as a state-of-the-art kitchen and catering space. Toward the end of this year, workers will tear down the convention center's annex. The move will clear a path so Commerce Street can be straightened, a key component of the city's broader vision for the block. "What we hope to do is incent development on the eastern side of Commerce Street that creates an entirely different type of experience in that area, compared to what you see today," Crum said. The city envisions a walkable, shaded corridor from Texas A&M's new law building to the renovated convention center. Video displays similar to those in Dallas's AT&T Discovery District could line the street. Ideally, Crum said, a hotel would open on the land created by Commerce Street's realignment. Mixed-use developments, potentially including retail and restaurant space, might also open on the stretch. The city aims to finalize designs for the area by spring 2025. "No question these investments will change downtown Fort Worth," Crum said. Money generated by the city's hotel occupancy tax will pay for the second phase of construction, including the Commerce Street makeover. Voters in May raised the tax from 15% to 17%. The toll is applied to nightly hotel reservations, meaning primarily tourists will pay for the convention center's facelift. "They come to our market and spend money in our hotels, restaurants and retail establishments," Crum said. "They go home, but their money stays." The city aims to tear down the iconic, flying saucer-style arena in 2027. Its demolition will make room for more modern convention space, including new meeting rooms, extended exhibit halls, and a second ballroom. As planned, construction on the project's second phase would begin in 2027 and end in 2030 __________________________________________ Qualified Firms are invited to submit Request for Qualification (RFQ) for retention of a services agreement for technical consultation and services for Material Testing. The City of Fort Worth invites the submittal Request of Qualifications (RFQ) from qualified firms interested in providing a technical proposal as defined in this RFQ for the Fort Worth Convention Center at 1201 Houston Street, Fort Worth, Texas.