Site work and paving for a sidewalk / parking lot in Florence, South Carolina. Working plans call for site work for a sidewalk / parking lot; and for paving for a sidewalk / parking lot.

The owner has interviewed two list of design build contractors as of the following: Benchmark Trails Inc. and Black Diamond Design. The city owns a 112-acre tract of land which is accessible from a public road and bordered to the north by High Hill Creek. The existing trail was constructed on the original 80 acres of land and has subsequently added an additional 32 acres for additional trail development. The land is currently forested with pine and mixed hardwood and has a general topography of 25% floodplain/swamp, 30% steep bluffs, 30% flat/little slope, and 15% low rolling hills. The site is characterized by three zones: a reforested borrow pit (steep slopes with a relatively flat bottom), a powerline right-of-way, and stream/wetland associated with High Hill Creek. In conjunction with the local SORBA affiliates a conceptual layout (attached) has been designed and consists of approximately three (3) miles of single-track trail. The firm should use this concept to guide the design and construction; however, the firm will be expected to maximize the potential of the landscape, and creativity is encouraged. The project should ultimately serve a wide range of users, from families with children to skilled cyclists. The trails should be primarily natural surface and should incorporate sustainable trail principles as recommended in the Bureau of Land Management Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience. The overall trail tread width should be 24-42 inches. The trail features should progress in difficulty and incorporate means for less experienced users to bypass more difficult technical features. Project Location: Florence, SC The addition of High Hill Creek Bike and Run Park in 2020 has further diversified the City's recreational amenities and has created additional opportunities to promote outdoor activity and wellness within the community. The existing trail provides over four miles of single-track for biking, running, and hiking and was installed on an 80-acre tract of land owned by the City with favorable topography for the trail system. The City was able to purchase an additional 32 acres of adjacent property which will allow for the construction of a three-to-four-mile extension of the High Hill Creek single-track network. It is the expectation that the firm will use the concept plan (attached) and site evaluation to guide the construction of a mountain bike optimized, shared-use trail. The City intends to select one (1) firm to provide professional construction and design services for this project. It is anticipated that the City and the selected firm will discuss and define a detailed scope of work and negotiate a contract for the project. This solicitation does not commit the City of Florence to award a contract, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a response, or to procure or contract for services. The City of Florence reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submissions received as a result of this Request for Proposals, or to cancel it in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of the City of Florence. Question Deadline 08/26/2024 at 5:00 PM ET All questions must be directed to Lynwood F. Givens, Purchasing Agent in written format and e-mailed to lgivens@cityofflorence.com. A performance and payment bond, each in the amount of 100% of the final contract price of the construction portion of this project will be required of the successful firm. The successful firm will be required to furnish the required performance and payment bonds within ten (10) business days after written notice of formal award of contract. (The City of Florence may consider alternatives to the bonding requirement. BUSINESS LICENSE REQUIREMENT: Entities that provide goods and services within the City limits are required to have a business license. The successful contractor/company will be required to contact the Business License Office, 324 West Evans Florence, SC 29501 prior to commencement of work. The Business License Office's phone number is (843) 665-3173 and the fax number is (843) 665-3171. The City shall have sole discretion in evaluating the responses and the suitability of responder to meet the City's needs. The City reserves the right to select the response or responses deemed to be in the best interest of the City. The City also reserves the right to reject any and all responses. Funding for the project is partially supported through the Recreational Trails Program via the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism. The overall project budget could be positively impacted by other grant opportunities and current fund-raising efforts of the local Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) affiliates (Atomic Mountain Bikers and Midlands SORBA). The City does have "in-house" capabilities such as GIS/mapping and light construction abilities that could be used to maximize the overall project budget to ensure that the trail meets or exceeds expectations.