Hillsborough County seeks A/E teams for Brandon Fire Station No. 11 replacement; 10% DMWBE participation goal

Hillsborough County Procurement held a virtual proposal conference May 2, 2025, to solicit architectural and engineering teams for RFP RPS25-00191, a project to replace and renovate Brandon Fire Station No. 11 at 117 Ridgewood Avenue in Brandon. The county described plans to build new living quarters north of the existing station, relocate firefighters into the new quarters, then demolish the old living area and renovate the existing apparatus bay.

The project matters for county fire operations and for firms seeking the contract: county staff emphasized procurement rules, a 10% participation goal for certified diverse firms and a firm deadline for proposer questions. "There is a 10% goal on this project for professional consulting services," said Deshaun Hines, with Economic Development Minority Small Business Programs. Staff set a questions deadline of May 16, 2025, and said all questions must be submitted in the vendor discussion section of the Bonfire portal.

Project scope and site constraints were presented by Mansoor Yazzie of Capital Programs. "The projects... Brandon Fire Station, which is located at 117 Ridgewood Avenue, in Brandon area," Yazzie said, adding that the existing station is "dated. It's almost 50 years old." He described the countys plan to acquire adjacent property to the north to construct new living quarters while keeping the apparatus bay in service and later renovating it after demolition of the old living areas.

Procurement rules and proposer instructions were stated clearly. Ethan Kersey, senior buyer, warned that "only a written addendum may change the proposal document" and that the "cone of silence is in effect." Staff instructed proposers to submit all questions through Bonfire and noted the deadline for questions is 14 days from the conference (May 16, 2025).

Deshaun Hines detailed the countys minority small business requirements and the bonus-point system. Bidders must submit a signed letter of commitment on their company letterhead naming the DMWBE firms to be used, stating that at least 10% of the ultimate fee will be subcontracted to those certified firms, and attaching a letter of intent from each DMWBE firm and a copy of each firm's current certification. Hines said firms certified in other Florida jurisdictions may submit reciprocal certifications (for example, City of Orlando or Orange County certifications), but the county will not accept firms on its denied or previously reciprocal lists. "5 bonus points shall be awarded to a proposing consultant who makes a written commitment to pay a minimum of 10% of the alternate fees to certified subcontractors. The bonus points are not cumulative," Hines said.

Hines reiterated exclusions and clarifications discussed during the conference: Small Business Enterprise (SBE) certifications do not count toward the DMWBE goal; accepted certifications must be MBE, WBE or DBE. He also warned that failure to provide the required documentation could result in denial of any bonus points.

The conference concluded with staff repeating submission instructions and the cone-of-silence reminder. No procurement decisions were made at the conference; the event was informational and procedural, intended to clarify solicitation documents and compliance requirements before proposals are submitted.

Proposers seeking more information were instructed to use the Bonfire vendor discussion section and to await written addenda for any changes to the solicitation.