Albany seeks contractors for Tivoli Park Preserve upgrades; bids due Feb. 21

The City of Albany on a pre-bid call with CHA, the design engineer of record, outlined the scope, schedule and procurement requirements for the Tivoli Park Preserve improvement project and said sealed bids must be received by the Board of Contract and Supply at 24 Eagle Street, Room 202, Albany, New York, 12207, by 1 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2025.

The project will add approximately 1,200 linear feet of accessible trail around the park perimeter, three trailheads (North Manning Boulevard, Wilkins Avenue and Quail Street), an ADA-accessible floating fishing pier, trailhead furnishings and signage. CHA said the contract is expected to start upon city acceptance—anticipated in early March—and to be completed by June 15, 2025, driven by grant deadlines.

Why this matters: the work is funded in part by a DEC grant that imposes a tight schedule and participation goals for disadvantaged vendors. The project includes prevailing-wage requirements and MWBE goals; CHA also noted a 6% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business goal tied to the DEC grant.

Scope and major features CHA described the primary elements as: stabilization and top-dressing (not full-depth reconstruction) of about 1,200 linear feet of existing trail; three trailheads with seating, picnic pads and limited pavement; an 8-by-20-foot floating dock with a 5-by-40-foot gangway and a separate 8-by-20 loading dock; an ADA-accessible playground area as an alternate; and new wayfinding and informational signage. CHA said the trail materials generally include stabilized crusher run and chip-and-seal surfacing where shown.

At the North Manning trailhead CHA showed a new access road tying into an existing turnaround, a concrete council-ring seating area with fractured-flagstone surfacing and an alternate playground or pollinator garden area. The Quail Street trailhead will require removal of existing pavement and full-depth reconstruction at the removed sections and will provide three new parking spaces (one accessible), minimal landscaping and a new sidewalk connection from Livingston Avenue.

Construction limits, environmental constraints and alternates CHA noted clearing limits are generally 12–20 feet along much of the corridor, with some deeper grading at switchbacks. The project team emphasized a seasonal restriction for tree clearing: trees larger than 3 inches in diameter must be felled by March 31; stumps do not need to be removed by that date. CHA said an addendum answering bidders’ questions would be issued the same day as the pre-bid and that a SWIFT (shared work information file) with detailed trail work would be available by contract execution for the selected contractor.

Dock and site details Per the design description, the dock railing is specified as round-tube aluminum; CHA described float and anchoring requirements including a freeboard target of about ±10 inches between water surface and dock surface and manufacturer-recommended anchors (CHA said anchors should be no less than 25 pounds and that round anchors will not be considered). CHA also said solar bubblers are included per manufacturer instructions and coordination with the dock designer.

Procurement, schedule and budget CHA said sealed bids are due to the Board of Contract and Supply by 1 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2025. The team said it is developing an engineer’s estimate and that bids and that estimate will inform the award; CHA stated the work will be “north of $1,800,000” based on current thinking. The city will provide prevailing-wage rates; MWBE and a 6% service-disabled veteran business participation target apply. CHA told bidders the construction schedule is compressed because of grant end dates and said there is limited flexibility on the contract timeline.

Questions from contractors and next steps Representatives from at least one construction firm raised concerns about the March 31 tree-clearing deadline and whether the award and notice to proceed timeline would allow clearing to occur in time. CHA acknowledged the schedule was aggressive but reiterated the timeline is driven by grant requirements and that the city hopes to issue a notice to proceed quickly after award. CHA also said digital construction files (CAD) are not included in the bid package but can be provided to the contractor for construction after award.

Impact on adjacent properties and operations CHA noted the Quail Street area is an active parking lot for adjacent Tivoli Park apartments and that access must be maintained; the project team requested a three-week notice to tenants and the owner for any planned closures. CHA identified that some pathway connections shown will be completed by others and that the contractor will coordinate final shop drawings for signs and delegated-design items with the City of Albany during construction.

Ending: administrative reminders CHA closed by reminding bidders that the addendum will answer questions raised at the meeting and that contract documents and the specification book can be examined at the Board of Contract and Supply. The team encouraged prospective bidders to review provided details and said additional clarifications and the SWIFT package will be available as procurement progresses.