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Regional 1 project managers say architects shortlist, interviews under way; designers targeted by Aug. 1
Summary
Project managers for the Regional 1 hospital said a national and local architect selection process is under way, with interviews scheduled and a target to have designers on board by Aug. 1. Procurement steps for engineers and construction managers will follow and demolition depends on hazardous‑materials work and future budget decisions.
Patrice Thomas, a senior adviser representing the Cabela's All World team, told the Regional 1 oversight task force that the project team has issued an architects request for qualifications and followed that with a request for proposals, and now plans interviews with finalists.
She told the task force the team "did actually hold an event where we were conditioning the market" and that the outreach had strong attendance; the in‑person sessions drew roughly 100 people in the morning and another 50 in a later session. Thomas said the architects RFQ was issued in early April and the RFP for shortlisted firms went out in mid‑June; the team has received proposals from four of five firms invited to respond.
Why it matters: Architects are being selected ahead of other consultants so they can participate in selecting structural, mechanical and construction manager firms. Task force members said having designers engaged early will help shape hazardous‑materials testing, demolition timing and the overall schedule.
What the task force heard - "We want them to be part of the review process for those other services," Thomas said, describing the rationale for selecting architects first. - Kim Brown, a consultant for Shelby County, reiterated the deadline target: "we have our August 1 deadline to get the architects, the designers on board." Brown and Thomas said that designers will then participate in selection of subsequent contractors.
Thomas said the project team received joint proposals and many responding teams are national firms that formed joint ventures with local firms to supply necessary capacity and local participation. "Every firm that actually submitted a proposal for consideration had joint ventured with a local company, every single one of them," Brown told the task force.
Thomas and Brown said the immediate next steps are scoring proposals, conducting interviews with finalists and then onboarding designers; Thomas committed to sharing a high‑level Gantt chart of next steps and target dates with the task force.
Unresolved details and contingencies - The designers are a target to be in place by Aug. 1; Thomas said subsequent, more detailed scheduling will flow from the architects' input. - Thomas cautioned that demolition and construction timing depends on hazardous‑materials surveys and abatement work and on budget decisions: "for this budget year ... maybe we're talking about $28,000,000, which certainly isn't enough to cover the cost of demolition and the design fees work that's gonna have to take place this year." She said that could force tradeoffs in what work proceeds in the current fiscal year.
Ending: Thomas and Brown said the selection work is continuing and that the team will provide monthly written updates to the task force while interviews and scoring proceed.
