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Thurston County moves forward with $20 million-plus reconfiguration of Waste & Recovery Center; RFQ for owner advisory services to be released
Summary
Public Works outlined a design-build reconfiguration of the county’s primary Waste & Recovery Center, estimated near $20 million, and will issue a request for qualifications for owner advisory and construction services.
Thurston County Public Works told commissioners April 22 that it will release a request for qualifications (RFQ) to retain owner advisory and construction services for a major reconfiguration and expansion of the county’s Waste & Recovery Center.
Public Works Director Erin Weese and Solid Waste Manager Jeff Bickford described the project as necessary to increase capacity, reduce maintenance and operations problems, remove residential/commercial cross traffic, shorten customer queues at scales, and improve employee safety. The board was told the project is complex because the facility is the county’s only solid waste disposal site and must remain operational during construction.
Estimated project magnitude was discussed in the neighborhood of $20,000,000. The RFQ discussed in the meeting would retain a consultant for a three‑year term with an approximate contract ceiling of $600,000; any negotiated contract would return to the board for approval. Public Works said the design-build delivery method is authorized by RCW and was chosen to foster close coordination between design and construction and to maintain facility operations during work.
Public Works described energy-efficiency improvements at the Waste & Recovery Center separately: a sole-source lighting upgrade with a single vendor tied to Puget Sound Energy’s rebate program, anticipated annual utility savings of roughly $6,600, and a County share of approximately $13,157 after a reimbursement arrangement with Republic Services, which shares energy costs at some facility areas.
Commissioners asked for a briefing for the full board and the public. Public Works agreed to schedule a 30–45 minute work session to present the project in more detail; the RFQ process will proceed in parallel. Anticipated timeline presented by staff included selecting an initial consultant by July 2025, an application to the State’s Project Review Committee in late 2025, design-build contractor selection in second quarter 2026, and construction in mid-2026 through 2027.
