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Clay County narrows Oakleaf Library architect shortlist; commissioners direct staff to negotiate with top firms
Summary
After presentations by five finalist firms May 27, the Board ranked candidates for architectural services for the Oakleaf Library. Commissioners directed staff to negotiate with the top‑ranked firms and return if negotiations fail; the panel’s scoring produced a tie for third place that will be resolved if needed.
Clay County commissioners heard presentations from five finalist architecture firms May 27 and instructed staff to begin negotiations with the top two ranked firms for architectural services to design the county’s planned Oakleaf library.
Process and scoring: Purchasing Director Karen Smith said nine firms had responded to the RFQ; five were shortlisted for the public presentations. Commissioners and scoring members ranked the teams after five‑minute presentations. Tallying the board’s rankings produced top positions for Fleischmann Garcia (top score among several commissioners) and Walker Architects; a tie for the third position between Harvard Jolly and Borelli & Partners will be resolved if necessary. Commissioners voted to authorize staff to begin negotiations with the top two firms after the required 72‑hour protest period.
Why it matters: The Oakleaf library is a planned county project intended to serve a growing area; the county plans to use a construction manager‑at‑risk delivery method and wants an architect with public‑library experience for programming, community engagement and cost control. The finalists emphasized library design experience, community engagement and construction‑management collaboration.
Board action: The board voted 5‑0 to direct staff to negotiate with the first‑ and second‑ranked firms and return to the commissioners if negotiations are unsuccessful. Commissioners also agreed the contract process will honor the short protest period used in procurement rules.
Ending: Staff will attempt contract negotiations with the top two ranked firms and will return to the board if talks fail or if the tied rankings require a tiebreaker.
