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Hillsborough County committee hears Innovation Design pitch for CDBG single‑family housing repair contract
Summary
Innovation Design presented to a Hillsborough County procurement committee for RPS 25‑GO037, stressing owner‑led teams, HUD/CDBG compliance experience and capacity to handle environmental reviews. Committee members questioned staffing backups, past project costs and how the firm manages HUD cost reasonableness.
Hillsborough County procurement staff heard Innovation Design present its qualifications to provide architectural and engineering services for RPS 25‑GO037, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) single‑family housing repair and replacement contract. Gerardo “Jerry” Traverso, principal and project manager, said the firm is owner‑led and that the principals who prepared the proposal will execute the work.
Why it matters: The county’s choice of consultant will affect the pace at which CDBG‑funded home repairs move from design into construction. Innovation Design emphasized experience managing HUD compliance and environmental review processes, which county staff said are prerequisites for release of CDBG construction funds.
Traverso and his team described recent CDBG work in Puerto Rico converting 24 micro‑studio units in Quebradillas into accessible one‑bedroom apartments targeted to low‑income seniors. “We were able to expedite this about 6 months ahead of schedule,” Traverso said, describing a categorical exclusion that, he said, shortened the NEPA process. He added that the project’s design fee was $70,000 and reported the total construction cost was about $689,000 — “a hair under $700,000,” he said.
The presentation detailed how the firm manages HUD requirements, citing internal controls, milestone cost updates and the use of RSMeans for cost estimating. “We keep track of those costs,” Traverso said, noting the firm monitors quarterly price updates and flags unit‑price jumps greater than 10 percent to prompt meetings and value‑engineering discussions.
During 15 minutes of Q&A, committee members pressed Innovation Design on staffing and local capacity. The firm said it currently has roughly 60 percent capacity available to dedicate to the county contract, listed six full‑time staff with three backup roles noted in its proposal, and said backup personnel include technicians and junior engineers stationed in Bradenton and other satellite offices. Rivera identified about four inspectors working in nearby counties with two additional hires planned and described a small in‑house design team including structural and drainage engineers and one architect.
On subcontracting and licensing in Puerto Rico, Traverso explained the firm set up a sister company, GEMS Puerto Rico, to comply with local licensing rules and to serve as the locally registered entity on that project.
The team also said it holds a continuing‑services contract awarded by the sheriff’s office and that the contract is signed, but that no task work orders have been issued yet.
The committee did not take action on the contract during the session. Ethan Curzey, the county buyer who opened the meeting, said the presentation was being recorded and will be posted and reminded members of a follow‑up meeting later the same day.
