Hillsborough County committee interviews A/E teams for CDBG single‑family repair and replacement solicitation

Hillsborough County procurement staff and a selection committee heard 15‑minute oral presentations, followed by a 15‑minute question‑and‑answer period, from multiple architecture and engineering teams competing for solicitation RPS 25‑00379, which covers design and construction administration for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funded single‑family housing repair and replacement program.

The presentation team led by Jerome McCance framed its approach as a prime‑with‑subconsultants model. "I'll be the project director," McCance said, describing his responsibility for oversight from project setup through construction administration. He outlined a consultant roster that includes mechanical, structural, civil and cost‑estimation specialists and highlighted prior work on HUD and tax‑credit projects, including a 24‑unit, two‑story project in East Tampa.

Committee members pressed teams for CDBG‑specific and disaster‑recovery experience. McCance acknowledged that most examples shown were affordable‑housing projects with tax‑credit components rather than projects processed directly under CDBG procedures, but said the team was familiar with CDBG and FEMA processes. Jose Rivera of Binkl Engineering noted his Tampa office had supported several FEMA‑related projects in the Clearwater area and said, "We are a Tampa based office," emphasizing local permitting familiarity.

Civil engineering lead Gregory Ashi of Kleinders Group described the firm's site and stormwater capabilities and said the county has "about 50 parcels totaling 120 acres for development scattered throughout unincorporated Hillsborough County," a portfolio he said the team could help prioritize and develop. The team also described a forensic‑consultant workflow for assessing water intrusion, mold, asbestos/lead abatement and soil conditions before design and remediation decisions.

On cost controls, McCance described an independent cost consultant who typically produces early estimates closer to final costs than industry averages. The presentation claimed some past estimates were within about 6% of actual construction costs, compared with a more typical early‑estimate variance of roughly 18%.

Committee members also asked about staffing and local contracts. McCance said his core office includes seven staff (four architects and a construction manager) and that the team would draw additional capacity from subconsultants; he listed existing engagements with the Tampa Housing Authority and work for Lakeland Housing Authority and Habitat affiliates. Firms described their use of permitting relationships to manage schedule risk and coordination with municipal code and inspectors.

The committee closed the session after questions; procurement staff reminded attendees to monitor the county vendor portal (UNO) for updates and a later live session. No formal selection or vote occurred during the presentation and Q&A.

Next steps: the solicitation remains open on the county portal for updates; the selection committee will evaluate written proposals and oral interview performance before a later procurement decision.