Pre-solicitation Issued for San Luis Port of Entry

By Tasha Anderson for AZBEX

The General Services Administration has recently issued a pre-solicitation for the first phase of the San Luis I Land Port of Entry project, in preparation of releasing a two-step Design-Build Request for Qualifications.

The San Luis I Port of Entry is the second busiest non-commercial land port of entry in Arizona and according to the pre-solicitation, the structures are nearing or are past their operational life. To accommodate future growth and to address the issues, the GSA is finalizing a A/E Pre-Design Submittal for a two-phased construction plan.

Phase one of the project is expected to cost between $100M and $120M and will include the demolition of existing structures as well as new construction. The project scope consists of:

• Northbound Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Primary Inspection
• Northbound POV Secondary Inspection
• Secondary Inspection Garage
• Northbound Headhouse
• Required Surface Parking
• Impound Lot

Earlier this year, the GSA issued two Sources Sought solicitations looking for construction management and architectural, engineering, and construction services for the full project. No RFQs came out in response to those Sources Sought notices. A third Sources Sought notice for design and construction services was recently closed on July 8th, which considered both a single-phased and two-phased construction approach. This pre-solicitation information is more specific, looking for design-build services for just phase one.

The Request for Qualifications for phase one is anticipated to be released on Thursday, July 22nd. After the RFQ process, the GSA will shortlist no more than three firms to move onto the RFP process. Only those shortlisted will be able to take part in the RFP process.

Funding Request

According to a Yuma Sun article published on June 26th, San Luis officials are, “asking for $10M above the $90M increase it’s already seeking to the $152.4M allocated for expansion and modernization.”

The GSA and the Department of Customs and Border Protection recently told Mayor Gerardo Sanchez that the project’s cost has been inflated due to the rise in construction materials cost.

The article states that the “Trump administration originally requested $248M from Congress to pay for additional vehicle lanes and other improvements to speed the flow of traffic, but that request was reduced in the Senate in 2019 to $152.4M.” San Luis is looking to restore the $90M and is asking for $10M to cover inflation costs.

The design-build contract for phase one is anticipated to be awarded in the spring of 2022. While there is no timeline for phase two, funding is expected to be included in a future funding request.