08052024 - Removal Design of Peninsular Paper Dam and Retention of Technical Assistance

Request for Proposals for the Removal Design of Peninsular Paper Dam and the Retention of Technical Assistance Through Construction Activities
Huron River, Ypsilanti, Michigan
Proposals Due:                                            9/16/2024      11:59 PM EDT
Pre-bid informational meeting:              8/27/2024      1:00 PM EDT
To register for the Pre-bid informational meeting, please email kjones@cityofypsilanti.com with a request to join. Please use “Pen Dam Removal RFP Informational Meeting” in the Subject line.
To apply for this funding opportunity, please submit an electronic copy of all materials in PDF format to kjones@cityofypsilanti.com by the date and time due. Additional physical copies are welcome but are not required.

Please direct questions and correspondence regarding this RFP to:
Katie Jones
City of Ypsilanti City Hall
1 South Huron Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Phone: 734-483-1100

Introduction
The goal of this project is to remove Peninsular Paper Dam (Pen Dam) and restore the affected stretch of the Huron River in Ypsilanti.
Pen Dam is located on the Huron River in Ypsilanti (42.256126, - 83.624146) within Washtenaw County. The nearest address is 1249 Leforge Rd, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. The original structure was completed in 1867 to provide power for paper manufacturing. The dam failed in 1918 and was rebuilt two years later. The powerhouse is a prominent feature in the area topped by its iconic, free-standing letters spelling “PENINSULAR PAPER CO. SINCE 1867 YPSILANTI.” The dam is classified as a concrete gravity dam that measures 16 feet high with crest length of 290 feet; of which 250 feet is the concrete spillway. The spillway sill extends approximately 25 feet downstream of the crest.
The impoundment area extends 6,575 feet (1.25 miles) upstream of the dam and occupies area within Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, and Superior Township. Peninsular Park (Pen Park), owned by the City of Ypsilanti, occupies the parcel adjacent to the north end of the dam.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) previously evaluated which impoundment areas along the Huron River would most benefit from dam removal. MDNR specifically identified the removal of Pen Dam as a top restoration priority due to the potential improvement to fish passage and aquatic habitat connectivity.
Following a completed dam removal feasibility study in 2018, the Ypsilanti City Council voted to remove Pen Dam and committed $500,000 for removal activities. In the previous project phases, LimnoTech, AECOM, and subcontractors completed: initial sediment analysis and characterization, bathymetry, initial investigations into impoundment infrastructure with hydraulic and hydrologic analysis and geotechnical analysis. A restoration alternatives analysis was provided, and the project team selected a target restoration scenario from the range of scenarios provided. An initial design was developed, and a Basis for Design Document was completed with supporting design drawings. No permitting activities related to design or construction work has occurred. The project team has been working with USFWS and subject matter experts to survey the relevant area for threatened and endangered mussel species. No other formal endangered species surveys have been completed. All data, findings, and conclusions from the previous phases of analysis will be made available upon request to applicants and to the selected applicant team to complete this phase.

• The selected applicant team will report to a Steering Committee led by the City of Ypsilanti with representation from the Huron River Watershed Council, the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commission, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and other subject matter experts as appropriate.
• The selected applicant team will complete the final design for the removal of Pen Dam and necessary, related engineering and permitting tasks to facilitate construction efforts.
• The selected applicant team will provide bidding and construction administration assistance, with direction from the Steering Committee. The selected applicant team will develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for construction services and coordinate the review of bids received.
• The selected applicant team will serve as a technical advisor to the City of Ypsilanti and the Steering Committee for the remainder of the project through removal of the dam and completed critical restoration of the impoundment.
• The selected applicant’s team is referred to below as the Team. The Steering Committee and other relevant partner entities are referred to below as the Project Partners.

• Project administration
  • Facilitate Project Partner update meetings as often as weekly.
  • Support for grant applications
  • Meet deadlines that support public communication efforts as directed by the City of Ypsilanti. The Team will present findings at public meetings to municipal administrators, and elected officials, as needed.
• Planning, Design and Permitting
  • The identification of permits, agreements, and necessary agency consultation
    • Permitting and easement support is an initial priority. The Team will apply for relevant permits as soon as is feasible.
  • Historic preservation and archaeological assessment
  • Spoils management
  • Hazardous, toxic and radioactive waste assessment
  • Property boundary assessments and agreements. The Team will support this effort to the best of their ability and guide local officials through any steps required.
  • Wetland delineation, including assessment of wetlands that will transition to upland, remain as wetland, or reform from bottomlands
  • Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species clearance
  • Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner & EGLE Floodplain Permit
  • Additional geotechnical investigation of dam and bridge fortifications, as needed
  • Structural analysis for building, as needed
  • Hydrologic, hydraulic, and sediment transport modeling to support final design
  • Final removal and river restoration design
  • Bidding and construction administration assistance, including the development of a Request for Proposals for construction services
• Technical Assistance Following Design Phase
  • In collaboration with the Steering Committee, develop a post-construction and restoration monitoring and maintenance plan
  • Technical assistance and independent oversight of contracted construction efforts
  • Administration and observation of construction work following construction award

• The Team should complete the proposed scope of work through the development of an RFP for construction services within one year of contract activation.
• This project is sensitive to seasonal timing. The compilation of any outstanding relevant information related to mussel relocation efforts should be prioritized, targeting completion by April 2025. Delays in mussel survey and relocation efforts could delay other activities. Proposals that target completion of all tasks through the development of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for construction services by August 2025 are strongly encouraged.
• Technical assistance following the design phase should assume a project timeline of no more than three years from contract awarded.
• Safety should be prioritized in all considerations for the timing of various activities. Given the complexity of this project and the need for additional fundraising, regulatory delays and extensions to the project period are likely but should not be assumed.

• Applicant teams should target a budget of $850,000 for the Scope of Services above. Proposed budgets for the Scope of Services exceeding that target will still be considered.
• Currently, at least $5,500,000 is available to the project. Fundraising for the project remains active, however, and the Project Partners will be reviewing proposals for the full scope of work.

• The project team has set a total project fundraising goal of $14,000,000, including construction and river restoration efforts.
• Applicants must describe, estimate, and delineate, the costs of activities required to complete final design, permitting, bidding support for construction services and technical assistance as outlined in the Scope of Services above.
• Applicants should describe, to the best of their ability, how the current available funds should be prioritized, in their professional opinion, toward the scope of services, understanding that the balance of funds for the total target budget will still need to be secured.
• Applicant teams are encouraged to estimate, to the best of their ability, the total project costs of all activities critical for the safe removal of the dam and note any differences in the budget relative to the project’s fundraising goal. Indicate restoration activities that could be safely delayed to later project phases that follow initial river restoration efforts.

• Responsibility and stability – such considerations as length of time team members have been in business, length of time principals have been with firm, financial responsibility, professional liability coverage, etc.

• Experience – such considerations as other similar projects completed by the team members, similar river restoration and habitat scoring abilities, range of in-house capabilities etc.
• Location – Such consideration as location of team members offices that will be responsible for project coordination, previous work in the general geographic area, key project personnel office location, etc. Lower project costs should result if limited travel expenses are required, and better communication can be maintained which should result in a higher quality project.
• Quality of work – Such considerations as adequateness of material supplied to permit evaluation, evaluation, quality of presentation, timeliness of communication, cooperation, concern, etc.
• Ability to complete the basic scope of services outlined above within the allowed time period and within the current financial constraints.

1. A project summary narrative defining the Team’s interpretation of the scope of the project. While river restoration is outside the scope of this request, discussion of implications and benefits for concurrent or successive river restoration work should be included. The project narrative section should not exceed 6 pages.
2. Background description of Team organization and institutional structure.
3. Team Profile that includes list of organization members that will work on this project. Please include members from the partner down to the engineer-in-training level. Administrative or supporting Team members not directly involved in the project do not need to be included.
4. Principal Profiles.
5. Technical Expertise Profiles. Attach a resume for each member of the Team and detail relevant experience, length of service with the firm, educational background, professional background, along with the percent of the project for which he/she will be responsible. Include individual’s professional certifications, a brief discussion of their relevant work experience and their hourly rates. Sub-consultant’s roles on the project should also be listed.
6. General anticipated project schedule or timeline.
7. Provide a detailed budget itemizing hourly rates, overhead factors, and all other details by which project costs have been derived.
8. Additional pertinent information.