Tampa International Airport seeks design-build firm for new $790M terminal
By Henry Queen
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Oct 13, 2022

Tampa International Airport has released a request for qualifications for its new Airside D terminal, a long-awaited capstone to the airport’s ambitious master plan.

The project will cost roughly $790 million. Construction is slated to begin in 2024, with an estimated opening in 2027.

The airport used to have an Airside D — the last of the original terminals still in operation — but it was demolished about 15 years ago following the completion of Airside C in 2005.

A contract will be awarded in August 2023 for a firm to design the building and develop guaranteed maximum price packages, according to Senior Manager for Procurement James Hanney. Then the airport will negotiate a construction contract with the same firm at an unknown time, Hanney said.

Here is what interested design-build firms should know about the Airside D project:

Qualifications for companies bidding on the new airport terminal

The design-build firm must have a bonding capacity of at least $500 million. It also must maintain a minimum professional liability insurance limit of $20 million until three years after the termination of the contract — among many other insurance requirements.

Respondents must also be registered with the state and can’t be on any convicted vendor lists. In addition, it must ensure a disadvantaged business enterprise participation of at least 13% throughout the project.

How companies will be graded

Firms will be evaluated on their ability to show they can maintain quality, keep costs down and have significant experience doing this before.

“Emphasis should be placed on experience in the design and construction of comparable projects of similar scope and complexity,” the RFQ says.

However, points will be deducted from firms that have completed large projects for the airport within the last five years, according to the RFQ. Those that have accumulated over $300 million of work, for example, will receive zero out of five points. Points will also be awarded for a firm’s DBE plan.

Hillsborough County Aviation Authority staff will conduct a technical evaluation of all responses as part of a committee review. CEO Joe Lopano will review the results, and a final listing will be prepared for the authority’s board.

Prior to the interview process, VP of Procurement Matt Bauer may determine a short list of no less than three respondents, according to the RFQ.

Next steps for companies interested in TPA’s new terminal project

All interested companies must attend a pre-solicitation conference on Oct. 26. The deadline for responses to the RFQ is Jan. 25.

Technical evaluation committee meetings are in late February and early March, and the design contract will be awarded in August.