RFQ Contractor - Construction of the new Surgical and Clinical Space Tower Addition (approximately 162,000 GSF)

Under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to require, on a sole source basis, services by Amaz Consulting in the new Surgical and Clinical Tower Project at the VA West Haven Campus. This notice of intent is for the services associated with the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) task of programming the existing SCADA system to digitally incorporate these new components. The installation, equipment, components, and software associated with the SCADA system will not be sole sourced. The VAWH SCADA system utilizes server-based software to gather electrical data in real time from remote locations to control equipment and conditions across the campus. The VA West Haven campus operates an existing SCADA system which utilizes cutting-edge Industrial Control and Automation technology, specifically designed to enhance operator decision-making. This state-of-the-art system harnesses model-based SCADA software and a high-performance Human-Machine Interface (HMI) to ensure swift response times in support of the VA mission. The electrical equipment installed as part of the Surgical Tower project will need to be integrated with the existing complex SCADA system. This integration does not require proprietary software or equipment but will require expert and experienced programing by the VAWH approved SCADA programmer, Amaz Consulting. Amaz Consulting is the approved SCADA programmer for the VAWH campus. The existing SCADA system supports mission critical equipment and systems. Any additional equipment and systems that are added to the SCADA system must integrate seamlessly into this production system while maintaining uninterrupted monitoring of existing equipment and systems. For a SCADA system this complex and critical, the programming can only be completed by the pre-approved firm that has the required experience with this unique system. Programming of industrial control systems such as SCADA is a challenging effort especially when tying into existing production systems that have a true mission impact. This existing SCADA system controls the electrical power distribution and generation systems across the VA campus. Individuals without inherent knowledge of the system, its operations and interconnectivities, as well as programming irregularities, could potentially and unknowingly cause near term (loss of power to critical hospital systems for extended periods) or long term (systems failures months after installation). Control systems have thousands or tens of thousands of invisible moving parts, and as the new components installed as part of this project must be integrated with existing components digitally, existing programming code must be modified in real time on production systems. Bringing in the unknown variable of an outside SCADA integrator will lead to a significantly high chance of one or more system failures during integration and configuration. An equally important aspect is Cybersecurity. Bringing in an unknown programmer/integrator poses a cybersecurity risk as the government would be exposing the details of a mission critical system to a new service provider. If this were a contractor building a wall or foundation, the government would clearly be able to see the work and provide qualitative feedback in real-time during the construction, however with digital construction the government has limited ability to observe the work or to evaluate whether ethical work is taking place, leaving the system and the VA mission open to the arbitrary actions of a bad actor, and potentially not becoming aware of this until some time in the future, or at the time of a calculated such as when all generators are online, and electrical demand to the operating rooms is high. This is what hackers attempt to do: cause the highest degree of impact at the worst possible time. Or worse, find a way to leave a backdoor open in the system which can be abused at any time. The vendor that ends up receiving this work will have full administrative access to all aspects of the system. By choosing Amaz Consulting, the government benefits from the use of a service provider with experience in the use and operations of this system, and one that is capable of performing the work without damage to the existing SCADA operations. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS. It is a market research tool being used to determine the availability of other qualified sources that can meet the requirements identified above and inherent with the referenced Amaz Consulting. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from potential sources as a result of this notice of intent. All responses received within 15 days of the posting of this notice of intent will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government to require the brand name for the Johnson Controls system for the VA West Haven procurement based on this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purposes of determine whether to allow alternate system manufacturers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New England District, in support of the Veterans Affairs Office of Construction and Facilities Management (VA CFM), will host a One-On-One Industry Engagement for the New Surgical and Clinical Space Tower project. The project is planned to be issued on or about May 2024. A Design-Build construction contract is anticipated to be awarded in Fiscal Year 2025. The value of the construction project is estimated between $250,000,000.00 - $500,000,000.00. The purpose of this Industry Engagement is to improve industry's understanding of project requirements; answer questions on the New Surgical and Clinical Space Tower project; provide an overview of potential acquisition timeline for this project; and gain an understanding of how industry can support this construction. This is a continuation of USACE's engagement with industry and multiple ones will occur throughout the procurement of this project. The intent of this One-On-One engagement is to connect with prime construction contractors who have experience in this type of construction. Any interested prime construction contractors should contact Tyler Maryak, Contract Specialist, at tyler.s.maryak@usace.army.mil with their contact information so that a meeting can be scheduled within the next 30 days. This is not the forum for A-E or subcontractors. Overview: The new Surgical and Clinical Space Tower to be designed and constructed at the West Haven, CT campus is intended to upgrade and consolidate existing clinical and direct patient care spaces to current standards of patient care. General utilities serving the space are also outdated and require updating and upgrading, including electrical and medical gas systems. There are concerns with patient and staff safety due to the deficiencies with space and function of the surgical suites. The scope of the project includes the addition of an approximately 189,000 gross square feet (GSF) three-to-four story tower and the demolition of approximately 45,000 GSF of administrative, common, and research space of existing outbuildings. The tower will be constructed in the vicinity of the existing hospital (Building #1) in a congested, previously developed area. Upgrades and/or relocation of existing infrastructure, to include some combination of parking, road network, utilities, and campus-wide power and heating plants, will be required. The tower is planned to be constructed north of Building 1 and be connected to it via direct addition, and multiple corridors and/or catwalks to Buildings 1 & 5 in an area presently occupied by a parking lot and the buildings to be demolished. Major impacts to existing infrastructure include relocation and expansion of multiple utility distribution systems impacted by the new construction, new utility tunnels, additional steam plant and on-site water storage capacity, new electrical substations, parking and road network reconfigurations, and re-grading of site/construction of retaining walls. Coordinated phasing is required to minimize impacts to current campus operations. The Medical Center will remain operational during the construction of all phases of the project and impacts to the hospital operations must be minimized. Specialized construction requirements include operating rooms, intensive care units, pathology, endoscopy, laboratories, mental health spaces and supporting spaces that meet all DVA infection control standards; associated complex and specialized HVAC and electrical requirements; medical gas distribution systems, nurse call systems, pneumatic tube distribution systems, medical security, and alarming systems that will all need to be integrated with existing systems. The new tower will need to integrate seamlessly with the other buildings on campus. New construction and demolition will need to be coordinated with the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Site improvements will include access roads, utilities, landscaping, and all other work necessary to provide a complete and usable project. It is expected that the project will be constructed to comply with Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings (Guiding Principles) and certified to meet LEED Silver. *The value for this project is based on a financial range. The value is listed as the highest possible cost from the range provided by a stakeholder or official project document.

,, 80,000 SF - 3 Stories Above Grade, 40,000 SF. 40,000 SF.

Division 00 -	Procurement and Contracting Requirements.
Division 01 -	General Requirements.
Division 02 -	Existing Conditions.