Our goal is to create a comprehensive plan for our current facilities and strategic expansion to allow for a campus to serve 400 total students.  We anticipate that this growth will take place through renovation, addition, acquisition, and/or new construction.

In doing this, the selected architectural firm will need to consider several disparate buildings interspersed among the context of downtown Lander, and develop a vision for a unified campus look and feel.  From casual visitors to everyday students, everyone should recognize a Wyoming Catholic College building among the buildings of downtown Lander.

The College also desires an architectural vision that reflects who we are as a College.  We are hoping to achieve a unified appearance among our buildings that blends the classical nature of our curriculum with our sense of place and identity in the Rocky Mountain West.

The College has been considering the highest and best use of each of  its current facilities.  Preliminary concepts are described below.  These concepts will need to be analyzed by the selected Architectural firm and developed in more detail as a part of the strategic vision.

Frassati Hall

Frassati is our current cafeteria, full-service kitchen, and student lounge.  It is a concrete block building of 6,800 sq ft. The building has no aesthetic value, but it occupies a great location near our other downtown buildings.  We would like to transform it into a library by adding a 2^nd story, creating a pitched roof and changing the façade by extending into the current parking area in front of the building.  (A rough idea of the new floor plan is in the appendix)

Augur Building

A former community college classroom building, the Augur Building (7,500 square feet) is a mid-block building with attached neighbors on either side.  It was purchased by the College in 2018, and underwent a modest interior remodel.  Currently it has five classrooms (three single classrooms and one larger space that can be partitioned), a private study room, a conference study room, one office, and a lounge space.  We would like to add a second story roughly matching the content and size of the first floor.  We would want to make one of the upstairs classrooms expandable into a medium-sized lecture room.  (A rough floor plan is in the appendix)

Baldwin Building

Our main downtown building, Baldwin (20,000 square feet) is a historic structure (1860s-1920s) with considerable aesthetic quality.    Currently the first floor has five classrooms, large study areas, the college library, a small chapel, five offices, and a storage room.  The second floor covers only half of the first floor and houses 19 offices.  (The current floor plan is in the appendix)

The College intends to reconfigure parts of the first floor to create additional classrooms and study areas, and we would like to expand the second floor by doubling the office space.  Finally, we would like to add a third floor with additional offices, a board/conference room, and a balcony for receptions.

Former Catholic Church Building

The original Catholic church building in Lander (about 1,900 square feet) is located less than a block away from the Baldwin Building.  It has been owned for about 30 years by a private owner who has used it as a primary residence.  The College has initiated negotiations to purchase it from him.  The structure and interior spaces are largely intact, with a drop ceiling having been inserted and temporary walls made of bookcases.  The College would like to restore the chapel, including a new altar piece, new flooring, pews, stained glass windows, and other elements.  The chapel renovation will include full ecclesiastical interior design, but no exterior additions are anticipated.  The finished chapel will seat approximately 150 occupants.

Housing

The College is currently considering purchasing an apartment complex or a hotel and renovating it into updated residential living space.  If neither of these options comes to fruition, the College would consider several nearby vacant lots to build resident halls on.  Because of several factors outside our control, this crucial aspect of our strategic growth is less definite than other parts of this proposal request.  The College is seeking an Architecture firm that can assist in evaluating options, all of which must be considered in terms of the holistic nature of the project.  Our hope is that the architect chosen will help the College weigh the various options through a cost/benefit analysis and demonstrate how the best one might fit vision and the overall campus plan.

Note: Other than during summer months when heavy structural work should be scheduled, each of these buildings must remain usable during most of the construction.

• Meetings with College Leadership and Stakeholders to establish strategic vision for College facilities.
• Meetings with Town of Lander stakeholders, neighbors, and/or planning officials.
• Field Observation and Narrative and Graphic Analysis of current College buildings.
• Field Observation and Narrative Analysis of potential real estate acquisitions for Student Housing, as identified by the College.
• Development of Design Concepts for each of the listed facilities.
  • Excepting the Student Housing facility which is yet to be identified.
  • Architectural conceptual design studies.
  • Structural evaluation of Architectural concepts with narrative and/or diagrammatic description of Structural concepts.
  • Presentation of the design concepts to College Leadership and stakeholders.
  • Revisions as determined following presentation of design concepts.
  • 3d color illustrations of the approved design concepts.
    • Up to three illustrations of each facility.
    • Illustrations to be high-resolution digital media; suitable for use in both print and digital Capital Campaign efforts.
• Strategic Vision Document for Facilities Improvement
  • Strategic goals for each facility noted above.
  • Proposed priority list of improvements.
  • Preliminary cost estimate (range) for improvements to each facility.
  • Proposed timeline for improvements.
  • Notes on potential long-term improvements or acquisitions.
• Design Standards (Design Guidelines) Document: for future implementation of facilities improvements.
  • Exterior Color and Materials Standards
  • Signage, Branding, and Wayfinding Standards
  • Interior Space Planning Standards
  • Other standards as might apply.

Note:  The College intends to select an Architectural Firm that can execute the above tasks and deliverables, as well as develop the complete Design and Construction Documents for the first phase of improvements.  However, services related to Design and Construction Documents for specific facilities are not included in this RFP.  The College reserves the right to select the same or a different design firm to complete Design and Construction Documents for any portion of the improvements after the completion of services under this RFP.

Upon receipt and review of the RFP documents, the College will choose several finalists by February 7th, 2020.  The finalists will be invited to a meeting of the College’s Board of Directors on February 28-29 in Denver, CO.  Shortly afterwards, the College will select a firm to begin drafting a conceptual plan, based on the tasks and deliverables described above.  The College intends to launch a capital campaign to fundraise for this project beginning in late Spring or early Summer 2020.  Assuming a successful campaign the College would look to develop design and construction documents for the first phase of construction, with the intent to break ground in the Summer of 2021.

Pre-proposal meeting/webinar date (optional) – December 18, 2019

Questions due and responses posted dates – January 15, 2020

Submission due date – January 31, 2020, 5pm MST

Response review timeline – February 3-7, 2020

Shortlist issue date – February 7, 2020

Anticipated interview dates – February 28-29, 2020

Anticipated contract award date – March 6, 2020

Submissions should be sent to:

Jonathan Tonkowich

Executive Vice President

Wyoming Catholic College

306 Main St. Lander, WY 82520

Or

jtonkowich@wyomingcatholic.edu

Limits:

• Page limit of 20 single sided pages (8”x11”), not including resumes.

Submission should include:

• Cover letter signed by the main contact at the submitting firm
• Project understanding, approach, work plan, and schedule
• Explanation of how the architectural design of the campus helps fulfill the mission of the College.
• Explanation of how the firm intends to blend both the classical nature of our curriculum with the physical surroundings of a small town in the Rocky Mountain West.
• Firm capabilities
• Relevant projects, including:
  • Project description
  • Owner contact information
  • Project size
  • Project cost
  • Project completion date
• Prior experience with adding floors to existing buildings and assessing feasibility of doing so versus cost of re-build from ground up.
• Project team:
  • Organizational chart
  • Resumes of key members
  • Resume of structural engineer and similar projects completed.
• Fee Proposal:
  • Based on the above project approach and proposed work plan provide a lump sum fee proposal with breakdown by each task and deliverable.
• Hourly rates

Wyoming Catholic College reserves the right to waive any irregularities, reject any or all proposal, or accept any proposal which in the College’s opinion will serve its best interest.

No compensation or reimbursement will be provided to firms responding to this RFP.  Costs incurred will be borne solely by respondents.

Wyoming Catholic College would like to thank you for considering submitting a proposal for the renovation and renewal of our campus facilities.  Please note that we encourage open communication and dialogue, and welcome your questions or concerns.  Please do not hesitate to contact me, using the information provided above, at any time during the RFP process.