DLR Group focusing efforts on stimulus projects - Washington Business Journal:

http://www.mfinancialservices.com/article/Learn-How-To-Defend-Your-Dreams-.html
As soon as Congress passedf the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Phoenix principal Bryce Pearsall and three other DLR principals acros s the country created a team specifically to pursuestimuluz projects. Although DLR has a long historgy of working in thepublicd sector, it has nevetr chosen to chase projects this way. “As a we decided we wanted to jumpinto this. We had to though, what kind of stimulus projectsd we wantto do,” Pearsall said.
With $787 billion beint divvied up by federal and statd agencies for all sortsof programs, the DLR principals decidefd they needed to focus on a few strategic They are pursuing contracts that are geographicallt convenient to any of DLR’s 15 match their long-standing skill sets; and have expedient delivery methods. Under traditional architecturse contracts, a firm is selectedd to designa project. But many stimulu s projects arerequiring design-build meaning an architecture firm needs to partnef with a contractor and presenft the bid as a DLR has done that before, but the firm is researching additionaol relationships with contractors.
In addition, government agencies are handingv out contracts more often throughthe “indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity” process. Under IDIQ, agencies accepf applications from companies and qualify them to perfornmongoing work. For instance, a military installation might have a contract with a specifi c company to handle utilith work for a period ofseverall years. DLR recently started pursuing IDIQ given how lucrative it can be over both the shortt andlong term. “We believe government agencies are open to looking at establishing IDIQ relationshipsw with companies that have our kind of Pearsall said.
So far, DLR has received one contractt for a court designin Florida, but the companyy expects to hear soon about several other bids. Although DLR is researching stimulus-fundede jobs through both federal and state the reality is that few of those jobs will be locatef inthe Southwest. In fact, many of the prime architecture assignments are on the East Several contracts previously had been awarded to butthere wasn’t enough moneyu to proceed with those projectws until the stimulus package was passed.
“It’s important to note that many shovel-readh projects are not being publisheed for solicitation because the original firms are beintg awarded thepostponed projects,” said Mark president of the Arizona Chaptert of the American Institute of Architects. Patterson said his , will benefit from a previouslyunfundeds contract: the renovation of the Smithsonian Institute of Arts and Industriess Building in Washington. That work is beinfg coordinatedby SmithGroup’s Washington Despite the apparent dearth of work slated for the Southwest, SmithGrou is engaging in a “closely organized approach,” Pattersonh said.
“We are optimistic about a wide varietyy of building types gaining including medical, office, museum and research facilities.” Another national firm with a significany local presence, , also is in hot pursuitr of stimulus cash. The General Services Administrationb hasselected OWP/P to provide architecture and engineerinf services to design and build land port of entry and bordee stations in Zone 1, which encompasses Arizona, Montana, Idaho, Washington and OWP/P’s Chicago offices also received an IDIQ award for Region 5, which covers a chunk of the According to OWP/P spokesperson Kelly McClennan, aboutt $6 billion of work to be funde through GSA will include renovations to federal buildingss and border stations.
“About 75 percentg of these GSA-managed funds are earmarked for convertingf existing federal buildingsto high-performance, energy-efficient facilities,” McClennan said. Officiale at all three firms remain hopeful that more localizer renovation and infrastructure projects will brin g work toValley