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Construction firm sought for WMU medical school facility

by Cheryl Roland

July 13, 2011 | WMU News

Photo of construction project.
Construction firms have until July 22 to answer initial RFQ
KALAMAZOO--The Facilities Committee for the new Western Michigan University School of Medicine has released a formal Request for Qualifications as an initial step in the process of identifying a firm to manage construction of a home for the new medical school.

The firm ultimately selected will work with architectural engineering professionals whose selection is currently under way. They will work together to build a major facility to house a new School of Medicine that is a partnership involving the University and Kalamazoo's two teaching hospitals, Borgess Health and Bronson Healthcare. The target startup date for the school is fall 2014.

Working through the WMU Research Foundation, the medical school will contract with a single firm for construction services on the project, for which a location in Kalamazoo is yet to be determined. Firms interested in responding to the RFQ must have a significant presence in Michigan. They also should have very similar project experience:

Firms deemed qualified after a review of initial materials submitted through the RFQ will receive a Request for Proposal. Those proposals will be evaluated, and the committee will develop a short list of firms that will be invited for an interview and possible selection as the project's construction manager. Firms not selected may submit a letter of interest for future consideration on projects.

"We're looking for a firm with experience on projects similar in size, scope and function to the one we'll be building," says WMU's David Dakin, who chairs the facilities committee for the medical school. "The firm we select will come on board as we enter the design phase, and it will be able to bring its expertise to the process of helping us make an appropriate site selection."

To submit information for the initial Request for Qualifications, interested firms must contact Sherrill Busboom in the School of Medicine at sherrill.busboom@wmich.edu between July 13 and July 22. To be considered, completed questionnaires must be returned no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3.

For more information about the RFQ process, contact Bob Miller, WMU associate vice president for community outreach, at bob.miller@wmich.edu or (269) 387-2073.