Nine companies submitted qualifications by the Aug. 9 deadline to be considered for a consulting contract to develop a strategic master plan for the Jacksonville Port Authority.
At a June 7 meeting, JaxPort CEO Paul Anderson announced to the port’s board of directors that the port had received a $300,000 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation for the development of a strategic master plan and he expected the process to cost about $600,000-$800,000.
“Our plan is to hire the best there is available to be partners with our community and our port, and to include the board and public participation in this process in planning for the future of the port,” said Anderson during the board’s July 23 meeting.
The companies that applied for the contract are:
• Adkins Consulting Engineers Inc., with headquarters in Klamath Falls, Ore.
• AECOM, with headquarters in Los Angeles and an office in Jacksonville.
• ARCADIS, with corporate headquarters in the Netherlands, United States headquarters in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and an office in Jacksonville.
• Cardno TEC, with headquarters in Charlottesville, Va., and an office in Jacksonville.
• CH2M HILL, Englewood, Colo., and an office in Jacksonville
• Maritime Management Consulting Division, with an East Coast office in Manchester, N.H.
• Martin Associates, with headquarters in Lancaster, Pa.
• RS&H, with headquarters in Jacksonville.
• Tetra Tech, Inc., with headquarters in Pasadena, Calif., and an office in Jacksonville.
The strategic master plan is described in the request for qualifications document as, “the primary document to guide (the port) to its desired pattern of growth and development.” Also, “the project shall include a ‘visioning’ process in which (the port) will look ahead for new opportunities and revisit the past looking at areas that need improvement.”
Two potential “futures” the consulting company will need to address is having deep water — 45 feet to 50 feet — in the shipping channel and not having deep water and using existing channels.
The plan will identify and incorporate the changing business trends and adjustments of the maritime port industry for the next five years and include 10- and 20-year plans that are integrated into the master plan, according to the request.
The consultant will be selected based on experience, demonstrated ability and competencies in preparing a strategic master plan for the maritime industry or ports of similar size. The evaluation criteria will include project personnel and project manager qualifications, worth 30 points; project approach, worth 30 points; experience record, worth 30 points; and proximity to the project, worth 10 points.
Oral presentations and interviews are planned for Aug. 29 and final rankings are scheduled to be determined Sept. 5. These rankings will be presented to the board of directors Sept. 24 for approval.
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