Little Rock Architectural Firm Wins $8 Million Contract From Army Corps Of Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah, Ga., announced that it has awarded an $8 million contract to Little Rock-based Cromwell Architects Engineers “for miscellaneous architectural and engineering services” at the Ft. Bragg military base in North Carolina, home to nearly 50,000 active duty soldiers.
According to a U.S. Department of Defense, the award is a firm-fixed-price contract for an indefinite period with options for architectural and engineering services at the sprawling military base, or other federal projects under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah (Ga.) District.
The estimated completion date for the contract is four years, ending on July 20, 2019. Cromwell beat out 28 other competitors in the Internet-based bidding solicitation from the Georgia-based Corps of Engineers district, the official contracting agent.
According to Bill Birdwell, communication specialist for the Savannah Corps of Engineers, Cromwell can be used on federal projects anywhere under the jurisdiction of the Savannah District. “We did not award this contract for any one project in particular,” he said.
Birdwell added that the Corps of Engineers hires firms regularly for various planning, survey, and other investigations and studies. “Cromwell will also conduct comprehensive interior designs and design services related to new construction, upgrades, maintenance and repair of various military facilities, infrastructure systems and related components.”
Birdwell said the contract will consist of a two-year base period and one – two-year option period for a total contract term not to exceed four years. The maximum amount of the contract cannot exceed $8 million, Birdwell said, “but could be less depending on how much work we ask them to perform.”
Cromwell officials did not return phone calls seeking comments for this story. The 130-year old Little Rock firm, which also has offices in Jonesboro and Fayetteville, N.C., has done past architectural work at the Little Rock Air Force Base and other Department of Defense installations around the country.
The Corps of Engineers’ Savannah district manages a multi-million dollar military construction program at 11 Army and Air Force installations in Georgia and North Carolina, and oversees water resources and development activities in Georgia and portions of South Carolina, according to the district’s website.
The Savannah District also maintains the deep water harbors on the Atlantic coastline in Georgia, and is leading a $700 million expansion effort to the deepen the Savannah Harbor federal shipping channel from 42 feet to 47 feet. Studies demonstrate the deepening will produce substantial economic benefits for the nation by enabling larger and more heavily-loaded vessels to call on the harbor with fewer tidal delays, officials said.
The District also oversees civil projects including dams and lakes Hartwell, Russell, and Thurmond on the Georgia-South Carolina border; and environmental and regulatory permits for Georgia. The Savannah District supports worldwide missions related to real estate, master planning, and construction of barracks and other facilities to enhance overseas contingency operations.