RFP - Services - Holland Intermodal Port Improvements Project

September 11, 2026
Prospective Consultant
Re: Request for Proposal: Design, Construction Engineering and Contract Administration
for the Holland Intermodal Port Improvements Project
To Whom It May Concern:
The City of Holland (City) and the Holland Board of Public Works (HBPW) (jointly referred to
as the "Owners") are seeking proposals from consultants to provide preliminary engineering,
design, construction engineering and contract administration services for the project referenced
above. Funds for the project will come from a combination of sources including a fiscal year
2025 $11.25 million Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grant from the U.S.
Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD). The Holland Intermodal
Port Improvement Project includes three key components, reconstruction of the seawall at #64
Pine Avenue (site of HBPW's former James DeYoung Power Plant), site improvements at #64
Pine Avenue (to accommodate a future industrial use) and, lastly, associated public road and
right of way improvements. A location map, Figure 1, for the project is attached. The Owners
have held several introductory meetings with MARAD and preformed some very preliminary
work on the project, however, we are looking forward to assembling a project team that will be
led by the consultant selected through this RFP process.
Proposal Guidelines
This Request For Proposals (RFP) represents the requirements for an open and competitive
process the Owners will employ to select a consultant for this project. Sealed proposals will be
accepted until 4:00 p.m., local time, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Sealed proposals shall
be hand-delivered or mailed to the City of Holland Transportation Services Department located
at 333 Wyngarden Way, Holland, Michigan 49423. Sealed proposals shall be clearly labeled on
the outside of the envelope "Holland Intermodal Port Improvements Project". The consultant
shall be responsible for verifying that their proposal has been received by the Owners. Any
proposals received after this date and time will be returned to the sender. Proposals must be
signed by an authorized official agent or representative of the company submitting the proposal.
Costs and level of effort provided in the proposal shall be all-inclusive to include any outsourced
or subcontracted work. The company submitting the proposal shall clearly identify and describe
all outsourced or subcontracted work. All costs and level of effort shall be itemized. Proposals
shall not exceed 35 pages in length, letter sized (8.5 x 11 inch) with font size a minimum of 11
point, including resumes and company experience. The company certifies their proposal
submitted has not been made or prepared in collusion with any other company and the prices,
terms or conditions thereof have not been communicated by or on behalf of the company to any
other company prior to the Owner's deadline for receiving proposals. This certification may be

treated for all purposes as if it were a sworn statement made under oath, subject to penalties for
perjury. Moreover, it is made subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Section 1001, related to the
making of false statements.
The Owners will host a meeting with prospective consultants at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September
22nd. Prospective consultants and Owner representatives will meet in the Council Chambers on
the first floor of City Hall for introductions and then proceed out to the site at #64 Pine Avenue.
The meeting is an opportunity for prospective consultants to familiarize themselves with the
project area. Prospective consultants are encouraged but not required to attend the meeting.
Proposals not meeting these criteria may be deemed non-responsive. The Owners are not liable
for any costs incurred by any prospective consultant prior to award of a contract, including any
costs associated with this solicitation. Proposals may be withdrawn by written request only if
the request is received in-person prior to the date and time proposals are accepted.
Evaluation of the proposals will focus initially on the written proposals submitted. If the Owners
determine additional information is required to make the final selection, interviews will be
requested from a short-list of companies that submitted proposals. Interviews, if necessary, shall
be held within a day or two after proposals are received.
Evaluation of the proposals will be based on the following criteria.
o Overall quality of the proposal and suitability to this project
o Experience completing similar projects, particularly MARAD funded or similar
o Examples of similar projects completed in the past or ongoing
o References or testimonials from other clients on similar projects
o Qualifications and expertise of the expected resources (key personnel) that will
be assigned to this project (including role, title, experience) including partner and
subcontract companies, as applicable
o Description of technical approach proposed for accomplishing the work
o Proposed schedule and work plan, which should include estimated level of effort
(hours) and cost itemized
o Local company and subcontractor presence
o Project management methodology
o Rate of pay for expected resources
o Itemized level of effort and cost
Contract terms and conditions shall be determined upon selection of the winning consultant for
this RFP. All contractual terms and conditions will be subject to review and approval by the
City Attorney to include scope, budget, schedule and other necessary items pertaining to the
project. Contract terms and conditions shall also be in compliance with MARAD's General
Terms and Conditions, including Exhibits for fiscal year 2025, dated May 8, 2026 and attached
as part of this RFP.

Project Scope
Preliminary Engineering
The Owners and MARAD want to execute a grant agreement as soon as possible. In order to
move the PIDP grant agreement forward with MARAD, the project must advance through the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA/SHPO) reviews which also includes 30% design completion of the
entire project. The consultant selected for this project shall make completion of these tasks a
priority as the project gets underway. An onsite meeting with MARAD staff is expected for
sometime in November of this year to help facilitate completion of these work activities. The
grant agreement shall also include a detailed scope, schedule and budget for the entire project.
Survey
The consultant selected for the project shall complete a comprehensive topographical survey of
the site. The survey shall extend, at a minimum, 100 feet beyond the road limits and shall
include topographic shots to profile all driveways and parking lots up to the building structures
and profile all cross streets 100 feet in all directions. This additional street topography shall
include all utilities. For reconstruction of the seawall, the topographic survey shall verify
datums and make sure both horizontal and vertical datums match up with the design plans for
the seawall construction. Survey shall also match up the exact coordinates, location and
dimensions for the new relocated storm sewer outlet. No additional survey work shall be
required for the seawall. Full topographic survey shall be required for the site at #64 Pine
Avenue and all the roadways included within the project area as shown on Figure #2.
Some assistance with road right-of-way along Pine Avenue may be required in the vicinity of
Brewer's City Dock. Back when Pine Avenue was last reconstructed in 2005, it appears that a
property exchange for aligning the new road with the right-of-way was not formally
recognized. The consultant selected for this project shall complete this land exchange with
assistance from Transportation Department staff and the City Attorney's office.
Over the course of the project, the Owners may direct the consultant to obtain additional
survey information in order to fully develop the plans. This work shall be completed at no
additional cost to the project provided the original scope of the project was not changed. With
this information in mind, retaining the services of a local land surveyor is preferred.
Geotechnical Investigation
The consultant will be responsible for conducting a geotechnical evaluation for the project.
The geotechnical evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, 15 borings advanced to a depth
of 15 vertical feet below ground surface, the borings shall include standard penetration tests.
An additional 12 borings shall be advanced to a depth of 25 vertical feet below ground surface
with standard penetration tests for all. If poor soils are encountered, additional depth may be
required. Locations of all soil borings, testing and pavement cores shall be approved by the

Owners prior to commencement of the work. Also, no ground disturbing work may take place
without prior notification and approval from MARAD.
Key Components
The project includes three key components. A detailed description of each component is listed
below and a detailed map of the area highlighting the key components, Figure 2, is attached.
1. Reconstruction of the Seawall at #64 Pine Avenue
The existing seawall at 64 Pine Avenue is composed of steel sheet pile and a concrete cap. It is
88 years old, and a condition assessment completed in 2022 indicated it is structurally
inadequate. It will not be able to sustain continued loading of heavy aggregate stone piles,
which will be necessary for its future industrial use. The Owners are working closely with the
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) on the seawall design, as well as to ensure all environmental,
wetland, and wildlife concerns are appropriately addressed. This work is captured in a joint
permit application (JPA) that has been submitted to EGLE and USACE for review and
attached to this RFP. The seawall will be rebuilt to ensure it can support increased weight of
product delivered via maritime freight. As proposed, the seawall will be 137 feet long,
constructed of steel sheet pile that is 21.5 feet "deep" and will be secured in the lake bottom.
As required by EGLE/USACE, the project utilizes all necessary structures and processes to
protect the navigable waters adjacent to the seawall. For all proposed marine construction
activities, turbidity curtains will be used to retain sediment-laden water from circulating
throughout Lake Macatawa. In addition, silt fencing will be utilized on the landside to prevent
sediment runoff into the lake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have a historical easement
along the seawall to support ongoing dredging operations, which is part of ongoing discussions
in support of this project to ensure efficient freighter operations on site.
The design of the seawall and JPA are essentially complete. A separate company will finalize
seawall design, make final updates to plans and specifications as needed in order to get this part
of the project ready for bids. The consultant selected through this RFP shall incorporate these
documents into a larger bid or multiple bids for the overall project. Inspection and construction
administration of the new seawall shall be by a separate company and the consultant selected
under this RFP shall coordinate this part of the project with all other aspects of the project.
2. Site Work at #64 Pine Avenue
This component will accomplish the multifaceted work of upgrading the site at 64 Pine Avenue
in preparation for its future use as an industrial port location as shown in Figure 3 attached.
a. Construction of Aggregate Surface
The anticipated future industrial user of the site, Verplank Dock Co., is a distributor of
aggregate materials. To safely receive this product onsite via maritime freight, a large, level
area of crushed limestone capped with asphalt will be constructed within reach of a ship's arm.
Additional site grading will also be completed, as former land use on site lowered the level of

the land in some areas for coal storage. It is important to note that the 64 Pine Avenue site is
significantly larger than the Verplank Dock Co.'s current Holland port site. By making
changes to accommodate Verplank's operations on site, this work will result in critical
increased capacity that will raise the significance of the Holland port.
b. Rebuilding of Infrastructure to Support New Industrial Use
The existing 72" City storm outfall is approximately 90 years old and will be properly
abandoned and relocated to avoid conflicts with the anticipated future industrial use. The storm
sewer will be relocated to an easement on the North side of the site (near the existing 48"
wastewater effluent line) to allow for future easier City access without impacting the planned
development. The relocation of the storm sewer will add capacity to the site's industrial
operations and will assist in mitigating flooding concerns on Pine Avenue. All driveways and
truck connections planned over top of the relocated storm sewer shall be built to distribute live
loads from truck traffic around the new storm sewer. Additional utilities (water, sewer,
electric) shall be built onsite to prepare the property for its new industrial use by Verplank
Dock Company. The City has an existing hydraulic model for the storm water along Pine
Avenue. The consultant selected for this project shall refresh and update the hydraulic model
for the relocated storm sewer and shall also include the rerouting of some existing storm water
runoff from the northern section of Pine Avenue. This shall allow for the retirement of a storm
water pump station currently located at the south end of Van Bragt Park. The hydraulic model
shall be reviewed and approved by the City's storm water consultant.
c. Environmental
The property has some existing wetland areas. There are currently trenches onsite to mitigate
some water distribution issues. Wetland mitigation will be done through the purchase of
wetland credits offsite. The current drawing from the JPA depicts the plan for effective
stormwater management.
d. Onsite Road Improvements
The construction of thoughtful traffic patterns within the site will be developed to minimize
exits onto Pine Avenue, providing better flow and boosting driver and pedestrian safety. The
design shall also include provisions for adjacent Brewer's City Dock truck traffic to utilize the
new truck scale at #64 Pine Avenue and the new traffic signal at 4th Street and Pine Avenue.
3. Public Road Improvements
As a main thoroughfare into downtown Holland and its surrounding neighborhoods, Pine
Avenue averages 17,061 daily traffic (measured August 12, 2024), making it one of the city's
busiest roadways. Further, a recent traffic study by WSP Michigan, Inc. found that during peak
times, approximately 57 trucks enter and 57 trucks exit the Pine Avenue corridor, with a total
of about 450 truck trips in and 450 out per day across the three industrial port users (Verplank
Dock Co., Brewer's City Dock, and Padnos). Between 2022-2024, 80 crashes occurred along
the project area, with 16 resulting in injuries.

This project component will facilitate a change in truck traffic to increase port efficiency and
improve safety, allowing trucks to be directed away from downtown Holland by changing Pine
Avenue to two-way traffic as recommended in the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council's
2019 downtown traffic study. This work includes the addition of two traffic signals to provide
protected turning movements for truck traffic, increasing overall safety for downtown traffic.
The two new signals would be located at the intersection of 4th Street and Pine Avenue and the
intersection of River Avenue and Pine Avenue near the south end of the Unity Bridge. The
extents of the public road improvements are shown in Figure 2 attached.
The City of Holland will integrate trucking access into the east side of the site at 64 Pine
Avenue, prioritizing accessibility to neighboring waterfront properties that also operate
significant port operations and safe, efficient, and reliable access onto Pine Avenue.
Utility improvements including new water and sanitary sewer may be included within the
overall project, however, these utility improvements shall be designed by other companies.
The consultant selected through this RFP shall incorporate these documents into a larger bid or
multiple bids for the overall project.
Additionally, ongoing high water levels on Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa make segments
of Pine Avenue prone to flooding. This project shall raise the height of Pine Avenue to provide
more long-term resiliency. Storm sewer lines along Pine Avenue will also be relocated and
improved to further mitigate periodic high water and flooding issues on Pine.
Design - Plans, Specifications and Estimate
All roadway and site design shall be performed in accordance with the American Association
of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), latest edition of the Policy on
Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (Green Book), the latest edition of the AASHTO
Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, the latest edition of the AASHTO Guide for
the Development of Pedestrian Facilities, the Michigan Manual for Uniform Traffic Control
Devices (MMUTCD), and MDOT's 2020 Standard Specifications for Construction as well as
MDOT's standard plans for road construction. Any design exceptions will require
authorization from the Owner.
The consultant shall be responsible for submitting a pavement design that demonstrates that the
proposed road cross section is adequate for the current and anticipated future loading
conditions. The Owner will provide traffic count data as a basis for this design.
Project drawings shall have combined plan and profile views on the same sheet. All plan and
profile sheets shall be 40 scale unless otherwise directed by the City. Overall grading limits shall
be included from the POB to the POE, under no circumstances shall the project drawings be
issued without grading limits established and clearly shown on the drawings. Cross sections
shall be established at 50 FT intervals, at all drainage crossings, at all driveway approaches and
as requested by the Owner. The cross sections shall extend from edge of right-of-way to edge

of right-of-way or to the grading limits, whichever is widest. Cross sections shall be updated
and submitted to the Owner along with the plan and profile sheets.
Driveway opening widths and slopes, in particular, shall meet or, more preferably, exceed
applicable MDOT standards. Catch basins and drainage inlets shall be located so as to avoid
driveway approaches and sidewalk ramps. All improvements shall be in compliance with the
latest ADA requirements. Options for traffic calming shall be examined by the consultant and
proposed to the Owner for consideration. Traffic controls and all permanent and temporary
signage shall be in accordance with the latest edition of the Michigan Manual on Uniform
Traffic Devices.
Quantities for road construction pay items such as Earth Excavation and Embankment shall be
computed by average end areas using cross sections determined from original and final
elevation measurements as indicated in MDOT's 2020 Standard Specifications for
Construction.
Unless otherwise indicated, the storm sewer system shall be designed so that there is no
surcharge of any pipes or structures during a 25 year storm event according to Atlas 14
hydrologic data. After initial review of the proposed storm sewer design, the Owner reserves
the right to modify the design criteria in order to address any specific requirements for the
project. There may be some instances where the Owner may require the storm sewer to be
designed to accommodate a rain event greater than a 25 year storm (i.e., critical mainline storm
sewer) or there may be some instances where a 10 year requirement for the storm sewer is
appropriate. The consultant and Owner shall work together in arriving at the best possible
design with the Owner's best interests in mind.
Drainage from all public right-of-way (roadway, sidewalk, parkway, etc.) shall be designed so
that it is directed to the public storm sewer system. The design shall include proposed drainage
improvements that accommodate sump pump and/or gravity storm sewer laterals for every
parcel within the proposed project limits. This is typically done most cost effectively by
locating catch basins and drainage inlets at property lines, adding sleeves under driveway
approaches for future sump pump lines and possibly adding drainage improvements in the
parkway. The consultant shall make every effort to minimize the amount of infrastructure that
is placed in the parkway in order to meet this requirement.
The drainage design shall be watershed-based and accommodate run off from surrounding
public and private properties that are tributary to the areas storm sewer system and not create
areas of standing water. Upon completion of the storm sewer design, the consultant shall
submit a formal report with all calculations, maps and backup information to the owner.
As is typical with road construction projects, local access must be maintained to all properties
located within the construction limits. The consultant shall work with individual property

owners when necessary to determine the best way of maintaining their daily operations during
construction.
Permitting
The consultant shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary permits (CSX, MIOSHA, OSHA,
EPA, NESHAP, EGLE, SESC/NPDES, Grading, etc.), easements, acquisitions, authorizations
and approvals that are necessary to bid and successfully complete the project.
There is at least one railroad crossing located within the project limits that is owned and operated
by CSX. The consultant selected for this project shall make permitting with CSX a critical path
item on the project schedule and a priority on this project in order to maintain overall project
schedule.
Generally, nominal permit fees shall be paid for by the consultant and reimbursed by the Owner.
However, in the case of CSX and possibly others with potentially significant permit fees, the
Owner may authorized direct payments to the permitting agency. Prospective consultants shall
not estimate or include permit fees within their proposals at this stage of the project.
Construction Staking
With exception to the new seawall construction, the consultant shall provide construction staking
for the entire project under the supervision of a licensed land surveyor. The construction staking
shall be coordinated with the contractor. Cut/fill elevations to pipes, curb & gutter and
finish/intermediate road grades shall be provided on the stakes and clearly explained to the
contractor prior to construction. The surveyor shall be responsible for providing timely, clear,
accurate and precise staking throughout the project. The Owner will not be responsible for any
costs associated with damaged, disturbed or obliterated stakes and the Owner shall not be held
responsible for any costs associated with re-staking that may be required in order to successfully
complete the project. Errors in construction staking and measures required to correct the errors
shall be the responsibility of the Consultant.
Survey work on past projects, including construction staking, has resulted in undesirable paint
marks being left behind on various construction projects. At the end of the project, there shall
be no paint marks remaining anywhere on the job site. All survey work, including construction
staking, shall be conducted such that no paint marks shall be left on any surfaces including but
not limited to concrete sidewalk. In the event paint marks are left behind, it shall be the
responsibility of the consultant to remove at their own expense and retainage shall be withheld
until all paint marks are removed.
Resident Inspection
With exception to the new seawall construction, the consultant shall provide resident
inspection for the entire project. We expect the resident inspector (RI) to be onsite whenever
work is being done on the project and at the request of the Owner, if the RI is needed even
though the contractor may not be onsite. For the purposes of estimating, we anticipate the RI

will be required an average of 60 hours per week. The consultant shall include the RI hours
worked on invoices to the City for the purpose of tracking and monitoring costs. All overtime
or premium pay shall be included in the costs provided in this proposal including travel time
and travel expenses. The consultant shall only bill for the hours worked by the RI, if the actual
construction schedule ends up requiring less RI hours than is estimated, the City / BPW
expects to realize those cost savings.
The consultant shall be responsible for all SESC requirements for the project, including but not
limited to, all onsite inspection, coordination with the contractor and all record keeping by
certified personnel. Streets under construction during the project shall be closed to through
traffic; however, access must be maintained for those residents and businesses along the
construction corridor. The consultant shall be responsible for providing written notices to
residents during key phases of the project that may affect access to individual residents (i.e.,
prior to pouring curb and gutter, driveway work, etc.). The resident inspector shall have a
minimum of 10 years of resident inspection experience and possess current, valid EGLE SESC
certifications as well as current, valid MDOT density technology, bituminous paving,
aggregate and concrete field testing certifications.
Materials Testing
The consultant shall provide all materials testing consistent with Owner and MDOT procedures
and frequencies. All testing shall be provided by personnel who possess current MDOT testing
certifications for the materials that are being tested.
Record Drawings
The consultant shall provide record drawings consistent with Owner and MDOT standards and
specifications. The consultant should expect final payment to be withheld until accurate record
drawings are provided to the City and BPW on mylar and in AutoCAD and Adobe .pdf electronic
format.
Contract Administration
The consultant shall perform all necessary contract administration. The Consultant shall create
a Field Manager file(s) for the project(s) and administer the project(s) through the use of Field
Manager. The onsite inspector must utilize Field Book and have Field Book available via
laptop or other electronic device on a daily basis in the field. The consultant will also be
responsible for itemizing all construction billing into a number of separate categories to be
determined prior to construction based on City breakdowns. The use of Field Manager or other
Owner approved equivalent is required.
PIDP Grant Administration
The consultant shall perform all necessary grant administration with MARAD. Administration
of the grant shall include all preliminary engineering work up to an including execution of the
grant agreement between the Owners and MARAD as well as all requirements identified in the
grant agreement and necessary throughout the course of implementation of the project.

Public Engagement
The consultant shall expect a lengthy and exhausting public engagement process for this
project. Several meetings with the public, utility companies, neighboring road commissions,
City Council, Boards and Commissions are expected. The consultant shall prepare powerpoint
presentations and make appropriate staff available for each of these engagements.
Project Schedule
The consultant shall prioritize completion of all preliminary engineering necessary in order to
complete the grant agreement between the Owners and MARAD. Once the grant agreement is
in place, the project team will have a more complete understanding of the overall project
schedule. Tentatively, the Owners have the following general milestones in mind for the
project.
o Grant Agreement - Late 2026 into early 2027
o Seawall Construction - 2027 into 2028
o #64 Pine Avenue Site Work - 2028
o Move Aggregate Product to #64 Pine Avenue - Late 2028
o Road Work - 2028
The overall project schedule is subject change depending on a number of factors including, but
not limited to, efficiently working through the NEPA and Section 106 process in order to
complete the grant agreement.
Summary/Conclusion
The cost of the proposed services is significant in the selection process, however, cost will not
be the sole criterion in selecting a consultant. Moreover, for this particular project, the Owners
shall award the project to a consultant based heavily on qualifications and past experience on
similar projects, particularly those that include work with MARAD. We are seeking assurance
that the selected consultant has the experience and capability to carry this project to a timely
and successful completion, the capability and willingness to work with interdisciplinary
members of Owner's staff in project development, and the public relations skills to serve as
representatives of the Owner in interaction with the public during the design of the project and
over the course of construction. Each consultant shall visit the site and fully acquaint
themselves with the site conditions so that they may fully understand the facilities, difficulties
and restrictions involved with the execution of the work.
Throughout the course of this project, the Owner reserves the right to adjust the scope of the
project. Any and all modifications in the scope of the project shall be negotiated between the
consultant and Owner. Any additions or deletions in scope shall be provided in writing to the
consultant. If such direction is given, in case of a deletion in scope, the consultant shall be
appropriately compensated for satisfactory work performed to the date, and in the case of an