Ridgeland Avenue Improvement Projects

Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
for
Professional Engineering Services for Construction Engineering (Phase III)
for the
Ridgeland Avenue Improvement Projects
RFQ Issued: July 30, 2026
Response Due: 4:00 PM on August 18, 2026
The Village of Oak Park, Illinois (the Village) is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit qualifications from
interested engineering firms to provide Phase III Construction Engineering Services for the Ridgeland Avenue
Improvement Projects.
To have your qualifications considered, the documents must be submitted via email to aspentzouris@oak-park.us.
Qualifications must be received by email to aspentzouris@oak-park.us no later than 4:00 PM on August 18, 2026.
Qualifications received after the closing time and date will not be considered. It is the responsibility of the Consultant to
notify the Village, via the email address above, of their intent of submitting a proposal so that they are on the RFP-
holder list in case of addenda being issued.
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Project Information
Notice to Firms
The Village of Oak Park, Illinois (the Village) is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit qualifications from
interested engineering firms to provide Phase III Construction Engineering Services for two separate construction
projects on Ridgeland Avenue in Oak Park, IL. These services will be procured in accordance with the Village's policy on
Qualifications Based Selection (QBS).
Project Objective
The requested Phase III Construction Engineering Services are for two separate construction projects on Ridgeland
Avenue in Oak Park, IL planned for 2027 construction. One project (Project A) is the locally funded Ridgeland Avenue
Sewer Replacement Project and the other project (Project B) is the federally funded Ridgeland Avenue Improvements
Project (Section 24-00268-00-RS). The two projects will potentially have different contractors. The construction
engineering services will require a separate contract for each project, and Project B's construction engineering contract
will be federally funded for a portion of the costs. An Engineering Services Agreement will be executed with the Village
and reviewed and approved by IDOT for the federally funded project.
The Village of Oak Park's consultant for Phase I & II design, GFT, is nearing completion on the design of the federally funded
Ridgeland Avenue Improvements project which is anticipated to be bid in January 2027, while the sewer improvements
project is being designed by the Village and will be bid in early 2027. Full descriptions of the two projects are as follows
below:
Ridgeland Avenue Sewer Improvements Project (Project A):
The proposed locally funded sewer project includes combined sewer main replacement via open cut trenching on
Ridgeland Avenue from Berkshire Street to Greenfield Street. The existing 12-15-inch combined sewer main will
be replaced with a new 18-inch sewer main. Work also includes sanitary sewer lateral replacements and storm
sewer replacement within the right-of-way. Temporary asphalt restoration will also be included so that the
roadways can be opened prior to Project B. Letting is planned for late 2026 or early 2027 with construction starting
in early spring as soon as weather permits.
Federally funded Ridgeland Avenue Improvements Project Section 24-00268-00-RS (Project B):
The proposed Federally funded project includes work on Ridgeland Avenue from Augusta Street to North Avenue.
Work includes resurfacing the existing street, curb and pavement patching, ADA curb ramp improvements, partial
sidewalk replacement for accessibility, curb bump-outs, curb pedestrian medians, and curb traffic diverters, traffic
signal improvements at the intersections of Ridgeland/Division and Ridgeland/Lenox, street lighting
improvements, and pavement markings. The project is currently anticipated to be let on the IDOT January 15,
2027 letting with a construction duration of 90 working days. The current engineer's estimate for the work is
approximately $2.9M which includes federal STP funds.
Reference Materials:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/dkv69bb9iamtp1zx5jwup/ABPfy42LDFltrVUA3HSUROg?rlkey=x293wmvmecnhnh9xi0
m7v0ad9&st=76cme7x5&dl=0
* Ridgeland Avenue Improvements Projects - Location Map
* Ridgeland Avenue Improvements Project (24-00268-00-RS) - PSE Documents
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Budget
The Village currently has $175,000 budgeted for Phase III engineering services for Project B, and the Village will adjust
the budget amounts for the overall project during the upcoming 2027 budget process this fall.
Scope of Services
Firms responding to this RFQ must be prequalified by IDOT for the following categories:
* Special Services - Construction Inspection
* Highways - Roads and Streets
The scope of services shall include all services as required for the Phase III construction engineering work for both
projects.
1. Provide project oversight by a full time resident engineer (RE), a full time construction inspector for both
projects. Depending on schedule, the construction inspector could transition from the sewer project to the
federally funded project. The resident engineer should have relevant experience overseeing major projects
consisting of multiple contracts. Field staff assigned to the project shall be capable of effectively
communicating with the residents and other stakeholders affected by the project. It is recommended that all
staff be IDOT Documentation of Contract Quantities certified, and this requirement is required for the RE.
2. Review Plans and Specifications with assigned field-staff prior to pre-construction meeting for each of the
projects.
3. Follow IDOT documentation procedures in general for both projects, and Project B will be administered
through IDOT.
4. Schedule, lead, and prepare minutes for pre-construction meetings at Oak Park Public Works for both projects.
a. Notify utility agencies of time and place of meeting.
b. Notify affected Village Departments/Divisions, including Police and Fire, coordinating any major items
or issues prior to the pre-construction meeting.
i. Prior to meeting:
1. Determine any impacts to schools.
2. Determine any impacts to parks.
3. Determine any impacts to businesses.
4. Determine any impacts due to the Village's 2027 CIP map.
c. A separate meeting will be scheduled and conducted by IDOT for Project B and the consultant is
required to attend the meeting as the representative for the Village of Oak Park, and prepare minutes
as necessary. Attend any other required IDOT meetings.
5. Develop an overall proposed communication plan and outreach strategy for the two projects. The consultant
shall be responsible for all outreach related to these projects, including construction impacts and updates,
safety improvements, and coordination for road closures. The outreach shall include direct coordination with
those impacted by the project in addition to general updates to be shared through Village communication
channels. A communication sub-consultant is not required and this work can be self-performed by the
consultant.
6. Coordinate and attend a meeting with all affected schools, churches, and parks staff. Follow up and coordinate
with the administration throughout the duration of the project as necessary.
7. Special event requests to the Village (e.g. 5k's, festivals, etc.) will be forwarded to the consultant to determine
any impacts caused by this project and will alert staff of any impacts. The consultant will help coordinate the
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schedule of work to accommodate any special-events and mitigate the impacts, and may have to meet with
race or festival organizers as needed. At times there can be several new special-event requests per week.
8. Coordinate with the contractor, residents, and staff during leaf collection season. The Village collects bagged
leaves in late October through December.
9. Resident parkway sprinklers may be damaged during the work. The consultant shall coordinate repair of the
sprinklers with the resident. In the case that the contractor will not accept damage of the sprinklers, the
consultant is to coordinate with the residents to fill out ROW encroachment agreements at which then the
Village will reimburse the damage.
10. Engineer to coordinate pedestrian-pad and bus stop sign locations with CTA during construction.
11. Coordinate projects with the business districts, churches, park district, schools, etc., including coordination for
sidewalk closures.
12. The consultant shall coordinate work with any adjacent developments within the project limits.
13. Draft and prepare construction notification letters with Village supplied parking passes in pdf form when
necessary and stuff envelopes supplied by the Village for mailing by the Village of Oak Park.
14. Notify and coordinate work with the utility companies, Village Water Sewer Division, Streets Division,
Environmental Services and Street Lighting Division.
15. Coordinate loss-of-parking impacts with the Village of Oak Park Parking and Mobility Services Department and
prepare parking passes for distribution, which are generally distributed with the construction letters to
residents. Permit-zone parking impacts can require a different letter to permit-holders as they may park on the
affected street but may not otherwise receive a letter as they do not live on the affected street; this sometimes
also requires the consultant placing parking-passes on cars within the permit-zones a day in advance (once in
the morning and once at night). The Village will forward any requests from residents in need of parking passes
during the work to the consultant, whom will coordinate with them and deliver or drop off passes as needed
(consultants usually keep extra copies of parking passes in their field vehicles).
16. Coordinate any loss of trash collection services with the Oak Park Environmental Services Department, this
occurs for instance when alley entrances are blocked.
17. Coordinate with all permit agencies as necessary (MWRD).
18. Provide contact person and phone number to respond to resident inquiries and complaints.
19. Track punch-list using cloud-based programs so that the village can access and review.
20. Provide 24 hour emergency contact information, provide contact person and phone number to respond to
business and resident inquiries and complaints. Inquiries and complaints received by public works staff will be
forwarded for the consultant to respond. The contract information will also be displayed online on the Village's
GIS CIP story-map page.
21. Verify the layout of proposed work
a. The contract includes construction layout as a contractor pay item. The consultant shall verify the
construction staking and layout for accuracy and conformance with contract plans, and intent of the
project.
b. The consultant shall verify all ADA ramp grades and layout with the Contractor. The consultant shall
work with the Contractor to remediate all failed ADA ramps to meet IDOT standards.
22. Construction Observation
a. The consultant team shall maintain daily oversight of the contractor's 'two week look ahead schedule'
to ensure sequencing of the work accounts for all subsequent payitems (e.g. reviewing the typical
section with contractor prior to grinding to ensure constructability and that it can be paved per the
proposed specifications).
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b. Project ID signs are erected at each project location. These signs shall have a water-proof
repositionable vinyl "sticker" added to each sign indicating a construction completion month. The
consultant shall alert the contractor if the schedule "sticker" needs to be updated at any given project
location.
c. Coordinate Quality Assurance/Quality Control of Materials materials-testing in Accordance with latest
IDOT policies for Project B. The Village has existing contracts for annual QA/QC services for CIP
projects.
d. Inspect all construction warning signs and devices.
e. Provide weekly construction updates to the Village for inclusion in the published Weekly Manager's
report, as well as providing information needed on the project page of the Village's online GIS CIP story
map page (to be entered by others).
i. Provide all IDOT reports necessary such as the Weekly Report of Resident and all traffic control
inspection reports to IDOT for Project B.
f. Organize and lead any project meetings required, as well as organize a monthly meeting with Village
Staff. It is expected that each of the two contracts will have weekly onsite project meetings.
g. Coordinate with Village staff for adjacent 2027 CIP projects in terms of parking and overall impacts to
residents and businesses.
h. Maintain a project diary and daily inspection log per IDOT requirements.
i. Submit monthly pay estimates to the village for Project A and to IDOT for Project B. Develop and verify
payment requests. Consultant shall collect and review all waivers, affidavits, and certified payrolls prior
to recommending payment to the Village.
j. Coordinate sidewalk outage and access with all businesses, schools, churches, and residents.
Construction staging is important and the consultant shall keep track of pedestrian accessibility routes
during construction for each project site with 1 side of the sidewalk open at all times, and generally
maximum of two ADA corners closed at a time in any given intersection. The consultant shall refer to
the Village's Safe Routes to School map when ensuring accessibility throughout the projects is
maintained. Depending on the size and needs of each site this may require the consultant creating a
sketch sequencing the ADA corners, to be provided to the Contractor.
k. Collect and review all material tickets on a daily basis.
l. Verify proper installation and operation of traffic signal and lighting improvements.
m. The Consultant shall oversee proof rolling of subgrade prior to pavement construction. The Consultant
shall be responsible for determining areas of unsuitable soil replacement. The Consultant shall provide
estimated contract quantities for unsuitable soil removal and replacement of subbase materials based
on their evaluation of existing pavements and with recommendations from the Village. Any additional
material or geotechnical testing required due to unsuitable soils shall be outside of this contract.
n. Bump-test final-surface paving for Project B.
23. Construction Documentation
a. Keep track of all quantities related to each pay item, tracking the current projected-total at all times
and notify the Village in advance if the contract amount will be exceeded.
b. Perform yield checks on all materials, and depth checks as required.
c. Establish and maintain schedule for progress payments.
d. Develop and verify payment requests.
e. Assure all documentation follows IDOT standards in general for both projects; and Project B will be
administered through IDOT.
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f. Complete all records in CMMS per IDOT requirements for Project B. Project A does not need to be in
CMMS, the consultant shall maintain an IDR book, and a Quantities Book.
g. Compile prior-approval authorization of contract change, and submit any change-orders to IDOT for
extra work for Project B. Change-orders for Project A will still be reviewed by the consultant but
submitted to the village for final approval.
h. Review and approve all required shop-drawings.
24. Construction project closeout for each project
a. Verify final measurements/quantities with Contractor.
b. Develop a final punch list and verify satisfactory completion
c. Provide final project accounting/documentation to IDOT for Project B, and to the village for Project A.
d. Provide as built drawings in Electronic format (pdf and cad-file converted to microstation file). As-built
drawings for Project B shall include final locations of sidewalk and curb replacement, paving limits, as-
built cross-sections indicating existing and constructed pavement section, and as-built drawings of the
lighting and signal improvements. As-built drawings for Project A shall include dimensions and offsets
including: sizes, material-type, and depth/inverts, and locations of utilities abandoned with the project.
e. Conduct Final Inspection (walk-through) with Village Representatives, and IDOT as required for each
project.
f. Consultant shall review final quantities with the contractor and present an agreed upon final-estimate
to the Village for processing.
g. Process final payment for all projects.
h. Close all permits (MWRD)
i. Close out Project B with IDOT and submit all paperwork as required. Close out Project A and submit job
box to the Village of Oak Park for both projects.
The current anticipated schedule for the services (pending IDOT approval of agreements) is:
* Anticipated award of an agreement: September 15, 2026
* Start of services: February-March 2027
* Project closeout: March-April 2028
The detailed scope of services and schedule will be negotiated at the time of contract development.
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General Requirements
General
The following general information is provided and will be carefully followed by all Consultants to ensure the
qualifications are properly prepared.
1. All submitting Consultants must furnish all information required by this RFQ.
2. The Village reserves the right to conduct discussions with qualified Consultants in any manner necessary to serve
the best interest of the Village and consistent with the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/).
Proprietary Information
1. Except as provided herein or as otherwise set forth in the Illinois Procurement Code, all proceedings, records,
contracts, and other public records relating to procurement transactions will be open to inspection in
accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/).
2. Each Consultant has the right to identify data or other materials submitted in connection with this procurement
as trade secrets or proprietary information, which will not be subject to inspection pursuant to the Illinois
Freedom of Information Act, by stating such in respect to the relevant portions at the time of submission of its
proposal.
Questions and Communication
1. All contact between prospective Consultants and the Village with respect to this RFQ will be formally held at
scheduled meetings or in writing through the issuing representative. Questions and comments regarding
meaning or interpretation of any aspect of this RFQ must be submitted in writing to aspentzouris@oak-park.us
and must be received on or before August 13, 2026. Only written questions will be accepted. Questions and/or
comments which are submitted after the deadline set forth within this RFQ will not be answered.
2. The Village will respond to all questions and comments that are submitted hereunder and are deemed to
address a matter that is relevant and substantive in nature within a reasonable period of time, in the form of a
written Addendum that will be transmitted to all prospective Consultants at the address furnished to the Village
for such purpose. Oral communications between the Village and Consultant regarding the interpretation or
meaning of any aspect of this RFQ are not authorized and may not be relied upon for any purpose.
Addenda to the RFQ
1. The Village reserves the right to amend this RFQ at any time prior to the deadline for submitting qualifications. If
it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFQ, notice of the revision will be given in the form of an
Addendum that will be provided to all prospective Consultants who are on record with the Village as having
received this RFQ. If, in the opinion of the Village, the deadline for the submission of proposals does not provide
sufficient time for consideration of any Addendum, then such deadline may be extended at the discretion of the
Village.
2. It will be the responsibility of each Consultant to contact the procurement contact identified in the RFQ prior to
submission of a proposal hereunder in order to determine whether any addenda have been issued in connection
with this proposal. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary, the failure of any Consultant to receive any
Addenda will neither constitute grounds for withdrawal of its proposal nor relieve such Consultant from any
responsibility for incorporating the provisions of any Addenda in its proposal. Upon issuance by the Village,
Addenda will be deemed to have become a part of this RFQ to the same extent as if set forth fully herein.
Arrearage, Debarment, and Suspension
By submitting qualifications in response to this RFQ, the Consultant will be deemed to represent that it is not in arrears
in the payment of any obligation due and owing the Village, the State of Illinois, or any public body in Illinois. This
representation will be deemed to include the payment of taxes and employee benefits. The Consultant further agrees
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that, in the event it is awarded a contract hereunder, it will not become in arrears to any such public body during the
term of the contract. The Consultant agrees that that no officer or employee thereof has been debarred or suspended or
otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in, any public procurement activity of a nature similar to this RFQ.
The Consultant will not knowingly engage any subcontractor who has been debarred or suspended or who is otherwise
excluded from or ineligible for participation in public procurement activity and will include in each of its subcontractors
and subcontractor agreements certifications on the part of its subcontractors that satisfy the requirements of this
provision. The consultant also represents that the firm does not appear on any active suspension or debarment lists with
the State of Illinois: https://cpo-dot.illinois.gov/suspensions.html
Submitting Qualifications
1. The deadline for submitting qualifications has been provided herein. Submittals will be opened in accordance
with the provisions of the Illinois Procurement Code. There will be no public opening. The list of prospective
Consultants will be available for public inspection only after Contract award or upon cancellation of the RFQ.
2. Except as set forth below, the required transmittal or cover letter must accompany the proposal. The purpose of
the transmittal or cover letter in to formally submit the qualifications to the Village and to bind the Consultant
to the terms, conditions and specifications contained in the RFQ. The transmittal or cover letter must be signed
by an individual who is authorized to bind the Consultant to all matters set forth in the qualifications.
Late Qualifications
Qualifications or unsolicited amendments to qualifications arriving after the deadline will not be considered.
Qualifications received after the deadline will be returned to the Consultant unopened providing that sufficient proposal
identification information is shown on the outside envelope.
Rejection of Qualifications
The Village reserves the right to: (a) reject any or all qualifications received; (b) cancel the RFQ at any time prior to
award; and/or (c) waive informalities in the event the Village determines such action is in its best interest. Qualifications
must meet or exceed the mandatory requirements of this RFQ. If a Consultant does not meet a mandatory requirement,
it will be rejected.
Presentations
The Village may, at its sole option, conduct interviews as part of the final selection process. Notification of interviews
will be made on or around August 21, 2026 and interviews will be held on August 26-27, 2026.
Negotiation
The Village requires a minimum three-person team to negotiate with firms. The team will consist of the Village Engineer
and two Civil Engineers. The team may delegate this responsibility to staff members.
In the event that the Village determines in writing and in its sole discretion that only one Consultant is fully qualified, or
that one Consultant is clearly more highly qualified and suitable than the others under consideration, a contract may be
negotiated and awarded to that Consultant. The Village reserves the right to negotiate any aspect of the proposal or the
Contract in any manner that best services the needs of the Village and is within the scope of this RFQ. The Village is
under no obligation to award, but may do so based upon an analysis of submitted qualifications and subsequent
negotiations.
Cost
The Village will not be liable in any way for any costs incurred by respondents in replying to this RFQ.
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Village of Oak Park Qualifications Based Selection Policy
The Village receives federal funds, which may be used to fund the engineering and design related consultant services.
Our written policies and procedures as described herein for QBS will meet the requirements of 23 CFR 172 and the
Brooks Act.
1. Initial Administration. The Village QBS policy and procedures assign responsibilities to the Village Engineer with
the Village for the procurement, management, and administration for consultant services.
2. Written Policies and Procedures. The Village believes their written policies and procedures substantially follows
Section 5-5 of the BLRS Manual and specifically Section 5-5.06(e), therefore; approval from IDOT is not required.
3. Project Description. The Village will use the following five items when developing the project description and
may include additional items when unique circumstances exist.
* Describe in general terms the need, purpose, and objective of the project;
* Identify the various project components;
* Establish the desired timetable for the effort;
* Identify any expected problems;
* Determine the total project budget.
4. Public Notice. The Village will post an announcement on our website www.oak-park.us and/or publish an ad in a
newspaper with appropriate circulation. The item will be advertised for at least 14 days prior to the acceptance
of proposals, and at least twice in the newspaper and/or on continuous display on our website.
5. Conflict of Interest. The Village requires consultants to submit a disclosure statement with their procedures. The
Village requires the use of the IDOT BDE DISC 2 Template as their conflict of interest form. This form will only be
requested from the selected consultant(s).
6. Suspension and Debarment. The Village will verify suspensions and/or debarment actions by use of the System
for Award Management (SAM) Exclusions, IDOT's Chief Procurement Office (CPO) website, Capital Development
Board CPO, General Services CPO, Higher Education CPO, Illinois Department of Labor, and the Illinois
Department of Human Rights websites to ensure the eligibility of firms short listed and selected for projects.
7. Evaluation Factors. The Village allows the Village Engineer to set the evaluation factors for each project but must
include a minimum of five criterion and stay within the established weighting range. The maximum of
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and local presence combined will not be more that 10% on projects
where federal funds are used. Project specific evaluation factors will be included at a minimum in the Request
for Qualifications.
* Technical Approach (10 - 30%)
* Firm Experience (10 - 30%)
* Specialized Expertise (10 - 30%)
* Staff Capabilities (Prime/Sub) (10 - 30%)
* Work Load Capacity (10 - 30%)
* Past Performance (10 - 30%)
* In-State or Local Presence (0 - 5%)
* DBE (0 - 5%)
8. Selection. The Village requires a minimum three-person selection committee. Typically, the selection committee
members include the Village Engineer and two Civil Engineers. The selection committee members must certify
that they do not have a conflict of interest. Selection committee members are chosen by the Village Engineer for
each project. The Village requires each member of the selection committee to provide an independent score for
each submittal using the form below prior to the selection committee meeting. The selection committee
members' scores are averaged for a committee score which is used to establish a short list of three firms. The
committee score is adjusted by the committee based on group discussion and information gained from
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presentations and interviews to develop a final ranking. If there are other firms within 10% of the minimum
score, the Village Engineer may choose to expand the short list to include more than three firms.
Criteria Weighting Points Firm 1 Firm 2 Firm X
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion X
Total 100% 100
9. Independent Estimate. The Village will prepare an independent in-house estimate for the project prior to
contract negotiation. The estimate is used in the negotiation.
10. Contract Negotiation. The Village requires a two-person team to negotiate with firms. The team consists of the
Village Engineer and Civil Engineer. Members of the negotiation team may delegate this responsibility to staff
members. A cost proposal will only be requested from the first ranked firm. If an agreement cannot be made on
an agreed cost, a proposal will be requested from the second ranked firm, and so on until a negotiated cost can
be agreed to. Any cost proposals from firms that were not selected will be disposed of.
11. Acceptable Costs. The Village requires the Village Engineer to review the contract costs and the indirect cost
rates to assure they are compliant with Federal cost principles prior to submission to IDOT.
12. Invoice Processing. The Village requires the Project Manager assigned to any project using federal funds to
review and approve all invoices prior to payment and submission to IDOT for reimbursement.
13. Project Administration. The Village requires the assigned Project Manager to monitor work on the project in
accordance with the contract and to file reports with the Village Engineer. The Village procedures require an
evaluation of the consultant's work at the end of each project. These reports are maintained in the Village's
consultant information database. The Village follows IDOT's requirements and the required submission of Form
BLR 05613 to the IDOT district at contract close-out along with the final invoice. Record retention, responsibility,
remedies to violations or breaches to a contract and resolution of disputes are covered under the Village's
standard agreement language that will be executed with the successful vendor.
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