N. Nassau Street Pipe Replacement Project RFQ (Design Services)

City of Charleston
N. Nassau Street Pipe Replacement Project
Request for Qualifications
(Design Services)
October 07, 2026
Statement of Qualifications must be received by 2:00 pm (EST) on October 30, 2026

Table of Contents
SECTION A: NOTICE TO DESIGN TEAMS ............................................................................................................. 3
SECTION B: BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION AND CONCEPTUAL PLAN .................................................................. 4
SECTION C: QUALIFICATIONS, SCOPE OF SERVICES AND SCHEDULE .................................................................. 5
SECTION D: SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS .........................................................................................................10
SECTION E: SELECTION PROCESS ......................................................................................................................14
ATTACHMENTS
A. Professional Services Contract Example.
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SECTION A: NOTICE TO DESIGN TEAMS
The City of Charleston is seeking an engineering firm to prepare a design for the N. Nassau Street Pipe
Replacement Project located in the east-central neighborhood of the Charleston peninsula. The project
aims to upsize existing pipes and install new pipes and drainage boxes in order to reduce chronic flooding
in the lowest parts of N. Nassau Street (from Isabella St. to Newmarket Creek).
The drainage basin is comprised of urban residential and industrial areas, covered by largely impervious
surfaces. Properties throughout the drainage basin are prone to flooding caused by both tidal influence
and storm events.
The selected Firm will obtain the necessary permits and prepare construction plans and drawings for bid.
Complete project work is also expected to include:
* Boundary, topographic, physical feature survey (Note: The City of Charleston has completed a
recent survey of the area, but the engineer will need a supplementary survey)
* Critical Area and Wetland delineation and permitting
* Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling
* Design and permitting
* Plan and permitting coordination with CWS and other utilities
* Preparation of construction plans, technical specifications, and bid documents
* Bid phase support
The Consultant should have the ability to meet Small Business Enterprise (SBE) goals established by the
City of Charleston.
Please contact the CITY Project Manager Grant Eversmann at 843-297-5586 or eversmanng@charleston-
sc.gov with any questions regarding the project. Please contact Ruth Jordan at 843-724-7434 or
jordanr@charleston-sc.gov with questions regarding Small Business Enterprise (SBE) requirements.
Statements of Qualifications will be received at the City of Charleston Stormwater Management, 2
George Street, Suite 2100, Charleston, SC 29401 until 2:00 pm (local time), October 30, 2026 for the N.
Nassau Street Pipe Replacement Project.
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SECTION B: BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The proposed project area is shown on the attached project location map (see Attachment A). Newmarket
Creek receives stormwater flow from the adjacent urban residential and industrial developments and the
subject drainage improvement area is bound by Isabella Street to the North and outfalls at Newmarket
Creek to the south. N. Nassau street is relatively low-lying and experiences flooding both as a result of
extreme tides and storm stormwater flow from the adjacent neighborhoods.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Consultant must be capable of providing turnkey project service including, but not limited to:
* Project Management and coordination
* Due diligence (Preliminary permitting research, utility research, environmental, topographic site
conditions, field investigation, geotechnical investigation, potential downstream impacts, evaluate
feasible alternatives, etc.),
* Hydrologic and Hydraulic modeling,
* Survey,
* Potholing
* Design and engineering drawings targeting the implementation of flood reduction
improvements.
* Environmental Services
* Turn-key Permitting Services (SCDOT, OCRM, USACE, CZC, County, City, etc.),
* Construction Bid Documents
* Engineer Opinion of Probable Cost
PROJECT GOAL
The purpose of this Project is to improve drainage on N. Nassau Street utilizing stormwater engineering
practices without adverse impacts upstream or downstream of the proposed project location. Proposed
flood mitigation solutions and designs should result in reducing the flood reduction potential in varying
design storms and tidal condition scenarios without worsening flooding conditions in any other locations.
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SECTION C: QUALIFICATIONS, SCOPE OF SERVICES AND SCHEDULE
Through this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), the CITY will select the most qualified Consultant to provide
engineering services per the Project Description above. A summary of the Consultant scope of services
and proposed schedule are as follows:
QUALIFICATIONS
Each Consultant who wishes to be considered for selection to perform this scope of services shall submit
to the CITY a concise description of:
1. Project Approach. The Consultant shall include a description of their management approach and
technical approach for the proposed scope of services.
2. Organization. Include a description of the Consultant including information regarding its primary
business, its background and history, its organizational structure, QA/QC program, and the
number of employees. This section should contain any additional information about the firm that
the Consultant feels will assist the CITY in better understanding the qualifications of the firm.
3. Personnel & References. All Statements of Qualifications will include and identify the top three
key team members to be assigned or employed to manage the Project by the Consultant with a
resume of each person (limit of 1 page, each). The proposal shall identify the person who will be
the primary day-to-day contact with CITY and the following two alternate personnel to be
assigned to the project. Also, key technical/environmental/permitting personnel shall be included
with a resume for each person (limit of 1/2 page each). The CITY requests that significant effort
should focus on highlighting the relevant qualifications and past experiences for the key team
members and technical/environmental/permitting personnel most likely comparable to work
detailed in the RFQ. Client references shall be provided on Project Resumes for key team
members. The proposal shall also identify all team members employed by SBE businesses
registered with the CITY.
4. Ability to perform the Scope of Services. At a minimum, please demonstrate how your firm meets
the following qualifications.
a. A minimum of five (5) years of professional design experience related to flood reduction
and mitigation work with a minimum of three (3) project examples. Each project reference
should include a short description of the scope of work, the size of the project, the
engineering approach, the engineering and project budget amounts, the actual final
project cost, the timeframe required for completion, and any exceptional successes or
challenges encountered during the duration of the project.
b. Experience coordinating with and obtaining required regulatory permits from the United
States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), South Carolina Department of Environmental
Services (SCDES), SCDES Bureau of Coastal Management (BCM), South Carolina
Department of Transportation (SCDOT), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
the City of Charleston (CITY), and other state, county, and local authorities having
jurisdiction.
c. Demonstrated knowledge of basin hydrology.
5. Capacity to Perform Work. Provide a description of the Consultant's capacity to perform work
requested by the CITY by describing the Consultant's current workload and the availability of the
staff to meet schedules. Please describe the methods utilized to track work progress, budgets,
and deadlines.
6. Small Business Enterprise (SBE). The Consultant shall clearly demonstrate how it intends to follow
the City's SBE guidelines for this project. (See Attachment B.)
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7. Licensures and Other Documentation. The Consultant shall provide professional licenses held by
the firm, certificate of current professional liability insurance, business licenses, and any
associations of which you are a member.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Consultant shall demonstrate ability to provided turnkey design, construction documents,
permitting, bidding, construction administration services as required for the project. Work may include,
but shall not be limited to:
1. Perform Preliminary Engineering including, but not limited to:
a. Evaluation of flood reduction benefits for varying combinations of the alternative
improvement concepts at various storms including evaluating improvements of maximum
flood depth, flood duration, and flood frequency
b. Preliminary permitting research for all governing agencies (USACE, FEMA, SHPO, SCDOT,
SCDES [BCM], Charleston Water System (CWS), County, City, etc.)
c. Easement/Property research and assistance with acquisition,
d. Environmental Impact (wetland impact, wetland remediation, etc.),
e. Evaluation of site conditions,
f. Field investigation as necessary,
g. Geotechnical investigation and analysis,
h. Determination of land requirement(s) for the proposed improvement(s),
i. Identification of potential downstream impacts, required real estate, etc.
j. Consideration and evaluation of alternate feasible solutions
2. Develop a preliminary Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H) model (ICPR4) for the project basin and
prepare a technical memo summarizing model outputs.
3. The consultant will develop design options that meet or exceed the following performance criteria:
a. Project Goals:
i. Significantly reduce flooding depth and inundation duration for the 10%, 4%, and
1% 24-hour Annual Exceedance Probability storms for areas adjacent to
Newmarket Creek. Design will evaluate and account for the effects of tidal
influence and projected sea level rise tailwater conditions using the City's
Stormwater Design Standards Manual assumptions.
ii. Minimize negative impacts to existing wetlands and creeks.
iii. Prevent adverse impacts throughout the drainage basin as a result of the selected
alternative improvements.
4. Once a concept alternative is prioritized and selected from the work conducted in item 3, the
consultant will prepare and submit to the City, plans, and technical specifications for City review
at 30%, and 90% levels of completeness., Submittals aligning with each milestone deliverable
should contain, but not be limited to the following:
a. Basis of Design Report:
i. Conceptual project design approach,
ii. Hydrologic and hydraulic calculations supporting the project design,
iii. Assumptions for easement acquisition, ecological impacts, permitting
requirements, and
iv. Engineer's Opinion of Probable Construction Cost
b. Plans:
i. Title Sheets including a Location Plan (1" = 500'), Index or List of Drawings,
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appropriate approval signatures, and the professional engineer stamp, registered
in the State of South Carolina, of the Consultant's Project Manager.
ii. Plan and profile sheets for existing features and demolition, proposed site layout
plan, proposed grading plan, existing and proposed cross sections (showing flow
control structure inverts and existing water surface elevations), utility relocation
plan and profiles (if needed), necessary cross sections, and landscaping plan.
iii. Construction detail sheets.
iv. A Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) shall be provided for the
construction of the project. The SWPPP shall be submitted to the CITY for review
and comment. An approved SWPPP from the CITY is required before the
Consultant is fully compensated.
c. Technical Specifications:
i. Construction specifications shall be provided for components of construction
including, but not limited to: activities related to grading, utilities, EPSC,
temporary and permanent vegetation, and water quality BMPs.
ii. Construction specifications shall conform to the latest version of SCDOT's
Standard Specifications for Highway Construction.
5. Based upon work conducted in Item 4 assist with easement acquisition including property owner
outreach, exhibit preparation, easement document preparation, City plat review, and any other
items associated with development and recording of plats within the City of Charleston.
6. Schedule and manage progress meetings with the CITY and/or their appointed representatives.
The Consultant shall prepare Status Reports for each meeting as well as produce all meeting
minutes. The Status Report shall include at a minimum:
d. Current scope of work completion status versus anticipated status,
e. Summary of budget status,
f. Project information and decision needs including the anticipated source, expected
response,
g. Time and any issues or problems that could delay the expected response,
h. Anticipated tasks and accomplishments for the coming reporting period,
i. Questions, comments, problematic issues and suggestions,
j. Identification of out-of-scope task work, and
k. Invoicing issues and proposals to address such issues.
7. Prepare and submit all necessary local, state and federal permits and certifications for the project
construction (such as, but not limited to):
l. United State Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) permitting
m. South Carolina Department of Transportation Encroachment Permit
n. South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) Bureau of Coastal
Management (BCM) Coastal Zone Consistency (CZC) Application and Critical Area and
Wetlands Permitting
o. City of Charleston Technical Review Committee
p. City of Charleston Engineering Permit Application
q. City of Charleston Stormwater MS4 Permit and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan
(SWPPP) approval
r. City of Charleston Design Review Committee
s. Other applicable permits.
8. Prepare Construction documents and assist in bidding. Responsibilities include developing and
finalizing cost estimates prior to bid, prepare necessary bid advertisements, develop and produce
construction documents for bidders, attend Pre-Bid Meetings, answer design questions, prepare
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addenda during the bid process in its entirety, review bidders proposal for qualifications and
accuracy, and provide formal recommendation for award.
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SCHEDULE
Key Project planning schedule milestones are as follows; the schedule is tentative only and The City reserves
the right to adjust the schedule as the City deems necessary:
October 30, 2026 Statements of Qualifications must be received by the CITY, 2 George Street, Suite
2100, Charleston, SC 29401 by 2:00 pm.
November 2026 Engineering design work commences.
August 2027 Project designs completed.
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SECTION D: SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS FORMAT
The CITY reserves the right to obtain financial data or other supplemental information concerning the
submitting entities, if relevant. Consultants should prepare their Statement of Qualifications simply and
economically, providing a straightforward and concise description of their abilities to provide the services
described at the expected quality level. The CITY reserves the right to accept the Statement of
Qualifications deemed most advantageous and in the best interest of the CITY.
Submission Details:
RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Those Consultants interested in providing services must submit one (1) unbound original, five (5) bound
copies, and a digital copy (on flash drive) of proposals. The base proposal is limited to 30 single-sided pages
8.5"x11" paper unless otherwise specified. Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Compliance Provision
Application and Affidavits (see Attachment E), liability insurance certificate, and professional insurance
certificate do NOT count toward the proposal page limit. The submission must include the items
specifically enumerated in the "Submission Development". In addition to the information required as
described below, an Offeror may submit supplemental information that it believes may be useful in
evaluating its submission. This information may include documents such as the Consultant's profile or
brochure. Additional supplemental information is limited to 20 single-sided pages separate from the
proposal and clearly labeled "Supplemental Material". A current resume including information on specific
related project experience and the role of the person on the project shall be submitted for key personnel.
If sub-consultants are to be used as key personnel, the resume requirement also applies. A digital copy
shall be provided in PDF format and all RFQ information should be submitted as a single file. Any
additional information supplemented to the RFQ should be submitted in PDF format in a separate single
file.
Submission Development:
All costs incurred by the Consultant associated with RFQ preparations and subsequent interviews and/or
negotiations, which may or may not lead to execution of the Contract, will be the responsibility entirely and
exclusively of the Consultant.
In responding to this RFQ, please submit a Statement of Qualifications addressing the following items:
1. Transmittal Letter with:
a. RFQ subject
b. Name of the Consultant responding, including mailing address, e-mail address, telephone
number, and name(s) of contact person(s).
c. The name of the person or person authorized to make representations on behalf of the
Consultant, binding the Consultant.
d. A Statement of Familiarity confirming key personnel have read proposal attachments,
visited the site and familiar with terrain and surrounding areas.
2. Description of the Consultant Project Approach and Understanding of the Project
3. Organization Description
4. Organizational Chart of Proposed Team showing names and roles of all key personnel and sub-
consultants
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