Design/Build - Outdoor Water Recreation Facility
| Location: | Kansas |
|---|---|
| Posted: | Apr 15, 2026 |
| Due: | May 15, 2026 |
| Agency: | Liberal city |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Bid Title: |
Design/Build - Outdoor Water Recreation Facility
|
| Category: | City Projects |
| Status: | Open |
|
Attachment Preview
OUTDOOR WATER RECREATION FACILITY
DESIGN/BUILD PROJECT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
ISSUED April 15, 2026
General Information & Project Overview
The City of Liberal is seeking qualified water recreation and aquatics facility consulting firms to provide planning, design, and
construction services for the development of a new outdoor water recreation facility in Liberal, Kansas. The goal of this facility
is to create an enjoyable aquatic experience for all residents and ages.
We envision the creation of an outdoor water recreation facility which integrates an unstaffed, openly accessible, large-scale
splash park with an adjacent paid-access, seasonally staffed facility featuring a lazy river and water park amenities suitable for
all ages. The location of this project will replace an existing facility – Adventure Bay Family Water Park – at the intersection of
N. Kansas Avenue and W. 11th Street inside Light Park. The current footprint of the water park facility is approximately 95,160
square feet. Parking infrastructure surrounds the current facility and will not need to be incorporated into facility design plans.
As part of the planning and design process, the consultant shall review community feedback collected and present visual design
concepts for further public engagement to incorporate feedback. The City of Liberal desires to have a new facility constructed
and operational by Summer 2027. This design-build contract will have a total budget cap of $5 million dollars ($5,000,000.00).
The City of Liberal; hereinafter referred to as the City, will accept sealed project proposals in the City Clerk office at City Hall,
324 N. Kansas Ave., Liberal, Kansas, until 10:00 a.m. CST, on May 15, 2026. Bids will be opened immediately after the RFP
deadline expiration at the City Administration Offices at City Hall.
Following bid award selection by the Liberal City Commission, a service contract will be required prior to commencing work on
this project. Bidders must be properly licensed under the laws governing their respective trades and be able to obtain insurance
and bonds required for the Work. A Performance Bond and Insurance in a form acceptable to City of Liberal will be required
of the successful Bidder.
Community Details
The City of Liberal was founded in 1888 and is home to nearly 20,000 residents. The city is located in Seward County at the
intersection of Highway 54 and Highway 83 in Southwest Kansas. There are approximately 6,386 households in our community
with 11.4 square miles of land within city limits. Our population is young, with a median age of 30.9 years. The 2023 median
household income was $61,875. Liberal is a culturally diverse community, with more than 29% of our population being born
outside of the country. More than 68% of residents in our community are Hispanic/Latino. The largest employer in the city is a
beef processing and packing plant. Liberal High School is classified as a 6A school with nearly 1,400 students enrolled. Seward
County Community College serves as a critical postsecondary education institution with a variety of programs, including several
technical trades, healthcare occupations, business, education agriculture, and more. The primary economic drivers in our
community consist of agricultural, transportation, and light manufacturing industries. Additional details about our community and
the scope of our City services can be found on our website at www.cityofliberal.org.
Project Contact
All inquiries regarding the RFP may be directed to:
Alicia Hidalgo, City Clerk
Phone - (620) 626-2204
Email - alicia.hidalgo@cityofliberal.org
Scope of Services
The objective of this process is to plan, engineer, and construct a new outdoor water recreation facility. With oversight from City
staff as well as feedback from public engagement activities, the selected Consultant team will complete the deliverables
identified in this RFP. The intent of the Scope of Services provided below is to serve as a framework, which consultants can use
to develop a more detailed qualification profile and scope of services based on their professional expertise and knowledge.
The Consultant is expected to provide interpretation and identification of deliverables or milestones it believes are integral to the
project in the submitted proposal. The following Scope of Services are provided as a general framework and are to be
incorporated into the Consultant’s proposed scope of work. However, the proposed scope of work is not limited to these
elements.
• Project Management – The Consultant will take the lead in managing their time, staff, project partners, resources,
budget, and related activities to ensure that the project objectives are met. The Consultant will be in close
communication with assigned City staff throughout the life of the project. City staff will provide general oversight of the
Consultant and will help to facilitate interactions with City staff, board/committee members, the general public, and
project stakeholders.
• Project Planning Services
o Public & Stakeholder Engagement – The Consultant shall be responsible for analyzing previously held
public engagement responses and data to incorporate feedback into project designs, as applicable. The
Consultant should facilitate conversation amongst stakeholders – including City staff, the Liberal City
Commission, and the local Focus on the Future Committee - in order to build consensus and clarity around
preferred strategy and associated action steps necessary to facilitate construction of a new facility. The City
will assist in arranging stakeholder meetings and presentations required to support project planning. Project
concept images shall be presented for stakeholder review to guide final design and selection of features.
o Market Analysis, Existing Conditions, & Data Analysis – The Consultant will work to understand the
market conditions, context, trends, and related information applicable to outdoor water recreation facilities in
relation to the larger community recreation opportunities. This information and data will be used to inform
project features and design.
• Engineering Design Services – Following planning efforts to examine needs, the firm will design and provide
engineering plans for an outdoor water recreation facility which aims to incorporate the following:
o Open Access Splash Park: The City desires for a large portion of the facility to feature a flow-through splash
pad/spray park which is openly accessible for the public as seasonal temperatures allow. This space should
feature a variety of interactive equipment and play structures for children and a special zone for young adults
to enjoy without the need for staff supervision. Designs should feature vibrant, artful designs and provide for
an attractive outdoor space even after water flow is turned off during cold months. Special lighting for evening
use should be added to enhance aesthetics and the user experience. This space must be ADA compliant.
o Paid Access Lazy River/Water Park: The City desires to incorporate a staffed-monitored, paid-access lazy
river and water park space with a recirculating water source and lounge areas/cabanas that are open on a
seasonal basis. This space will be located next to or within the splash pad/spray park so families have close
access to monitor children playing in the nearby splash pad/spray area. Desirable features to consider include
a kids’ play structure with a zero-entry shallow pool; horizontal water slides; incorporated sound system; spray
features or overhead waterfall tunnels for the lazy river; a surf simulator; special evening lighting to enhance
design aesthetics and guest experience; and river channel spaces to support water walking and senior fitness
activities prior to regular hours. Multiple shaded staff monitoring stations throughout this space should be
included to allow lifeguards to monitor guests and exit gates into the splash pad/spray park.
o Building Facilities: One or more building facilities should be included to house staff spaces (indoor break
area, small office, etc); an admissions booth for the lazy river/water park; a dual-sided concession stand with
service windows facing the open access and paid access sides of the facility; and restroom change areas with
guest locker storage. A separate building/enclosure will be required to support pump system machinery for
facility operations.
• Construction Services – The Consultant will be responsible for assisting with pre-bid questions for contractor sourcing
and managing construction partners to complete the project in accordance with federal, state, and local codes. The
project should be designed with ADA accessibility in mind. The Consultant will be responsible for ensuring compliance
with final engineering design, budget, and construction timeline expectations. The Consultant will assist in response to
clarification requests and the preparation of any project change orders.
Project Deliverables
Although the Consultant and/or City may identify additional intermediate deliverables when the final scope of work is negotiated,
it is anticipated that the project will result in the following primary deliverables. Within their proposal, Consultants are encouraged
to include any additional or alternative deliverables, and the dates/deadlines they feel would be achievable based on their
professional expertise and knowledge.
Primary deliverables:
• A Project Planning Document delivered in PDF file format which summarizes engagement activities, industry
recommendations to consider, and key findings discovered in the project planning stage. The Project Planning Document
will support and guide the design process phase of the project. At a minimum, the document must include the following
sections:
o An executive summary of the plan’s findings.
o An overview of the findings of the public involvement phase.
o A summary of the Market Analysis, Existing Conditions, & Data Analysis findings.
o A listing of recommendations for “must have” community features.
• Final Project Design and Engineering Documents, including visual design mockups, technical diagrams, and stamped
engineering plans to be used for cost estimating, required permits, and project construction.
• A Construction Management Plan which includes the following components:
o A detailed estimate for construction costs.
o A project work plan, which details how the construction project will be managed, how risks will be mitigated, and
which construction contractors will be used.
o A detailed project construction timeline.
• Final completion of project construction.
The items in this list are intended to be the minimum required. The selected consultant may add more information to this list if
they find it valuable to the overall success of the project.
Project Bonding Requirements
Bid Bond – A bid security shall be submitted with each bid in the amount of 5 percent of the bid amount and shall consist of a
firm commitment such as a bid bond or certified check. NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. No bids may be
withdrawn for a period of 60 days after opening of bids. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive
informalities and irregularities.
Performance Bond – A performance bond on the part of the contracted firm for 100 percent of the contract price will be required.
A “performance bond” is one executed in connection with a contract to secure fulfillment of all the contractor’s obligations under
such contract. The City may require additional performance bond protection when a contract price is increased. The increase in
protection shall generally be 100 percent of the increase in contract price. The City may secure the additional protection by
directing the Consultant to increase the penal amount of the existing bond or to obtain an additional bond.
RFP Requirements
A qualified firm must include the following information with their submitted profile and proposal:
• A description of all services available to the City from the firm.
• A resume sampling of personnel to be assigned to the Project along with an indication of their roles and responsibilities.
Please highlight leadership personnel information for your firm and any firms that you should team or partner with.
• At least three (3) professional client references for the firm as a whole. If submitting as a partnership or team, please
include specific work examples and references of where you have worked together.
• A proposed detailed work plan and schedule timeline for services.
• A detailed price quote for project services (including contingencies) and associated hourly professional rates.
• Bid security shall be submitted with each bid in the amount of 5 percent of the bid amount and shall consist of a firm
commitment such as a bid bond or certified check. NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. No bids may be
withdrawn for a period of 60 days after opening of bids. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to
waive informalities and irregularities.
• Any additional information that the firm considers pertinent for consideration in the response to this Request for
Proposals.
• A bid cover sheet using the attached bid template with authorized signatures.
Submission of Proposals
Proposals should be submitted to the City of Liberal City Clerk office no later than May 15, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (Central Standard
Time). The consultant shall provide three (3) sealed hard-copy proposals in person or by mail to the Liberal City Clerk at Liberal
City Hall, 324 N. Kansas Ave., Liberal, KS 67901. Sealed proposals must be clearly labeled on the outside as “Sealed bids –
Water Rec Facility RFP.”
All submissions shall become property of the City of Liberal. The City of Liberal is not responsible for any costs incurred by the
respondent in preparation of a profile submitted in response to this RFP, conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related
to this RFP. The City reserves to right to approve or deny any and all proposals submitted.
All proposals and related materials submitted to the City of Liberal in response to this Request for Proposals are subject to the
Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) and the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA). If a Proposer believes that any portion of its
proposal contains proprietary or confidential information that is exempt from disclosure under KORA or KOMA, the Proposer
must clearly mark such information and provide a written explanation citing the specific legal basis for the claimed exemption at
the time of submission. The City does not guarantee the confidentiality of any information submitted and will not be responsible
for asserting or defending any claimed exceptions to disclosure on behalf of a Proposer.
By submitting a proposal, the Proposer affirms that that the proposal has been prepared independently and without any collusion
with any other Proposer. The Proposer further certifies that the pricing, terms, and conditions contained in the proposal have
not been communicated, directly or indirectly, to any competitor or other person engaged in this type of business prior to the
official opening of this RFP.
Evaluation of Proposals
A qualified firm should demonstrate the following minimum professional standards for consideration:
• Experience leading public engagement, research, and planning activities for recreational facilities.
• Significant experience in recreational water and/or aquatic facility engineering design for both flow-through and
recirculating water systems.
• Evidence of firm’s ability to create innovative projects that emphasize both appealing aesthetic design form and
practical function.
• Evidence to demonstrate a depth of knowledge and experience in effectively managing construction projects for public
entities, including experience managing project construction bonds.
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
Daily notification on new contract opportunities
With GovernmentContracts, you can:
- Find more opportunities and win more business
- Receive daily alerts for all new bid opportunities
- Get contract opportunities matched to your business
See also
...Bid Title: Design/Build - Outdoor Water Recreation Facility Category: City Projects Status: Open... ...
Liberal city
Bid Due: 6/15/2026
* Disclaimer: Information regarding bids, requests for proposals (RFPs), or requests for qualifications (RFQs) is provided on this website only for convenience and does not constitute official public notice. Persons wishing to respond to or inquire about bids, RFPs, or RFQs should contact the appropriate government department.