Ground Lease for National Weather Service (NWS) NEXRAD Site - Tallahassee, FL

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS), intends to negotiate a sole-source succeeding ground lease with Tallahassee International Airport for the continued occupancy and operation of the NWS NEXRAD (Next-Generation Radar) facility located at Tallahassee International Airport, Tallahassee, FL.

The current lease for this essential meteorological radar site expires on September 30, 2025. The proposed succeeding lease will be a ground lease for a term of twenty (20) years.

This site is an improved land lease and requires specific infrastructure, including appropriate utility connections and a 161-foot clear zone above the site to ensure unobstructed radar operations.

Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition (41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1)):

Pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1) as implemented by GSAR 570.402, NOAA intends to award a sole-source lease to Tallahassee International Airport. A thorough cost-benefit analysis has determined that the costs associated with relocating the existing NWS NEXRAD facility, including the dismantling, moving, and re-establishment of complex radar equipment, as well as the acquisition and preparation of a new site meeting the stringent operational and clear zone requirements, would be cost-prohibitive and cannot be recovered. Relocation would also result in a significant disruption of critical weather radar services to the Tallahassee area and surrounding regions. The current location meets all technical and operational requirements, including the critical 161-foot clear zone, and possesses the necessary utility infrastructure.

Capabilities Information Sought:

NOAA is publishing this notice to identify any interested parties who may be able to provide a comparable ground lease solution that meets the specific operational and technical requirements of the NWS NEXRAD site in Tallahassee, FL, including the utility infrastructure and the mandatory 161-foot clear zone, by the current lease expiration date of September 30, 2025.

Interested parties who believe they can meet this requirement must submit a clear and convincing statement of capabilities demonstrating their ability to provide an equivalent site and lease terms within the required timeframe. Submissions must provide sufficient detail for the Government to determine if a competitive procurement is feasible.

Submission Details:

All interested parties must submit their written capabilities statement to Christian Townsend via email at christian.townsend@noaa.gov by the Response Due Date specified above. No solicitations are available at this time. This is not a request for offers. Information received will be used solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.