Design bid called into question
Chandler Architecture may launch legal challenge to Charlottetown council’s decision
Efforts to design a third fire station in Charlottetown have hit a snag once again.
City council recently voted to award a tender for $328,000 to SableArc Studios to supply design and consulting services.
However, Chandler Architecture, which finished with the best overall score among the six firms that bid for the contract, may challenge the decision legally.
“I am pursuing all available options,’’ said Bill Chandler, who owns Chandler Architecture. “What that means I don’t quite know yet.’’
Normally when the city awards a project tender it chooses the firm that submits the lowest bid. In this case, that was SableArc Studios. However, with some project tenders, including this one, the low bid is only part of the criteria.
The request for proposals in this case came with specific requirements. Firms were rated on factors, including experience.
Chandler said the fee component was only supposed to be worth 10 points, adding that there were specific formulas to determine how many points firms would get for their fee.
“This is fairly typical for selecting architectural firms with the intent to get the best possible design team at a reasonable fee.’’
The request for proposals was designed in this case to award the contract to the proponent who scored the highest overall ranking.
Chandler Architecture scored 83.4 per cent while SableArc Studios finished with a 78.9 per cent.
Coun. Greg Rivard, chairman of council’s standing committee on protective and emergency services, said the city is currently reviewing the situation and taking Chandler’s comments under advisement.
Chandler said his firm spent thousands of dollars working on a bid for the design, adding that all of the firms who submitted bids would have done the same.
“It is very disheartening when (the city) sets the rules as to how this (project) is going to be evaluated ... and then don’t follow their own rules,’’ Chandler said. “If (the city) had wanted (just a fee submission from us) in the beginning, they could have put out a proposal asking for just the price on designing a fire hall. Period. I could have responded with a one-line letter.’’
Council was supposed to have awarded a tender earlier in 2020 but the process was brought to a halt when the bids came in too high.
The city’s intent is to have a third fire station built on Malpeque Road that covers the north end neighbourhood of Winsloe and West Royalty. The municipality paid $870,000 for 4.5 acres of land between the Atlantic Cat dealership and Moore Well and Drilling Inc. for the new station.
Chandler said “it’s a massive waste of time and money’’ when the city ignores its own rules.