Michelle Lane, program director for the Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance
Photo: Ludye N. Wallace
The project and construction management teams for both West Riverfront Redevelopment and the AAA Baseball Park in Sulphur Dell will host a networking event next week geared for potential vendors and subcontractors that are local businesses or Diversity Business Enterprises (DBE), which include minority-owned, women-owned, and small businesses.
The networking event will be held on Jan. 7 at 5:30 pm at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, 41 Peabody Street. This will be the first of several meetings aimed at promoting opportunities for local and DBE businesses to participate in the construction of these two large projects, which are both scheduled to break ground in early 2014.
The project and construction management teams will provide an overview of the components of each project and provide information that companies will need to prepare bids for upcoming construction packages, specifically packages for the West Riverfront Redevelopment project. Metro has set a goal to have 20% DBE participation on both projects.
“We have had a very good track record with DBE participation—meeting or exceeding our 20% goal on other large projects, including the construction of the Music City Center,” said Michelle Lane, program director for the Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance. “We have set high expectations for the construction teams on these two projects, as well, and look forward to the economic benefits that will result from using local and disadvantaged businesses.”
The networking event gives local and DBE vendors, subcontractors, and business owners the chance to meet with potential prime contractors as well as project managers from the construction management and project management teams.
Skanska/SRS, a joint venture, is the construction manager for the West Riverfront project, which includes parks, greenways, and a performance venue. At the Jan. 7 networking event, Skanska representatives will give a project overview and milestone schedule with the associated bid packages. The Skanska presentation will focus on mass grading and site fencing scopes of work.
Bell Construction has been awarded the contract for the construction of the AAA Baseball Park, which is scheduled to be completed for the 2015 baseball season.
The West Riverfront Project consists of repurposing the former Thermal Transfer Plant site as an iconic park. The project includes a 1.5-acre open lawn flanked by gardens and an urban dog park.
The 3.5-acre amphitheatre site will be an expanse of green space that will accommodate outdoor performances with a capacity for 6,500. In addition, a mile of new greenways will be added, which would extend the Rolling Mill Hill Greenway to the Riverfront Greenway.
The redevelopment will also include flood mitigation measures along a new tree-lined Pedestrian Promenade at the edge of First Avenue South.
Packages will be awarded on the basis of best value, which includes overall cost and schedule considerations, but also each firm’s industry reputation, safety performance, experience and quality on large-scale projects, commitment to local participation (including labor, supplies, services, and equipment) and DBE participation.
Potential vendors and subcontractors for the West Riverfront Redevelopment project can begin the prequalification process by e-mailing to <nashvillewestriverfrontinfo@skanska.com>. For more information about how to participate in either project as a local or DBE business, contact the Metro Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance by e-mailing to <bao@nashville.gov>.
