Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) Contractor Services for Burlington Main WWTF Stage 1 Upgrade

Background

The City of Burlington’s Water Resources Division is seeking Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from qualified General Contractors (GC) to provide pre-construction and general contracting services for the Burlington Main Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Stage 1 Upgrade using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) method. The project aims to enhance the facility's hydraulic capacity, add a tertiary treatment process, improve secondary treatment flexibility, and ensure overall facility longevity. This initiative is part of a broader Integrated Plan initiated in 2014 to comply with Clean Water Act requirements while addressing community needs and infrastructure priorities. The project is funded in part by the recently passed 2025 LAKE Bond, which allocates resources for significant upgrades at the City’s wastewater treatment facilities.

Work Details

The CMAR will provide services in two phases: pre-construction and construction. Key objectives include:

Quality Assurance

Deliver a high-quality project consistent with construction drawings and specifications.

Cost Certainty

Establish a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) to control budget and limit financial exposure.

Maintenance of Plant Operations

Ensure existing wastewater treatment services remain operational during construction.

Schedule Optimization

Meet project completion dates.

Risk Management

Balance risk allocation between Owner and CMAR.

Safety Performance

Implement effective safety programs. Specific systems and buildings involved in the upgrade include:

Influent Pumping

Replacement of pumps, wet well repairs, installation of new flow meters.

Primary Clarifiers

Replacement of mechanisms, concrete repairs, modifications to effluent flow direction.

New Aeration Tanks

Construction of enhanced biological phosphorus removal process trains.

Tertiary Treatment Building

Installation of cloth media filters and associated systems.

Control Building Modifications

Odor control systems, electrical upgrades, and structural improvements.

Period of Performance

The preconstruction phase is estimated to last 12-15 months, followed by a construction phase lasting approximately 20-24 months. The overall project timeline spans from July 2025 to July 2030.

Place of Performance

The project will be executed at the Burlington Main Wastewater Treatment Facility located at 53 Lavalley Lane and 1 Maple Street in Burlington, Vermont.

Bidder Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate bonding capacity for a $110 million project and obtain required insurance including commercial general liability ($1 million per occurrence), automobile liability ($1 million), workers compensation ($500,000), errors and omissions ($1 million per claim), and umbrella coverage ($1 million). Additionally, bidders must comply with federal requirements such as the Davis-Bacon Act, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE), American Iron and Steel (AIS), and Build America Buy America Act (BABAA).