The District of West Kelowna has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from proponents interested in designing and building the West Kelowna Civic Centre Project in Westbank Centre.

The RFQ is expected to result in the creation of a shortlist of up to three proponents who will be asked to take part in a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, expected to begin in early 2014.

The District of West Kelowna currently operates offices out of 2760 Cameron Road, a community hall at the Mt. Boucherie complex, as well as offices on Elliott Road and Bartley Road.  In 2012, an architectural firm was hired to review the current office space and analyze future requirements. The study found that the current facility was at capacity.

The District conducted a Market Sounding exercise beginning in March 2013, inviting stakeholders in the community to respond to a series of considerations for the development of the Municipal Hall/Civic Centre. On June 18, Council agreed that options for a future civic centre be investigated in the Westbank area of the municipality.

Through the RFQ process, the municipality is seeking to find the best qualified proponents to take part in the RFP which will have the following goals and objectives:

-  Provide interior workspace that promotes increased performance, efficiency and comfort in a cost effective and efficient way;
-  Promote a civic and commercial centre for West Kelowna;
-  Reinforce the land use, growth management and economic development goals of the DWK;
-  Communicate the civic nature of any new building, and underscore the appropriate role of government in the District of West Kelowna;
-  Provide economic development opportunities for other commercial and residential development
-  Generally adhere to the design guidelines associated with the DWK Official Community Plan and Westbank Centre Revitalization Plan.

The District will also take into account the following criteria when evaluating potential sites:
-  Large enough to build the facility, parking etc.
-  Access (walking, transit, parking)
-  Site Condition (Environmental)
-  Neighbourhood Impact and public acceptance
-  Ownership
-  Proximity to other commercial and civic facilities
-  Can the site be secured within the required time frame?
-  Other factors identified during the evaluation process.

The deadline for submissions in the RFQ phase is 2 p.m. on December 11, 2013. The RFQ document is available on the District’s website, www.districtofwestkelowna.ca, under Business/Bid Opportunities.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013