DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW TERMINAL 6 AT O'HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
First phase of World Gateway Program
Chicago - December 15, 2000. Today, the City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services published a Request for Qualifications on behalf of the Department of Aviation for a Design/Builder for a Terminal Six Complex at O'Hare International Airport. The project, which has an estimated total cost of $800 million to $1 billion, is part of O'Hare's World Gateway Program.
"The World Gateway Program is a critical development, not just for O'Hare, but for the entire region," said Aviation Commissioner Thomas R. Walker. "We are looking for the best team possible to carry out the first phase of this important program."
The World Gateway Program will reconfigure O'Hare International Airport so that its facilities will better serve the emerging trends in the aviation industry, position O'Hare as the nation's premier international gateway, reduce flight delay and provide greater passenger conveniences.
The City of Chicago Department of Aviation is currently at work on the
Environmental Assessment for the World Gateway Program. The City will select a Design/ Builder in early 2001, who will begin development of a schematic design. Further design and construction will not begin until the environmental analysis is approved by the FAA.
World Gateway Program calls for the development of two new passenger terminals, the redevelopment of Terminal 2, and new federal customs inspection facilities to provide seamless connections for domestic and international passengers. Terminal 6 is part of Phase I of the program.
The proposed 673,000 square foot Terminal 6 will be located next to the existing International Terminal 5. The terminal will include an Automatic Transit System station, complete upper level and lower level access roadways, and parking for 650 vehicles.
"The World Gateway Program will keep O'Hare on the cutting edge in airport design and efficiency, allowing our tenant airlines to better serve their customers and reduce flight delay," said Walker.
The Terminal 6 Complex presents many complex engineering and construction challenges. Design/Build contracting is a method of project delivery in which the City will execute a single contract with one entity, the Design/Builder, to provide both architectural/engineering services and construction services. By allocating these responsibilities to a single contractor, the Design/Build process avoids the conflicts that often occur between designers and builders and instead fosters a cooperative effort by all parties united under a single contract.
Design/Build contracting has continued to gain acceptance in both the public and private sectors as a method for achieving better quality and continuous improvement in project delivery. The City has determined that Design/Build will enable it to deliver the Terminal Six project within the established budget through the selection of a Design/Build team that has successfully met the responsibility of designing and building large, complex projects to an already established budget. In response to the Design/Build Request for Qualifications the City expects to attract teams of experienced and qualified local and national builders, architects and engineers ready to accept the single point of responsibility to meet those challenges.
The City is committed to ensuring that the Terminal 6 project meets or
exceeds all of the City's goals for the participation of Minority Business
Enterprises and Women Business Enterprises in the Terminal 6 contracting opportunities. The RFQ also makes it clear that the
Design/Builder will be required to meet the City's requirements for the use of City residents (50%), minority and female workers in the construction of the project.
The World Gateway Program will create at least 8,000 construction jobs, adding an even greater benefit to the $34 billion in economic activity O'Hare currently contributes. The Program will be funded entirely with a combination of Passenger Facility Charges, federal grants and airline-backed bonds. No tax revenues will be used to finance the project.
