Project Information

Bid Title

Clock Tower Restoration

Issuing Agency

Cambridge city

Location

Maryland

Published Date

Feb 22, 2026

Closing Date

Apr 13, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

02202026

Original Source

Join to Access Full Details

Bid Inquiries

Join to Access Full Details

Bid Documents

Join to Access Full Details

Project Description

Bid Number:	02202026
Bid Title:	Clock Tower Restoration
Category:	Commissioners of Cambridge
Status:	Open

Description: The Commissioners of Cambridge invite qualified contractors to bid on the renovation and repainting of the clock tower of the historic Cambridge Municipal Building, aka “Old City Hall”. The work will consist of the restoration of original decorative details with appropriate “in-kind” materials, the repainting of the exterior of the clock tower and the doors and trim on the building’s façade. Publication Date/Time: 2/18/2026 12:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 4/13/2026 11:00 AM Related Documents: Cambridge Municipal Building - Clock Tower Restoration - RFP - FINAL Cambridge Municipal Building-Advertisement-FINAL

Attachment Preview

Request for Proposals

The Commissioners of Cambridge invite qualified contractors to bid on the renovation and

repainting of the clock tower of the historic Cambridge Municipal Building, aka “Old City Hall”.

The work will consist of the restoration of original decorative details with appropriate “in-kind”

materials, the repainting of the exterior of the clock tower and the doors and trim on the

building’s façade.

PROJECT LOCATION:

Cambridge Municipal Building, aka “Old City Hall”

307 Gay Street, Cambridge, MD, 21613

PROJECT NAME:

307 GAY ST – CLOCK TOWER RESTORATION

ISSUE DATE: Wednesday, February 18, 2026

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 11 AM

DUE DATE AND TIME: Monday, April 13, 2026, at 11 AM

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION LOCATION:

Commissioners of Cambridge

Department of Public Works

1025 Washington Street, Cambridge, MD 21613

FUNDING SOURCES:

Maryland Historical Trust – Capital Grant 2023

Commissioners of Cambridge Annual Budget

The Commissioners of Cambridge, informally known as “The City of Cambridge,” invite interested

and qualified firms to submit a proposal for professional contracting services to be rendered

toward the restoration of the clock tower of the Cambridge Municipal Building, aka “Old City Hall”

at 307 Gay Street, Cambridge MD, 21613.

Proposals should be received in hard copy at the Department of Public Works, 1025 Washington

Street, Cambridge, MD no later than 11:00 am on Monday, April 13, 2026, at which time the

proposals received will be publicly opened and read aloud.

INTRODUCTION/ BACKGROUND

Cambridge was founded in 1684 and incorporated in 1793. It is the county seat for Dorchester

County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and has a diverse population of over 13,000. Cambridge is

located along the Choptank River and is less than 100 miles from Baltimore, MD, Washington, DC

and Wilmington, DE.

The Cambridge Municipal Building was designed by the architectural firm of Hopkins & Burton in

Baltimore and was built by Chas. E. Brohawn & Bros. Builders of Cambridge in 1926. The building

was dedicated as the seat of Cambridge’s government on April 19, 1927.

The building has been vacant since 2008, except for the seasonal presence of the annual RFC

Holiday Train Garden. Despite the building vacancy, the clock mechanism has been maintained,

thus it continues to be lighted, the hands are operational, and it chimes at the hour. We estimate

the clock tower was last painted about 15 years ago.

The Commissioners’ intent is to have the entire building renovated and returned to its original use

as the City’s municipal building through a series of projects.

The project will be executed with the involvement and oversight of the State Historic Preservation

Office (the Maryland Historical Trust, “MHT”). The Maryland Historical Trust holds a preservation

easement on the property, which restricts alterations to the exterior of the building.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

This RFP focuses specifically on the clock tower, cupola, and decorative trim work. The successful

offeror will provide construction phase services for the restoration of the clock tower of the “Old

City Hall” at 307 Gay Street, Cambridge MD.

Specific areas of concern which are anticipated to be addressed with current funding include:

restoration of the clock tower and the building’s façade. Tasks will include, but not be limited to:

• Investigate and analyze existing conditions

• Obtain required permits

• Restore/repair any rotten woodwork on the exterior using in-kind materials and

dimensions

• Repair/replace rotten/missing wood supports on interior clock faces using in-kind

materials and dimensions

• Replace the two missing finials (one urn and one acorn) with wooden replicas that

match the existing urns

• Replace the door to the roof and restore the awning over it using in-kind materials

• Scrape all peeling paint from the clock tower, all restored surfaces, and the doors

and molding/trim on the building’s façade and hose tower. Caulk gaps. Apply one

coat of primer and two coats of quality exterior paint to these surfaces. All wood

elements must be cleaned and prepared for painting using the gentlest methods

possible.

RFP- 307 Gay St – Clock Tower Restoration

Page 2 of 7

All work performed under this contract must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s

Standards for Rehabilitation. Please see https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1739/upload/treatment-

guidelines-2017-part1-preservation-rehabilitation.pdf for additional information.

The successful offeror should assume all paint has lead contaminants and proper protective

measures shall be taken for remediation and the safety of the workers and the environment.

The project will be partially funded through a Historic Preservation Capital Grant from the

Maryland Historical Trust (MHT). The Contractor will be required to carefully document and submit

project expenses with each request for payment. It may take 30-45 days or more to process

requests for payment to allow for review and processing by MHT.

The property is protected by a preservation easement that restricts alterations to the exterior of

the building, and the Commissioners of Cambridge have obtained the necessary approvals for this

project’s scope. The project will be executed with the involvement and oversight of the State

Historic Preservation Office (MHT).

Please provide a cost proposal using the attached form and breakdown. Provide unit prices for

additional work using the attached form. The Contractor may submit their standard quote sheet

but must ALSO submit the filled out and signed cost proposal and unit prices forms.

The contract that results from this RFP will be a fixed-price contract. A bid bond will be required.

See details under proposal submission requirements.

The contracted firm will be compensated upon submission and approval by MHT of detailed

invoices outlining deliverables and work steps completed and reflecting prices as submitted with

the financial proposal. Payment may be expected within 30-45 days or more of presentation of a

satisfactory invoice and any supporting documentation to MHT.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE / SITE VISIT

A pre-proposal conference will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 11:00 AM at City

Council Chambers, 305 Gay Street, Cambridge, MD 21613. A site tour will immediately follow the

pre-proposal conference. Attendance at the pre-proposal conference and site visit is mandatory

for firms wishing to submit a proposal.

TIMETABLE

The selected contractor should expect to begin the project no later than the first week of May

2026. It is anticipated that work should be completed by November 1, 2026.

QUALIFICATIONS

• The Contractor must hold a current license from the State of Maryland at the time of execution

of this document, applicable to the nature of the work.

• The Contractor and any subcontractors must demonstrate experience in working with historic

buildings. Please use the attached qualifications form.

RFP- 307 Gay St – Clock Tower Restoration

Page 3 of 7

• Please provide qualifications and references for contractors and any subcontractors on the

attached form.

• The Contractor must be insured and provide a Certificate of Additional Insured naming the

Commissioners of Cambridge.

• The preference is for a single proposal to cover all areas of scope; however, proposals focused

on a subset of the scope will be considered.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The selection of the contractor will be based on the following factors, in order of descending

importance:

1. Professional qualifications and experience.

2. Ability to complete the project within the time allotted.

3. Cost.

Professional qualifications, experience, and ability to complete the project within the time allotted

(technical merit) will have greater weight than cost (financial merit). The contract will be awarded

to the firm whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the Commissioners of

Cambridge and may not necessarily be the lowest bidder. The Commissioners of Cambridge and

MHT reserve the right to reject any and all proposals, and/or waive informalities or irregularities,

and/or to accept or reject any items of any proposal, as it may deem best for its interest.

RFP PACKAGE

The RFP package consists of:

• This “Request for Proposals” document

• “Financial Proposal” blank form 1

• “RFP Narrative” form 2

• “Consultant / Subconsultant Qualifications Statement” blank form 3

• “Conflict of Interest Affidavit and Disclosure” blank form 4

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposals must be received in a sealed envelope clearly marked in the lower left-hand corner “RFP-

307 Gay Street Clock Tower Restoration” at:

Department of Public Works

City of Cambridge

1025 Washington Street

Cambridge, MD 21613

no later than11AM on Monday, April 13, 2026, at which time the proposals received will be publicly

opened and read aloud as to who the proposing vendors are and their financial bid. All material

submitted will become the property of the City, and the only information available at the proposal

opening will be the names of vendors submitting proposals and their bid. No facsimile of proposals

will be accepted.

Late submissions will not be considered.

RFP- 307 Gay St – Clock Tower Restoration

Page 4 of 7

A complete proposal submission consists of the following requirements:

1. A completed and signed “Financial Proposal” (form 1). Please enclose this form in a

separately sealed envelope within the larger envelope containing all of the other proposal

documents.

2. A completed “RFP Narrative” (form 2).

3. A completed “Consultant / Subconsultant Qualifications Statement” with no more than ten

pages of project-related supporting materials attached (form 3).

4. Resumes of up to four key project personnel: no more than twelve pages total for all

resumes together.

5. Completed “Conflict of Interest Affidavit and Disclosure” (form 4).

6. A sample copy of liability insurance certificate naming the Commissioners of Cambridge as

an additional insured (preferred with the proposal but MUST be submitted prior to signing a

contract).

7. A sample of your standard contract and warranties.

8. Copy of professional licenses and certifications.

9. Offeror’s estimate of start date and time frame for project (This can be included in a cover

letter).

10. If offeror intends to engage any subcontractors for a portion of the work, they shall also

take affirmative steps to ensure that small, minority and women’s businesses are used

when possible as sources of supplies, equipment, construction, and services. Identify

specific MBEs who would participate in the project as principals or subcontractors.

11. Each proposal must be accompanied by a Bid Bond payable to the Owner for five percent

(5%) of the total amount of the bid. No bidder may withdraw his bid within one hundred

(100) days after the actual date of the opening thereof.

Submit all proposal materials, marked “RFP-307 Gay Street Clock Tower Restoration” to:

Department of Public Works

City of Cambridge

1025 Washington Street

Cambridge, MD 21613

FAILURE TO INCLUDE ALL REQUIRED INFORMATION WILL RENDER THE PROPOSAL NON-

RESPONSIVE.

RFP- 307 Gay St – Clock Tower Restoration

Page 5 of 7

* Disclaimer: Government BidHub provides information on bids, RFPs (Requests for Proposals), and RFQs (Requests for Qualifications) solely for convenience and informational purposes. This site is not an official public notice board. For official details, responses, or inquiries, please contact the relevant government agency directly.