Project Information

Bid Title

Design/Build - Outdoor Water Recreation Facility

Issuing Agency

Liberal city

Location

Kansas

Published Date

Mar 11, 2026

Closing Date

Apr 13, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	Design/Build - Outdoor Water Recreation Facility
Category:	City Projects
Status:	Open

Description: The City of Liberal is seeking qualified water recreation and aquatics facility consulting firms to provide planning, design, and construction services for the development of a new outdoor water recreation facility in Liberal, Kansas. The goal of this facility is to create an enjoyable aquatic experience for all residents and ages. We envision the creation of an outdoor water recreation facility which integrates an unstaffed, openly accessible, large-scale splash park with an adjacent paid-access, seasonally staffed facility featuring a lazy river and water park amenities suitable for all ages. The location of this project will replace an existing facility – Adventure Bay Family Water Park – at the intersection of N. Kansas Avenue and W. 11th Street inside Light Park. The current footprint of the water park facility is approximately 95,160 square feet. Parking infrastructure surrounds the current facility and will not need to be incorporated into facility design plans. As part of the planning and design process, the consultant shall review community feedback collected and present visual design concepts for further public engagement to incorporate feedback. The City of Liberal desires to have a new facility constructed and operational by Summer 2027. This design-build contract will have a total budget cap of $3 million dollars ($3,000,000.00). Publication Date/Time: 3/11/2026 8:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 4/13/2026 2:00 PM Submittal Information: Sealed bids due to Liberal City Hall, City Clerk's Office. Bid Opening Information: 4/13/26 @ 2 PM, City Hall Contact Person: All inquiries regarding the RFP may be directed to: Alicia Hidalgo, City Clerk Phone - (620) 626-2204 Email - alicia.hidalgo@cityofliberal.org Qualifications: Following bid award selection by the Liberal City Commission, a service contract will be required prior to commencing work on this project. Bidders must be properly licensed under the laws governing their respective trades and be able to obtain insurance and bonds required for the Work. A Performance Bond and Insurance in a form acceptable to City of Liberal will be required of the successful Bidder. Project Bonding Requirements Bid Bond – A bid security shall be submitted with each bid in the amount of 5 percent of the bid amount and shall consist of a firm commitment such as a bid bond or certified check. NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of 60 days after opening of bids. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities and irregularities. Performance Bond – A performance bond on the part of the contracted firm for 100 percent of the contract price will be required. A “performance bond” is one executed in connection with a contract to secure fulfillment of all the contractor’s obligations under such contract. The City may require additional performance bond protection when a contract price is increased. The increase in protection shall generally be 100 percent of the increase in contract price. The City may secure the additional protection by directing the Consultant to increase the penal amount of the existing bond or to obtain an additional bond. Special Requirements: A qualified firm must include the following information with their submitted profile and proposal: •        A description of all services available to the City from the firm. •        A resume sampling of personnel to be assigned to the Project along with an indication of their roles and responsibilities. Please highlight leadership personnel information for your firm and any firms that you should team or partner with. •        At least three (3) professional client references for the firm as a whole. If submitting as a partnership or team, please include specific work examples and references of where you have worked together. •        A proposed detailed work plan and schedule timeline for services. •        A detailed price quote for project services (including contingencies) and associated hourly professional rates. •        Bid security shall be submitted with each bid in the amount of 5 percent of the bid amount and shall consist of a firm commitment such as a bid bond or certified check. NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of 60 days after opening of bids. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities and irregularities. •        Any additional information that the firm considers pertinent for consideration in the response to this Request for Proposals. •        A bid cover sheet using the attached bid template with authorized signatures. Miscellaneous: Proposals should be submitted to the City of Liberal City Clerk office no later than April 13, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The consultant shall provide three (3) sealed hard-copy proposals in person or by mail to the Liberal City Clerk at Liberal City Hall, 324 N. Kansas Ave., Liberal, KS 67901. Sealed proposals must be clearly labeled on the outside as “Sealed bids – Water Rec Facility RFP.” All submissions shall become property of the City of Liberal. The City of Liberal is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondent in preparation of a profile submitted in response to this RFP, conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to this RFP. The City reserves to right to approve or deny any and all proposals submitted. All proposals and related materials submitted to the City of Liberal in response to this Request for Proposals are subject to the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) and the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA). If a Proposer believes that any portion of its proposal contains proprietary or confidential information that is exempt from disclosure under KORA or KOMA, the Proposer must clearly mark such information and provide a written explanation citing the specific legal basis for the claimed exemption at the time of submission. The City does not guarantee the confidentiality of any information submitted and will not be responsible for asserting or defending any claimed exceptions to disclosure on behalf of a Proposer. By submitting a proposal, the Proposer affirms that that the proposal has been prepared independently and without any collusion with any other Proposer. The Proposer further certifies that the pricing, terms, and conditions contained in the proposal have not been communicated, directly or indirectly, to any competitor or other person engaged in this type of business prior to the official opening of this RFP. Related Documents: RFP - Outdoor Water Recreation Facility Bid Sheet - Outdoor Water Recreation Facility RFP

Attachment Preview

OUTDOOR WATER RECREATION FACILITY

DESIGN/BUILD PROJECT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

ISSUED March 11, 2026

General Information & Project Overview

The City of Liberal is seeking qualified water recreation and aquatics facility consulting firms to provide planning, design, and

construction services for the development of a new outdoor water recreation facility in Liberal, Kansas. The goal of this facility

is to create an enjoyable aquatic experience for all residents and ages.

We envision the creation of an outdoor water recreation facility which integrates an unstaffed, openly accessible, large-scale

splash park with an adjacent paid-access, seasonally staffed facility featuring a lazy river and water park amenities suitable for

all ages. The location of this project will replace an existing facility – Adventure Bay Family Water Park – at the intersection of

N. Kansas Avenue and W. 11th Street inside Light Park. The current footprint of the water park facility is approximately 95,160

square feet. Parking infrastructure surrounds the current facility and will not need to be incorporated into facility design plans.

As part of the planning and design process, the consultant shall review community feedback collected and present visual design

concepts for further public engagement to incorporate feedback. The City of Liberal desires to have a new facility constructed

and operational by Summer 2027. This design-build contract will have a total budget cap of $3 million dollars ($3,000,000.00).

The City of Liberal; hereinafter referred to as the City, will accept sealed project proposals in the City Clerk office at City Hall,

324 N. Kansas Ave., Liberal, Kansas, until 2:00 p.m. CST, on April 13, 2026. Bids will be opened immediately after the RFP

deadline expiration at the City Administration Offices at City Hall.

Following bid award selection by the Liberal City Commission, a service contract will be required prior to commencing work on

this project. Bidders must be properly licensed under the laws governing their respective trades and be able to obtain insurance

and bonds required for the Work. A Performance Bond and Insurance in a form acceptable to City of Liberal will be required

of the successful Bidder.

Community Details

The City of Liberal was founded in 1888 and is home to nearly 20,000 residents. The city is located in Seward County at the

intersection of Highway 54 and Highway 83 in Southwest Kansas. There are approximately 6,386 households in our community

with 11.4 square miles of land within city limits. Our population is young, with a median age of 30.9 years. The 2023 median

household income was $61,875. Liberal is a culturally diverse community, with more than 29% of our population being born

outside of the country. More than 68% of residents in our community are Hispanic/Latino. The largest employer in the city is a

beef processing and packing plant. Liberal High School is classified as a 6A school with nearly 1,400 students enrolled. Seward

County Community College serves as a critical postsecondary education institution with a variety of programs, including several

technical trades, healthcare occupations, business, education agriculture, and more. The primary economic drivers in our

community consist of agricultural, transportation, and light manufacturing industries. Additional details about our community and

the scope of our City services can be found on our website at www.cityofliberal.org.

Project Contact

All inquiries regarding the RFP may be directed to:

Alicia Hidalgo, City Clerk

Phone - (620) 626-2204

Email - alicia.hidalgo@cityofliberal.org

Scope of Services

The objective of this process is to plan, engineer, and construct a new outdoor water recreation facility. With oversight from City

staff as well as feedback from public engagement activities, the selected Consultant team will complete the deliverables

identified in this RFP. The intent of the Scope of Services provided below is to serve as a framework, which consultants can use

to develop a more detailed qualification profile and scope of services based on their professional expertise and knowledge.

The Consultant is expected to provide interpretation and identification of deliverables or milestones it believes are integral to the

project in the submitted proposal. The following Scope of Services are provided as a general framework and are to be

incorporated into the Consultant’s proposed scope of work. However, the proposed scope of work is not limited to these

elements.

• Project Management – The Consultant will take the lead in managing their time, staff, project partners, resources,

budget, and related activities to ensure that the project objectives are met. The Consultant will be in close

communication with assigned City staff throughout the life of the project. City staff will provide general oversight of the

Consultant and will help to facilitate interactions with City staff, board/committee members, the general public, and

project stakeholders.

• Project Planning Services

o Public & Stakeholder Engagement – The Consultant shall be responsible for analyzing previously held

public engagement responses and data to incorporate feedback into project designs, as applicable. The

Consultant should facilitate conversation amongst stakeholders – including City staff, the Liberal City

Commission, and the local Focus on the Future Committee - in order to build consensus and clarity around

preferred strategy and associated action steps necessary to facilitate construction of a new facility. The City

will assist in arranging stakeholder meetings and presentations required to support project planning. Project

concept images shall be presented for stakeholder review to guide final design and selection of features.

o Market Analysis, Existing Conditions, & Data Analysis – The Consultant will work to understand the

market conditions, context, trends, and related information applicable to outdoor water recreation facilities in

relation to the larger community recreation opportunities. This information and data will be used to inform

project features and design.

• Engineering Design Services – Following planning efforts to examine needs, the firm will design and provide

engineering plans for an outdoor water recreation facility which aims to incorporate the following:

o Open Access Splash Park: The City desires for a large portion of the facility to feature a flow-through splash

pad/spray park which is openly accessible for the public as seasonal temperatures allow. This space should

feature a variety of interactive equipment and play structures for children and a special zone for young adults

to enjoy without the need for staff supervision. Designs should feature vibrant, artful designs and provide for

an attractive outdoor space even after water flow is turned off during cold months. Special lighting for evening

use should be added to enhance aesthetics and the user experience. This space must be ADA compliant.

o Paid Access Lazy River/Water Park: The City desires to incorporate a staffed-monitored, paid-access lazy

river and water park space with a recirculating water source and lounge areas/cabanas that are open on a

seasonal basis. This space will be located next to or within the splash pad/spray park so families have close

access to monitor children playing in the nearby splash pad/spray area. Desirable features to consider include

a kids’ play structure with a zero-entry shallow pool; horizontal water slides; incorporated sound system; spray

features or overhead waterfall tunnels for the lazy river; a surf simulator; special evening lighting to enhance

design aesthetics and guest experience; and river channel spaces to support water walking and senior fitness

activities prior to regular hours. Multiple shaded staff monitoring stations throughout this space should be

included to allow lifeguards to monitor guests and exit gates into the splash pad/spray park.

o Building Facilities: One or more building facilities should be included to house staff spaces (indoor break

area, small office, etc); an admissions booth for the lazy river/water park; a dual-sided concession stand with

service windows facing the open access and paid access sides of the facility; and restroom change areas with

guest locker storage. A separate building/enclosure will be required to support pump system machinery for

facility operations.

• Construction Services – The Consultant will be responsible for assisting with pre-bid questions for contractor sourcing

and managing construction partners to complete the project in accordance with federal, state, and local codes. The

project should be designed with ADA accessibility in mind. The Consultant will be responsible for ensuring compliance

with final engineering design, budget, and construction timeline expectations. The Consultant will assist in response to

clarification requests and the preparation of any project change orders.

Project Deliverables

Although the Consultant and/or City may identify additional intermediate deliverables when the final scope of work is negotiated,

it is anticipated that the project will result in the following primary deliverables. Within their proposal, Consultants are encouraged

to include any additional or alternative deliverables, and the dates/deadlines they feel would be achievable based on their

professional expertise and knowledge.

Primary deliverables:

• A Project Planning Document delivered in PDF file format which summarizes engagement activities, industry

recommendations to consider, and key findings discovered in the project planning stage. The Project Planning Document

will support and guide the design process phase of the project. At a minimum, the document must include the following

sections:

o An executive summary of the plan’s findings.

o An overview of the findings of the public involvement phase.

o A summary of the Market Analysis, Existing Conditions, & Data Analysis findings.

o A listing of recommendations for “must have” community features.

• Final Project Design and Engineering Documents, including visual design mockups, technical diagrams, and stamped

engineering plans to be used for cost estimating, required permits, and project construction.

• A Construction Management Plan which includes the following components:

o A detailed estimate for construction costs.

o A project work plan, which details how the construction project will be managed, how risks will be mitigated, and

which construction contractors will be used.

o A detailed project construction timeline.

• Final completion of project construction.

The items in this list are intended to be the minimum required. The selected consultant may add more information to this list if

they find it valuable to the overall success of the project.

Project Bonding Requirements

Bid Bond – A bid security shall be submitted with each bid in the amount of 5 percent of the bid amount and shall consist of a

firm commitment such as a bid bond or certified check. NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. No bids may be

withdrawn for a period of 60 days after opening of bids. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive

informalities and irregularities.

Performance Bond – A performance bond on the part of the contracted firm for 100 percent of the contract price will be required.

A “performance bond” is one executed in connection with a contract to secure fulfillment of all the contractor’s obligations under

such contract. The City may require additional performance bond protection when a contract price is increased. The increase in

protection shall generally be 100 percent of the increase in contract price. The City may secure the additional protection by

directing the Consultant to increase the penal amount of the existing bond or to obtain an additional bond.

RFP Requirements

A qualified firm must include the following information with their submitted profile and proposal:

• A description of all services available to the City from the firm.

• A resume sampling of personnel to be assigned to the Project along with an indication of their roles and responsibilities.

Please highlight leadership personnel information for your firm and any firms that you should team or partner with.

• At least three (3) professional client references for the firm as a whole. If submitting as a partnership or team, please

include specific work examples and references of where you have worked together.

• A proposed detailed work plan and schedule timeline for services.

• A detailed price quote for project services (including contingencies) and associated hourly professional rates.

• Bid security shall be submitted with each bid in the amount of 5 percent of the bid amount and shall consist of a firm

commitment such as a bid bond or certified check. NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED. No bids may be

withdrawn for a period of 60 days after opening of bids. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to

waive informalities and irregularities.

• Any additional information that the firm considers pertinent for consideration in the response to this Request for

Proposals.

• A bid cover sheet using the attached bid template with authorized signatures.

Submission of Proposals

Proposals should be submitted to the City of Liberal City Clerk office no later than April 13, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. (Central Standard

Time). The consultant shall provide three (3) sealed hard-copy proposals in person or by mail to the Liberal City Clerk at Liberal

City Hall, 324 N. Kansas Ave., Liberal, KS 67901. Sealed proposals must be clearly labeled on the outside as “Sealed bids –

Water Rec Facility RFP.”

All submissions shall become property of the City of Liberal. The City of Liberal is not responsible for any costs incurred by the

respondent in preparation of a profile submitted in response to this RFP, conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related

to this RFP. The City reserves to right to approve or deny any and all proposals submitted.

All proposals and related materials submitted to the City of Liberal in response to this Request for Proposals are subject to the

Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) and the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA). If a Proposer believes that any portion of its

proposal contains proprietary or confidential information that is exempt from disclosure under KORA or KOMA, the Proposer

must clearly mark such information and provide a written explanation citing the specific legal basis for the claimed exemption at

the time of submission. The City does not guarantee the confidentiality of any information submitted and will not be responsible

for asserting or defending any claimed exceptions to disclosure on behalf of a Proposer.

By submitting a proposal, the Proposer affirms that that the proposal has been prepared independently and without any collusion

with any other Proposer. The Proposer further certifies that the pricing, terms, and conditions contained in the proposal have

not been communicated, directly or indirectly, to any competitor or other person engaged in this type of business prior to the

official opening of this RFP.

Evaluation of Proposals

A qualified firm should demonstrate the following minimum professional standards for consideration:

• Experience leading public engagement, research, and planning activities for recreational facilities.

• Significant experience in recreational water and/or aquatic facility engineering design for both flow-through and

recirculating water systems.

• Evidence of firm’s ability to create innovative projects that emphasize both appealing aesthetic design form and

practical function.

• Evidence to demonstrate a depth of knowledge and experience in effectively managing construction projects for public

entities, including experience managing project construction bonds.

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 236220Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
• NAICS 541330Engineering Services

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