Foothill Gold Line Industry Workshop a Success

MONROVIA, Calif., May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Construction Authority) hosted an Industry Workshop at the DoubleTree Hotel in Monrovia, CA. The event drew more than 200 small business representatives and prime contractors interested in upcoming business opportunities with the Construction Authority as the agency begins procurement for the nearly $1.4 billion, six-station Foothill Gold Line light rail project from Glendora to Montclair.

Event attendees were given the opportunity to network and meet potential teaming partners before receiving information from key project representatives on the upcoming contracting opportunities and project status and timeline. Attendees also learned about the Construction Authority's Small Business Enterprise (SBE) program, which has a goal of 16.6% participation by SBEs in all contracts.

"Today's Industry Workshop marks the beginning of the procurement phase for the Glendora to Montclair project; a day many of us have been tirelessly working towards for many years," said Doug Tessitor, Chairman of the Foothill Gold Line board of directors. "With Measure M's passage last November, the majority of the funding needed for the project was secured; and because the Construction Authority was able to complete the segment from Pasadena to Azusa under budget, we are able to kick the Glendora to Montclair segment off a few years earlier than anticipated in Measure M, using residual Measure R funds."

Two significant contracts will be procured in the next 18 months by the Construction Authority for the project ? (1) Utility Relocation design-bid-build contract and (2) Alignment design-build contract. The Requests for Bids (RFB) for the Utility Relocation contract will be issued in July 2017, with the contract award anticipated in September 2017. The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Alignment contract, the first step in a multi-step procurement process, will be issued in November 2017, with short-listed teams determined in February 2018. Short-listed teams will then receive the Request for Proposals.

"There was tremendous interest and turnout at the workshop, which bodes well for the quality of the potential bidders," stated Habib F. Balian, CEO of the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority. "Having a large pool of highly qualified contractors and skilled talent to work with benefits the project and taxpayers."

Small businesses in attendance ranged in key specialties integral to designing and building a light rail project, including civil, structural, systems, utilities and architecture.  All attendees were added to the Project Interest List that will be given to prime contractors who will be bidding on the two contracts.

More information on the contracting opportunities with the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority can be found by visiting http://www.foothillgoldline.org/contact_us/contracting-opportunities/.

About the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority ? The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority is an independent transportation planning and construction agency created in 1998 by the California State Legislature to plan, design and build the Metro Gold Line light rail system from Union Station to Montclair, along the Foothills of the San Gabriel Valley. The agency completed the first segment from Union Station to Pasadena in 2003 and the Pasadena to Azusa segment in 2015; both on time and under budget. The agency began work on the Foothill Gold Line from Glendora to Montclair in 2003. The Glendora to Montclair project was environmentally cleared in March 2013 under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and completed advanced conceptual engineering in September 2016. Groundbreaking is set for October 21, 2017, with substantial completion anticipated in late-2025 to early-2026. When completed, the extension will add new stations in the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair. Ridership on the extension alone is anticipated to exceed 18,300 boardings on weekdays by 2035. The majority of the funding needed to build the Glendora to Montclair segment is being allocated through Los Angeles County's Measure M sales tax, which takes effect July 1, 2017. Residual Measure R funding will also be used, along with funding from San Bernardino County to complete the portion of the project from Claremont to Montclair.

SOURCE Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority