American Fork's $40 million public works complex: an essentially tied architect pick, and a builder still to choose

In January the American Fork City Council voted 5-0 to borrow up to $40 million in lease revenue bonds for a new public works facility at 275 East 200 North. Staff had recommended a $45.25 million cap. Ryan Hunter moved the resolution and Tim Holley seconded. ^[1]

In July, staff recommended WPA Architecture of Provo to design it, for $589,900. ^[2]

The scores

Four firms answered the city's request for proposals. The scoring sheet in the July 14 packet shows five evaluators' scores and averages: Think Architecture 79.2, WPA Architecture 79.1, Place Collaborative 75.4 and Method Studio 73.7. ^[2]

The staff report says only that "the proposals have been reviewed by staff" and recommends WPA. It doesn't explain why the second-highest average was chosen. A 0.1-point gap is effectively a tie, and the request for proposals let the city weigh criteria as it saw fit. ^[2]

What comes next

The city says it will issue a separate request to hire a construction manager/general contractor before design is 25% complete. That firm would set a guaranteed maximum price, the method the city used for Fire Station 52. ^[2]

Council members Ryan Hunter and Clark Taylor both work for SIRQ Construction, which built Fire Station 52. Hunter abstained on that project's price in 2022, and Taylor has said he would recuse himself from any SIRQ bid. ^[3][4]