REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) - Fairmont State …

1 REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) For Athletic Facilities Master Plan Issued By: Fairmont State university Facilities Business Office Response Due Date: August 1, 2016 3:00 pm EST June 2, 2016 1 | Page REQUEST for INFORMATION (RFI) Fairmont State university 2016 Athletic Facilities Overview At the recommendation of the Athletics master plan that was first approved by the Governing Board on June 20, 2013, Fairmont State university is soliciting INFORMATION to develop a comprehensive master plan for its athletics facilities, both indoor and outdoor, on the Campus. We are seeking INFORMATION from firms that provide master planning services and have expertise in athletics planning. An important element for the university s image and visibility is reflected in its facilities.

2 Not only do friends and families of Fairmont State student-athletes experience the university through its athletic facilities; students, coaches, officials, and opposing spectators also gain insight into the hospitality of Fairmont State . Interestingly, when prospective students come on campus, whether they are student athletes or not, the Falcon Center is a showcase, while the Feaster Center is avoided. This behavior speaks volumes about the role athletic facilities could play in enrollment management functions and for the university s visibility. university Background Fairmont State university , with a 120-acre main campus in Fairmont , WV, is part of the State s growing high technology corridor.

3 With a long history of academic excellence, Fairmont State is a place where teaching and learning matter and students are our first priority. Founded in 1865 as the State s first private normal school in West Virginia, the university celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 2015. Over the past decade, the main campus has been expanded with new construction including an Engineering Technology Building, student center, residence halls, parking garage, improved library facility and significant ADA accessibility improvements. With 80 bachelor's degree programs and five graduate degree programs, any student can find the right fit. Seventy-two percent of FSU students receive some form of financial aid. Our cast (the name for a group of Falcons) soars at 4,200 students.

4 FSU s main campus is located in Fairmont , West Virginia, a friendly city of 19,000. The campus is home to the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. FSU features a branch campus in Clarksburg, called the Gaston Caperton Center. The Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center, located in nearby Bridgeport, offers multiple programs in aviation. As a member of the Mountain East Conference, Fairmont State is an NCAA Division II school featuring 16 varsity sports. June 2, 2016 2 | Page MISSION STATEMENT: The Mission of Fairmont State university is to provide opportunities for individuals to achieve their professional and personal goals and discover roles for responsible citizenship that promote the common good. VISION STATEMENT: Fairmont State university aspires to be nationally recognized as a model for accessible learner-centered institutions that promote student success by providing comprehensive education and excellent teaching, flexible learning environments, and superior services.

5 Graduates will have the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind necessary for intellectual growth, full and participatory citizenship, employability, and entrepreneurship in a changing environment. Existing Facilities Feaster Center The Feaster Center was constructed in 1979 and is Fairmont s indoor sports facility for intercollegiate athletics. Recently an addition was added to the north side of the building (facing Duvall-Rosier Field) to incorporate a new entry and add office space on the third floor. The building contains approximately 80,000 GSF on two main floors, with offices on a partial third floor and an auxiliary gym on a second, but separate, partial third floor. The front of house game venues for men s and women s basketball and volleyball are at the current D-II standard.

6 The summer of 2014 featured a $ million renovation of Joe Retton Arena, including a new gym floor, seating, lighting, sound system and LED scorer's table. The Natatorium is very small and not up to current standards for this type of athletic space. The swimming locker rooms are awkwardly positioned in relation to the actual pool. The pool is utilized by the wider community more than by the Fairmont students. There was substantial structural steel damage due to moisture within the space and remediation of this problem occurred in 2014 to repair the damage to the structural steel within walls, windows, and doors of the Natatorium. The back of house or support areas of Feaster, lobby, ticketing circulation, concession space, and locker rooms, are undersized based by today s standards.

7 Most locker rooms are in need of a complete renovation to upgrade facilities requirements relating to capacity, ADA accessibility, and space equality. The football, women s basketball, and men s basketball locker rooms have been renovated within the past five years. Duvall-Rosier Field and Press Box Duvall-Rosier Field serves the needs of the university and the community very well, but is over used and scheduling is difficult. Not only is this field used for intercollegiate athletics but also for club sports, intramurals and recreation, and community activities. The establishment of a schedule of use for the field has been critical both with regard regular maintenance of the field and the ability to regulate the frequency of turf replacement.

8 The Press Box was originally built in the mid-1980s and renovated in 2011. It functions extremely well. The HVAC system was replaced in 2013. June 2, 2016 3 | Page Tennis Courts The tennis courts are in fair condition and serve the purposes for which they are intended. With regular maintenance and resurfacing, this facility should continue to serve the university well. Practice Field or Lower Field The practice field is located on a lower level than the rest of the athletic facilities, but is easily accessed. If this field were converted to an artificial turf surface, it would take some of the over-scheduling pressure off the Duvall-Rosier Field. It could also be used as the game/practice venue for softball, women s soccer and potentially women s lacrosse (if this sport is added to the program.)

9 It would also provide additional outdoor opportunities for intramurals and club sports. June 2, 2016 4 | Page Athletic Facility Master Plan Schedule Fairmont State university is proposing a schedule for the study that is ambitious. We would expect a preliminary draft of the Master Plan with early findings and recommendations by the end of March 2017, and a completed Master Plan by the end of April 2017, including time for review and approval by all internal stakeholders. Your INFORMATION packet should provide a typical overview schedule of activities, outline milestones, and comment on whether it can be done in a timelier manner, or if more time would make a material difference. Based on an estimate of awarding a RFP in November 2016, we ask for your thoughts on the ability to meet this schedule as part of the proposal.

10 Questions to be answered in response to this RFI The following questions should be answered in your response to this RFI. Please give itemized response to each current and anticipated service in answering these questions. We want to understand how you think about athletics and campus planning and how you would approach this assignment? How do you work the current utilization of the current facilities into the master plan? Generally describe your approach to athletics master planning and how work will be accomplished. Describe the process anticipated for meetings with stakeholders, including approach to meetings and products to support meetings. Describe the INFORMATION that the university would be expected to provide in the RFP.