Built in 1911, Rail Car 360 is a contributing structure to The Interurban Museum, and recognized on the National Register of Historic Places #5000856 and on the Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks. Donated to the City in 1985, Rail Car 360 was restored in 2004 and repainted in 2011. The roofed structure protecting the car was replaced in 2015. The Interurban Rail Car Restoration project will restore portions of Rail Car 360 that are faded, weathered, vandalized, or have failed. The project includes addressing minor exterior rust, repainting the exterior, restoring window frames and mechanisms, interior hardware replacement, interior wood repair and finishing, and signage conservation. For photos of current condition issues, please see attached appendix.
Rail Car 360 is an artifact in its own right, and is part of the permanent collection housed at the Museum by The Plano Conservancy. In order to best restore and maintain its historic fabric, it is critical to have an experienced restorer perform the work to the Secretary of Interior's Standards of Historic Properties. Failure to adhere to these standards can mean the loss of landmark status.
The Competitive Sealed Proposal (CSP) process was engaged to select a contractor experienced in historic restoration to perform all work. Contract Management and Park Planning staff worked to develop a set of evaluation criteria, including their scoring weights, to select the most competent and qualified contractor to perform the historic restoration work. Please note the criteria for the work plan also requires description of contractor or subcontractor historic restoration experience described for work assignments. The criteria established are as follows:
1. Project Cost (40% of the overall score)
2. Project Management Plan (48% of the overall score)
3. Work History including References (12% of the overall score)
Parks and Recreation received proposals on November 19, 2020 for Interurban Rail Car Restoration, Project No. 7261. There were a total of 686 vendors notified of this project, with nine (9) vendors attending site visits at Rail Car 360 for the purpose of providing a proposal. The City received two (2) proposals for this project.
Committee members were from two departments, Parks and Recreation and Planning. The evaluation committee reviewed Project Management Plans and Work History for both proposers. Evaluators met in two separate instances to review and discuss each proposal. The committee scored each section as listed in the Evaluation Criteria, which are provided in the attached CSP Recap.
Scoring for each offeror was considered by committee members independently, prior to meeting with other evaluation team members or viewing the cost proposals; scores were assigned accordingly. All scores were tabulated, providing a total score point for each offeror.
Utilizing the criteria identified above, the evaluation team sought to ensure that the selected contractor would have the necessary experience in historic restoration for the project. It was determined by all evaluation committee members that Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, Ltd. had historic restoration experience, was the highest ranked offeror, would provide the best overall value to the City and therefore is our recommended vendor.
The Parks and Recreation Department recommends approval of an expenditure in the amount of $199,700 for historic restoration services from Phoenix I Restoration and Construction, Ltd. for the Interurban Rail Car Restoration project.
This project provides continued care and stability of a unique artifact of Plano’s early years that represents the beginning of the city’s growth as a center of trade in keeping with Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Properties and is necessary to maintain landmark status. If not awarded, Rail Car 360 will experience further degradation in terms of body rust, window leaks, and may require some features currently on exhibit to be removed.