Metro Council, sitting as the Contract Review Board, approved an exemption from standard competitive bidding to procure a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) via competitive Request for Proposals for the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall HVAC equipment replacement project. Staff explained that using CM/GC will bring the contractor in earlier to collaborate on drawings and reduce the risk of a halted project, which is important because the facility is slated to transfer to the City of Portland, which bears financial responsibility. The resolution explicitly authorizes a CM/GC procurement by competitive RFP, but no RFP document, vendor shortlist, or award decision is noted in the minutes. Construction contractors with CM/GC experience in occupied performance venues, and MEP/HVAC specialists interested in subcontracting, should monitor Metro’s procurement portal for the upcoming CM/GC RFP and be prepared to address phasing, risk management, and coordination with both Metro and the City of Portland.

Exemption allows CM/GC procurement by competitive RFP rather than traditional low‑bid; work occurs i...