The University of California, Merced, has shortlisted three multifaceted development teams from a field of six that submitted detailed proposals for the next major phase of campus construction, scheduled to begin in 2016.
The shortlisted teams for the 2020 Project are EP2 Developers, E3 2020 and Merced Campus Collaborative. Each consortium includes a lead contractor, equity partners, planners and architects organized as a single team to compete for a project expected to span five years and add more than 1 million gross square feet to the newest UC campus.
The three successful teams were chosen through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process that closed in October 2014. University representatives evaluated responses from all six teams based on criteria specified in the 2020 Project’s RFQ.
The three teams will now enter the Request for Proposals (RFP) phase, which solicits detailed proposals for the design and development of academic, administrative, research, recreational, residential and student-services facilities sufficient to accommodate 10,000 students by the 2020-2021 academic year. Proposals are expected to be received in late 2015.
Campus enrollment has grown rapidly from 875 students in 2005, UC Merced’s inaugural year, to more than 6,250 students today. The campus plays a critical role in expanding access to the UC system within the San Joaquin Valley and across the state but is rapidly approaching the physical capacity of its current facilities.
The 2020 Project is envisioned as a mixed-use, master-planned development that will increase capacity as rapidly and cost-effectively as possible. Construction will take place on a 219-acre university-owned site that includes the current campus and 136 acres of adjacent, undeveloped land.
“We are very pleased by the qualifications and strength of the teams that expressed interest in participating in the RFP process,” said Vice Chancellor for Planning and Budget Daniel Feitelberg. “While much more work lies ahead, we are eager to begin the RFP phase this spring.”
More information about the 2020 Project can be found on its website.
