The Town of Fort Myers Beach opened public qualifications on Oct. 23, 2025, for Request for Qualifications RFQ 25 17 AD to hire engineering and architectural firms for the Newton Park beach facility reconstruction project, town staff said.

Jason Freeman, deputy clerk for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, said the solicitation seeks professional landscape architecture and engineering teams to provide comprehensive design, permitting, construction-phase engineering and inspection services for the parks-and-recreation revitalization project. The work is funded in part through Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds and aims to restore and modernize public recreation facilities damaged by Hurricane Ian.

The RFQ was originally advertised on Sept. 11, 2025, with qualifications due Oct. 16, 2025, by 12:30 p.m., Freeman said. An addendum extended the submittal deadline to Oct. 23, 2025, at 9 a.m., and staff opened the received qualifications at about 9:36 a.m.

The town recorded four respondents: On-site Inc.; Chen Moore and Associates; Kimberly Horn and Associates Inc.; and JR Evans Engineering, PA. Freeman said one initial submission from JR Evans appeared incomplete and that a second, apparently complete set of qualifications was received; the town will verify completeness during its post-opening review.

Freeman said the qualifications will be forwarded to the town's selection advisory committee for review and potential recommendation. Following that review, the matter will be considered by the town manager and then by the town council under the town's purchasing policies and the CCNA process, Freeman said. The selection advisory committee meeting is anticipated in November and will be posted on the town calendar.

No contract award or council action was taken at the opening; the event was limited to the public opening of electronic submissions and an administrative check for completeness. Further evaluation, shortlisting, interviews (if any), and formal recommendation were not part of the opening and will occur under the committee and purchasing procedures described by staff.

Next steps: town staff will complete an administrative completeness review of each submittal, the selection advisory committee will evaluate qualifications in November, and any recommendation will move through the town manager and town council for final action under the town's procurement rules.