By Matthew G. Roy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange
In a letter from Michael J. Rusing of Rusing, Lopez & Lizardi, Attorneys at Law, Nor-Generations LLC responded on Sept. 12 to a protest filed by Peach Properties HM, Inc. over the Rio Nuevo District’s handling of an RFP for a $100M arena project, which was awarded to Nor-Gen (REDaily News, Sept. 9)
In that response, Nor-Gen denies the protest claims and asks the board to reject Peach Properties’ request for further consideration.
“Peach’s protest is wholly spurious,” the response states.
The letter goes on to address and refute claims made in the protest, including allegations that a board member improperly influenced the proceedings and that the board’s selection committee, as a result, awarded the contract based on “unauthorized criteria” not stated in the original RFP.
Those criteria, noted in the protest and the response, include references to the project being “a gateway,” that the property should evoke the region’s history and the district’s vision for its future, that access to Interstate 10 was important, that the property should be an “urban place,” that ensuring stability of the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show was a goal, and that future development should be “iconic.”
The response from Nor-Gen does not refute the claim that the original RFP did not include these criteria (the violation(s) Peach Properties protests). Instead, it cites comments referring to those concepts during the RFP response interview presentation made by Peach Properties CEO Ron Schwabe and his project architect.
For full story click here Arizona Business Exchange September 24, 2014 (and read the complete response from Rusing, Lopez & Lizardi)