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The Thurston County Public Works Department is preparing to send a request for qualifications (RFQ) for services for its upcoming Waste and Recovery Center (WARC) reconfiguration design-build project.
Karen Weiss, county public works director, presented a brief overview of the project, which will cost around $20 million, to the Board of Thurston County Commissioners during an agenda-setting meeting Tuesday morning. The board will potentially vote April 29 on both the request for qualifications for owner advisory and construction management services and the approval of Willdan Energy Solutions as a sole source vendor to perform lighting upgrades at the WARC.
The WARC is the only solid waste disposal facility in Thurston County and is located at 2420 Hogum Bay Road NE in Lacey. Weiss said improvements are necessary to increase safety, serve additional customers and address productive growth over the next 20 years. The reconfiguration project will expand the work to reduce ongoing maintenance and operations issues and expand capacity, as well as eliminate residential and commercial cross traffic and minimize queue times at the scales.
The scope of the project was not immediately clear, but the public works department hopes to have an RFQ applicant selected for a three-year, $600,000 contract by July before pursuing another RFQ for the design-build services themselves, Weiss said. A contractor will potentially be chosen in the second quarter of 2026 and work on project design with anticipated construction in mid-2026 through 2027.
“The design-build delivery method has been chosen as the method to be utilized for this construction project, and it’s authorized by an RCW,” Weiss told the commissioners. “If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a project delivery method where a single entity, known as the design builder, is responsible for both the design and the construction of the project. The first step we need to take is to retain a consultant that has experience in this design-build project delivery.”
Commissioner Wayne Fournier expressed his interest in an additional public discussion about the project so that the public can see the big picture, and Chair Tye Menser said the agenda item should be moved to a department item for April 29’s meeting. County Manager Leonard Hernandez said staff can schedule a 30- to 45-minute work session for the public works team to present the details of the project.
The board will also vote on a contract that would improve lighting to the WARC. Weiss said the project is intended to lower the county’s operating costs, reduce energy bills, reduce environmental impact and improve safety and health for employees. It would save about $6,600 annually in costs, if approved.
