The city of Des Moines is poised to select Sebasta Blomberg, a Roseville, Minn.-based engineering and design firm with an office in Cedar Rapids, to conduct sustainability audits on five downtown properties as part of its EcoCore initiative.

EcoCore, which is being developed to help environmentally concerned owners of downtown office space make their properties more competitive, was unveiled late last year by the Downtown Community Alliance (DCA).

Hayward, Wis.-based Hallberg Engineering LLC, as well as local competitors The Energy Group and Terrus Real Estate Group LLC, had been vying for a contract to conduct environmental surveys of the Hub Tower at 699 Walnut St., the Bank of America building at 317 Sixth Ave., the AmerUS Life building at 611 Fifth Ave., the Midland Building at 206 Sixth Ave., and a property at 420 Watson Powell Jr. Parkway.

Following the receipt of the four proposals, the city’s finance department forwarded the applications to a selection committee, which responded with a recommendation to award the contract to Sebasta, said Mike Valen, the finance department’s procurement administrator.

Bidders were evaluated on a number of criteria, including their experience, references and cost, according to city records. On a 101-point scale, Sebasta was awarded 80.47 points and Terrus was given 70.59 points, including a point for “local preference.” The Energy Group came in fourth with a score of 56.

Valen said Sebasta will charge a maximum of $122,500 to complete the project, according to its proposal. He said the City Council is expected to consider awarding the contract to Sebasta during its March 28 meeting.

“What we expect to come out of this is a road map for the building owner” to make its property more energy- efficient, more sustainable and more attractive to potential tenants, said Tim Leach, the DCA’s director of economic development.

The Business Record reported in February that the city had committed $250,000 to fund the consultation.