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Washington Neighborhood Plan RFPTHE CITY OF Dubuque ~' T '"' D tJ ~ E ~I!-A~r~rica City ~` Masterpiece orT the Mississippi S ~ ''x, ~ ~ r7 2UU/ TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Request for Proposals -Washington Neighborhood Plan DATE: January 30, 2008 Housing and Community Development Department Director David Harris is recommending approval of the Request for Proposals for the Washington Neighborhood Planning Project. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. i ~L, ~ l ,~~ ichael C. Van Milligen MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager David Harris, Housing and Community Development Department Director THE CITY OF DuB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi 17 January 08 To: Michael Van Milligen, MEMORANDUM City Manager From: Davi rris, Housing and Community Development Department Re: Request for Proposals -Washington Neighborhood Plan Introduction The purpose of this memorandum is to request the City Council's approval to publish a request for proposals for the Washington Neighborhood planning project. Discussion The Council has approved a total of $60 000 for the purpose of hiring a professional planning consultant, in association with the Washington Neighborhood revitalization initiative. The intent of this project is to develop a neighborhood-level, citizen participation-based comprehensive plan, to address land use and development issues, social concerns, and future expected pressures and opportunities for development in the area. We would expect this to take place over a period of 3-6 months, with scheduled opportunities for neighborhood residents and stakeholders to be meaningfully involved in providing their perspectives. Action Step The action requested of the City Council is to authorize publication of the attached request for proposals. ,..w±~. :.~;.,~. !/HIX+/!+[HH.T'K.:./.:NA(/.N.{fN.!„H, }N.y~/lfLN,ViYIKd!f:KIS4k/ll:K:!{. +~4 i CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE WASHINGTON NEIGHBORHOOD INTRODUCTION The City of Dubuque is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide professional planning services associated with the Washington: Revitalize! Initiative. The purpose of the Washington initiative is to revitalize an historical downtown neighborhood. The strategy includes promoting an increase in homeownership, encouraging a mix of household incomes, reducing concentrated poverty and the high percentage of rental units, and building non-profit capacity to provide housing and supportive services. It also involves targeting City resources and infrastructure improvements and concentrated code enforcement. BACKGROUND The Washington revitalization effort was introduced in June 2005 in recognition of a decline in neighborhood conditions. These were identified in a consultant report issued in 2004 which noted the poor appearance and lack of maintenance in housing, depressed property valuations and high vacancy rates in the area. The report concluded a need to stimulate renovation of residential properties and to provide more homeownership opportunities, including for moderate-income families. The Washington Neighborhood is a 55+ square block area located in the oldest residential part of downtown Dubuque. It contains approximately 450 single and duplex residences, with scattered multi-unit rentals and commercial and institutional buildings. Residential property valuations are 44% of the City-wide average. 86% of the housing was built before 1939. 70% of the units are renter-occupied; 68% of residents report income below 80% of area median. 2000 Census data indicates an average vacancy rate of 13°~ for all housing. In the past several years, the neighborhood has become more racially and culturally diverse, although Census data reports only a 2% non-white population. The neighborhood is served by two public K-5 elementary schools, including the new Prescott charter school and Audubon on the north boundary. Six churches are located within the area. Several non-profit organizations provide direct services, including the new Crescent Community Health Center and Multicultural Family Center. A neighborhood retail center with full-service supermarket is located at the 5 Points. Orange Park was dedicated in 2007. Banks and credit unions are located within the service area. The housing, while the oldest in the City, has retained much of its historic character. Many block fronts are intact, with small (25-50 foot wide} lots and rear alleys with garages and off-street parking. The many historical front stoops contribute to a pedestrian friendly feel in the core residential area of the neighborhood. The Washington Neighborhood faces many challenges and opportunities. To the immediate east, the former Dubuque Pack site is being readied for redevelopment as Riverview Plaza, a new 39 acre shopping center. To the south, the Warehouse District -with over 1 million square feet of available developable space - is now being transformed into an historic district, envisioning upper-end condos, artist lofts, restaurants and office spaces for small entrepreneurial firms. And to the immediate north and east, the Bee Branch Creek Realignment Project will bifurcate the neighborhood from the North End, demolish 70 homes, close many streets and alter traffic patterns throughout the area. This $32 million storm water mitigation project will commence construction activities within the next 24 months. As mentioned, the neighborhood is experiencing a changing demographic. Many lower- incomefamilies are moving to Dubuque from larger metropolitan areas in Illinois and Wisconsin. The challenge is to connect these new residents with economic, social and educational opportunities, so that they improve their quality of life and assimilate into the Dubuque's community. Other significant issues facing the neighborhood include public safety and the perception of increasing crime, enforcement of housing and zoning ordinances in rental properties and "re-marketing" the image of the area -both to residents and to citizens throughout the City - as an attractive place to live, purchase and improve homes and raise families. Avoidance of gentrification and application of `green' and energy- conserving technologies are additional planning issues. Building upon its historical character, the end goal is to `re-invent' the area as a neighborhood of choice for all citizens. A citizen/stakeholder-participation "visioning" process took place over afour-month period in 2007, with the objective of defining a desired future for the neighborhood. The consultant's report identified the following assets: schools, the Community Health Center, housing and service providers, the Multicultural Center, Orange Park, the supermarket, restaurants, churches, small businesses, banks and the City's community-oriented policing program Liabilities included: too many rental properties, heavy traffic, too many bars and related behavior problems, lack of housing maintenance, vacant houses and storefronts, lack of off-street parking, uncaring landlords and disrespectful tenants, a lack of neighborhood-service retail and restaurants, and chronic trash and uncut grass Major goals for the neighborhood were summarized as follows: 1. Economic development: support and maintain a variety of businesses to meet the employment and service needs of residents 2. Community pride: civic involvement and community-building opportunities for all age groups to increase community pride 3. Education/recreation: ample opportunities for education and positive recreational activities for all ages, year-round 4. Housing: sufficient housing options for all residents, with an increase in home ownership to reflect City-wide rates 5. Infrastructure: sufficient to meet neighborhood needs and contribute to a sustainable and aesthetically-pleasing physical environment 6. Property maintenance: increased maintenance and historically-sensitive improvements to all properties, to maximize property values and reinforce a sense of pride in the neighborhood 7. Safety: the neighborhood will be a safe and inviting place for people of all ages, and will be perceived this way by both residents and the greater Dubuque population PROJECT SUMMARY/SCOPE OF WORK The intended work product is a comprehensive, citizen participation-based plan for the Washington Neighborhood. It will translate the `vision' into specific action steps, to direct future use and development, both short- and long-term. It will address all the concerns listed above, both for current conditions and for the future as appropriate. It will be aconsensus-developed planning strategy for the neighborhood.. The consultant will facilitate a number of planning sessions (and/or other input methods) in order to meaningfully solicit resident ideas in development of the plan. These sessions will include the participation of a citizen coordinating committee, comprised of neighborhood residents and other stakeholders, and City staff. Consultant findings and recommendations will be reviewed in these public sessions, on a scheduled basis, for review and feed-back. Plan elements should include the following: 1.Background/history, including reference to the Washington:Revitalize Initiative and visioning process 2. Demographics; existing land uses 3. Identification of current issues for the neighborhood 4. Goals and objectives 5. Strategies and implementation steps for achieving the goals and objectives 6. Estimation of capital budgeting costs for implementation 7. Preparation of relevant documents and maps/over-lays/graphics/ photographs 8. Appendix cataloging the public participation process. The consultant should include in the proposal The completed plan document will be produced in hard copy form, 50 copies; and electronic format. The consultant will make a presentation of the final plan to the City Council. QUALIFICATIONS A professional consultant experienced in the areas of group facilitation and group process, neighborhood or downtown planning will be retained by the City, to prepare the work products described above. The selected consultant must have the requisite experience and training and have performed similar work for other clients. INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN PROPOSAL To simplify the review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, the proposal shall include the following information and shall be organized in the manner specified below. Letter of Transmittal Provide a letter of transmittal briefly outlining the firm's understanding of the work and the name, address and contact numbers of the firm's primary contact person. Profile of Firm Provide general information about the firm and firm's area of expertise, including the qualifications of the personnel who will be assigned to this project. (a) The proposal shall include the name of the anticipated project manager, his or her qualifications and experience; including experience in performing similar work. (b) The proposal shall include at least three references of past clients. These projects must have been completed within the past five years with the same project manager, consultants and other key personnel proposed for this project. (c) The proposal shall discuss the firm's ability to integrate this contract into the present workload. Proposed Project Schedule Provide a project schedule outlining the time period and estimated completion date for each element of the proposed scope of services. Include specific bench-marks for reporting of progress, to be submitted to the citizen coordinating committee and to the City Council. The schedule should include delivery date for work products and periodic project status reports; public meetings with the citizen coordinating committee; and up-date meetings or teleconferences with a staff oversite committee, consisting of representatives from the Housing, Health, Leisure Services, Human Rights, Planning and Police Departments and the City Manager's Office. Fees and Compensation Provide a proposed cost budget for completion of the proposed scope of services with cost breakdowns. Quotation of fees shall remain firm for a period of at least 90 days from the proposed submission deadline. Please separate the proposed budget from the other portion of the RFP submittal. Initial screening will be done by the selection committee without benefit of knowing the consultant's proposed fee for services. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS An original plus five copies, plus an electronic copy, of the proposal must be received in the Housing Department, 350 West 6"' Street, by 2008. Each bidding firm assumes full responsibility for delivery and deposit of the completed proposal package on or before the deadline. The City of Dubuque is not responsible for any loss or delay with respect to delivery of the proposals. The City of Dubuque reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and negotiate changes with any consultant. The City of Dubuque is not liable for the cost incurred by any consultant prior to the execution of an agreement or contract. The City of Dubuque is not liable for any costs incurred by the consultant that are not specified in any contract. The City of Dubuque is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All correspondence regarding this RFP should be directed to David Harris, Director, Housing and Community Development Dept, Dubuque, Iowa, 52001, by telephone at 563-589-4239, by fax at 563-589-4244, or by email at dharrisCcDcityofdubuaue.ora. EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals will be screened to ensure that they meet the minimum requirements of the proposal format. A review of qualifying proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee. Consultants may be invited to an interview with the selection committee. Evaluation criteria will include the following: • Experience and achievements of the firm. • Qualifications and experience of principal staff or project team on similar projects. • Grasp of project requirements, understanding of project scope and level of interest by firm. • Design approach/methodology in completing the scope of services. • Approach to communication throughout the project. • Ability to deliver the products in a timely manner and within budget. • Ability to maintain a high level of direct interaction and communication with City staff and the citizen advisory group • Public facilitation capabilities and experience in working with the public • Ability to produce hi-quality, user-friendly documents with hi-quality graphics • Proposed schedule to complete the project. • Proposed cost to complete the project.