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Consulting Contract for Conceptual Design of Main Street ~ ~ CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA MEMORANDUM August 30, 2000 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Request for Proposals--Town Clock Plaza Three responses were received for the Request for Proposals to design Main Street to be extended through the Town Clock Plaza from Ninth Street to Fifth Street. Public Works Director Mike Koch is recommending award of the contract for the preparation of preliminary concept drawings to The Durrant Group in a price range of $12,000-$17,000. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. Michael C. Van Milligen MCVM/dd Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel Tim Moerman, Assistant City Manager Mike Koch, Public Works Director L". I ,- -,,..,,- J v I ; 1"-11 .; 8'")11 -, '" .-'.. /"'J V~h-~_) -.1,_' ~._i '\4! 0,,, : 1'1 :\1 ! [' C '11-' ('J (" I ,,' I c.. "':il~ j, U..-., ...~ i' .' .'. ", '..J :::J/ \i=: 0 ja . . . ~ ':.>.'.~ ". .' CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA MEMORANDUM August 2, 2000 TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager Michael A. Koch, Public Works Director If) j{~ FROM: SUBJECT: RFP for Preparation of Conceptual Drawings for the Opening of Main Street from Fifth Street to Ninth Street INTRODUCTION At the City Council meeting of January 17, 2000, the City Council directed staff to prepare Request for Proposals from engineering and architectural firms to prepare preliminary concepts for the opening of Main Street through the Town Clock Plaza, from Fifth Street to Ninth Street. The City Council further tabled the motion to continue work on the development of plans to upgrade the streetscape along Main Street which had until that time been the direction of the City in regard to Main Street. DISCUSSION A Request for Proposals was mailed to several firms on June 23, 2000. Through a series of general public, stakeholder, and business owner meetings, the consulting firm is to develop preliminary concepts for a roadway which would open access on Main Street, from Fifth Street to Ninth Street, in such a manner as to serve the concerns with regard to such items as street width, parking, speed, and curbside amenities, and to compare these options with the streetscape improvement options earlier presented by the firm WHKS under previous direction of the City. Proposals were received from three consulting firms on July 14, 2000. The firms submitting proposals were the Durrant Group, WHKS, and Vedi Associates, Inc. A copy of the RFP request is attached. Because of the fairly well-defined Scope of Services for this contract, it was determined by City staff that interviews would not be needed to make a consultant selection. The Durrant Group presented the best proposal for the work requested and seemed to have the best understanding of the needs of the project and its role in comparison to the streetscape concept options. The Durrant Group also has a detailed knowledge of the Plaza because they are tenants in the area and have a detailed firsthand knowledge of the needs of the downtown and how the Plaza currently functions. . . . The costs submitted with the proposals were opened and are as follows: Vedi Associates, Inc. Durrant Group WHKS $ 12,000.00 $ 12,000.00 - $17,000.00 $104,800.00 RECOMMENDATION City staff recommends to the City Council that the Durrant Group be awarded the contract for the preparation of conceptual street plans through a series of public meetings and work sessions with the City Council as outlined in the Request for Proposal. Phase I of the project would take the project from preliminary concept development, public input, City Council worksessions, and preparation of two preliminary concepts for the opening of Main Street. Phase II of the study would proceed only if the City Council chooses to proceed with the opening of Main Street. The schedule, as outlined by the Durrant Group, would anticipate a meeting with the City Council to determine a final concept by November, 2000. Because the options are so wide open at this time for the opening of Main Street, the costs of Phase" of the consultant agreement would be negotiated if at such time as the Council would decide to open Main Street. ACTION TO BE TAKEN I would recommend that the City Council award the contract for the preparation of preliminary concept drawings to the Durrant Group for the opening of Main Street from Ninth to Fifth Street through the Town Clock Plaza. MAK/vjd Attach. .. 1 \ . CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS June 23, 2000 TOWN CLOCK PLAZA - OPENING MAIN STREET FROM NINTH STREET TO FIFTH STREET I. Introduction The City of Dubuque is soliciting proposals from qualified consulting firms to provide preliminary concepts (Part I) and construction plans and specifications (Part 2) for the construction of Main Street, from Ninth Street to Fifth Street, through what is now the Town Clock Plaza, a pedestrian mall. The Town Clock Plaza was constructed in the early 1970's and was originally intended to refurbish the downtown and to update the area as the major retail center of the City. Like many other cities, outlying malls pulled the major retailers from the Plaza; and ov~r the years, the Plaza has essentially developed into a professional office plaza complex, with a few specialty retail shops still remaining. Currently there are approximately 2,500 office workers in the Plaza area. . Throughout the day, the Plaza has limited pedestrian traffic except for office personnel. During mid-day lunch break times, the Plaza becomes very pedestrian-oriented, and there is a great need for seating and space for personal interaction. The Plaza is also the site of various popular outdoor evening activities. During these periods, the Plaza becomes a mecca of pedestrians, and Main Street is often closed to all traffic for such major events. Please note the following information relates to the minimum specifications of services, information to be included in the proposal, and evaluation criteria for the review of proposals. II. Community Profile The City of Dubuque is located on the Mississippi River in northeastern Iowa, adjacent to Illinois and Wisconsin. The City is approximately 27.5 square miles in area, with a 1990 population of 57,546. The City provides a full range of services. . . The community has a stable and diversified manufacturing base and a growing service sector. Dubuque is the major retail, medical, educational and employment center for the tri-state area. Tourism continues to be a major economic force in the community. City government continues to work with the private sector to promote economic development. I" . Submission Reauirements An original and eight copies of each proposal must be received in the Office of the Public Works Director, Engineering Division, 50 W. 13th Street, Dubuque, IA 52001-4864 by 5 p.m. on July 14, 2000. It is anticipated that a contract for services would be awarded within 60 days following the due date for the submission of the proposals. Further information may be obtained from the Public Works Director, Michael A. Koch, at (319) 589-4270, by writing to the Public Works Director at the above address, or by fax at (319) 589-4149. The City of Dubuque reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received, as is deemed in the best interest of the City. Firms whose proposals are not accepted will be notified as soon as the selected firm has been approved. IV. Data to be Included in the Proposal . To simplify the review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, the proposals shall include the following items and be organized in the manner specified below. A. Letter of Transmittal A letter of transmittal briefly outlining the proposer's understanding of the work, as well as general information regarding the firm and individuals to be involved. B. Profile of Firm The proposal shall include general information about the firm, the firm's areas of expertise, and the firm's official name, address, and principal officers. C. Qualifications 1 . The proposal shall include: the name of the anticipated project manager, his/her qualifications, and experience; and the names, qualifications, and experience of other key personnel who would be associated with the project. . 2. Experience of the firm in the area of downtown redevelopment and urban design. The proposal shall include at least three references of past clients with which the firm has had similar projects and which have been completed within the past five years. . 3. Name and location of other consulting firms that would be used by your firm in the study, and the approximate percentage of the work that would be performed by each of these firms. 4. The proposal shall discuss the firm's ability to integrate this project into your present workload. D. Scope of Services and Proposed Project Schedule 1. The project would develop concepts for the construction of Main Street within the project limits. Various concepts shall be developed for the street width, parking, landscaping, and other street amenities within the 54-foot public right-of-way (building line to building line}. Specific tasks shall include the following: a. Meet with City Council for initial study direction and concept development. . b. Hold a minimum of three public input sessions including: 1) Adjacent/affected property owners. 2) Employees and tenants. 3) General public. c. Review results of all input sessions and develop various preliminary concepts, together with preliminary cost estimates. The streetscape enhancement and urban design element of the project should analyze existing conditions within the historic context of the downtown (especially the area surrounding the Town Clock) and: 1) Consider impact on the Town Clock. . 2) Consider parking needs of the various property owners while still maintaining the general streets cape theme developed for Main Street. 3) Consider the relative parking/access needs of the property owners versus the desire of office workers for seating space, landscaping, and other amenities. . d. Meet. with City Council to review public input of various preliminary concepts. The Council will give direction to consultant on two (2) preliminary concepts. e. Develop colored renderings of the two (2) proposed plan views to complement the work already completed on Eighth Street. f. Meet with City Council on refinement of preliminary plans on two selected design options. g. Meet with City Council to make a selection of a final design concept. . The City Coun'cil already has had plans developed for the reconstruction of the Town Clock Plaza as a pedestrian ONLY-oriented facility. This review process of the City Council will result in the selection of a pedestrian-only concept or the extension of Main Street through the Plaza. It will also be determined whether this contract would continue, or would be terminated with no further action, if the pedestrian option is selected. 2. Proposed Schedule The proposal shall provide the firm's anticipated work plan and provide an estimated timeframe for the completion of the various major components of the study, with the intent of having a budgetary estimate by December 1, 2000. Construction would take place in the Year 2001. V. Fees and Compensation The proposal shall identify the fee structure for Part 1 only, including an estimated or range of costs for each of the defined study components. The estimated fee shall be submitted in a separate envelope from the proposal. . VI. Evaluation Criteria . Proposals will be screened to ensure that they meet the minimum requirements for the proposal format. A review of qualifying proposals will identify potential firms that most closely meet the needs of the City. Upon review of the proposals, top candidate firms may be asked to make a presentation to the City to discuss their qualifications, background and experience, and their approach to the study. Factors that may be considered in the evaluation of a firm are as follows: 1. Evaluation of response to the RFP. 2. Qualifications and experience of the firm in the subject area. 3. Comments from individual references. 4. Cost of proposal. 5. Project schedule. The selection of the firm will be based on the proposal that, in the opinion of the City, serves the best overal.1 .interest of the City. A contract will be negotiated after the selection process has been completed. The scope of services may be adjusted to conform the various components of the study to the available budget. . . - (IF AUTHORIZED BY THE CITY COUNCIL) . I. If the City Council elects to open Main Street as per the preliminary design, City Council would authorize preparation of final plans and specifications after the decision concept has been selected. These additional services (Part 2) would then also be needed: a. Develop budget recommendation. b. Prepare plans, specifications, and estimate for bidding purposes. c. Assist the City in the bid process. d. Review bids and make recommendation to the City Council based on bids received. e. Provide construction staking, administration, inspection, and close-out procedures. II. Discuss the process of incorporating the above work outline into your current workload. I" . A contract scope and cost would be negotiated before initiating work on Part 2. . . 11." .. To The Honorable Mayor and Members of the Dubuque City Council: I realize you are probably saturated with correspondence, but I have written a letter to the Editor of the Telegraph Herald and thought you may also want a copy. Thanks for all your precious time that you are directing to our City. Joan Frommelt 0 0 0 ~ ~ :0 0"<. c: ~., (,') ill .- sr (..,J --; 11 c: ""1J --:;::; '- 0 -'- m > ~ W 0 ('')" 0.) CD W " August 29, 2000 LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE DUBUQUE TELEGRAPH HERALD In the past years, I have held the position as Director of the Dubuque Downtown Association, have worked in a professional office on 8th St., have owned a business in Cable Car Square, and, have assisted in the coordination of many festivals and activities in the Downtown area. For these reasons, I have been fortunate to view our Downtown from many avenues and would like to share my comments on the opening of Town Clock Plaza. I feel there are many positive aspects with the reopening of "Main Street": * Our City will have a complete "Main Street" again which is a very important part of the history of Downtown and the City of Dubuque. * It should prove to be very beneficial for those businesses located on lower and upper Main Street. As Main Street will run from 1st. Street to 17th. Street, all businesses will share in the flow of traffic. * Directing the visitors to our City around the area will be simplified. With the upcoming plans for the Ice Harbor, our City will be an even greater attraction. Being a major tourist destination, we must provide easy accessibility. * The architecture of the buildings on the Plaza, as well as on lower and upper Main St., will be more prominent. Having 8th. Street now open, it is wonderful to see the full beauty of the Grand Opera House. Those Downtown property owners, who obviously take alot of pride in their structure, should be applauded and the beauty of their buildings should be shared by all. (Urban Renewal was necessary because of'slum lords' and deteriorating buildings!) * "Main Street" will be even more attractive for activities and festivals. (Hats off to our Dubuque Main Street people for providing us with a full season of entertainment with 'All That Jazz'!) Hopefully, the future of these activities will be included in the plans of a new design. The present Town Clock stage has a very limited viewing area, and with a well attended event, there are many who are unable to see, hear and enjoy the performers because of lack of space. A future performing area facing North or South may be more condusive. * Parades will have a straight shot right down "Main Street" and parades are a very important entity for our whole community. Page Two * If a new design concludes that the Town Clock should remain in it's present location with the traffic flowing around it, our Town Clock could, again, be a major focus point. Should the street be opened, the whole Town Clock structure will be visible from the entire street. Presently, with the taller structures being built, as well as the growth of trees, the Town Clock can barely be seen. * Those workers who enjoy being outside during the warmer months can still be provided a 'park-like' atmosphere as there are several areas which are condusive for such an addition. Even though the traffic will probably be minimal with the reopening, the new design must include a limited number of' metered-short term' parking spaces. Meters have proved to be necessary due to a few selfish individuals who feel they are entitled to park their vehicles in the same convenient spot for long periods of time. The purpose of the meters is to provide a constant turnover of parking spaces. (There are several convenient public lots and parking ramps available for longer term parking.) Urban Renewal and the Town Clock Plaza have been very controversial issues for well over 30 years. This Plaza debate has caused alot of stress for our present and past City councils, City staff and Downtown personnel. The Town Clock Plaza has also experienced neglect because of this constant debate. Just taking this into consideration, isn't there 'something wrong with this picture'! Downtown was, is now, and always will be an essential element to the City of Dubuque. Hopefully, in making this crucial decision, the future of Downtown and our City, will be visualized and the end result be a complete and quality project and one that our community can be proud of Joan Frommelt 100 N. Grandview Ave. Dubuque, fA 52001 cc: Dubuque City Council Dubuque Main Street Ltd.