Request for Proposals Main Street Bus Shelters Adaptive Reuse

Issued: May 1st, 2015

In partnership with:

Mayor Lovely A. Warren

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City of Rochester Request for Proposals

Main Street Bus Shelter Reuse

Issued: May 1st, 2015 Info Meeting: May 27th, 2015 Due: June 26th, 2015 Submission: PDF emailed to fittsh@cityofrochester.gov Contact: Henry Fitts

Office of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives fittsh@cityofrochester.gov 585-428-6780

Table of Contents

Part 1: Purpose Page 3 Part 2: Project Overview Page 4 Part 3: Site Description Page 5 Part 4: Proposal Submission Requirements Page 7 Part 5: Evaluation Criteria Page 8 Part 6: Schedule and Submission Page 9 Part 7: Rights Reserved Page 9 Exhibit A: Engineering Drawings Page 11

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Part 1: Purpose With the opening of the new RTS Transit Center on Mortimer Street, many RTS transfer points along East Main Street have been eliminated. As a result of this change, up to five (5) large free-standing bus shelters on Main St. between the Genesee River and Stillson Street are no longer in use. The City of Rochester is seeking proposals to adaptively reuse, redevelop, and operate these former bus shelters (collectively "Shelters") in a way that contributes to the economic development and vibrancy of downtown. The objectives of this Request for Proposals (RFP) are to:

● Award a master lease agreement of all referenced Shelters to an entity who will oversee their adaptation and subsequent re-use in a manner that complements and enhances the surrounding area;

● Create the optimal mix of uses that will attract people to visit, shop, work, and live downtown; especially East Main Street and surrounding neighborhoods;

● Create economic opportunities for existing neighborhood stakeholders either by helping to generate additional pedestrian activity in the area, or through some other collaborative programming;

● Create economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs, including Minority, Women-owned, Small, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (MWSDBEs).

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Part 2: Project Overview The City of Rochester will consider any serious proposal to adapt and reuse these Shelters in accordance with the stated objectives in Part 1. The City seeks to engage in a multi-year master lease with a developer for all of the bus shelters. The leaseholder would then be free to sublease or rent space to individual businesses or users. Examples of acceptable forms of adaptive reuse include (but are not limited to):

● a commercial space such as a newsstand, café, bike rental, or other type of street vendor space;

● a public good or service such as an informational booth, covered bike parking, bike sharing station, a micro-library, community garden, an art gallery, etc.

See this former bus shelter turned coffee kiosk in Portland as an example: http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2010/08/former_trimet_bus_stop_shelter.html Examples of unacceptable forms of adaptive reuse include (but are not limited to):

● private or personal use such as residential or storage space; ● any function which may be exclusive, or limit use to certain individuals or groups of

people.

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● disassembling, moving, or otherwise physically altering the shelter envelopes Please note, proposals should be self-sufficient, and will not be considered if they require on-going public funding. If a proposal does not itself create revenue (e.g. free bike parking) then a private source of funding for at least 5 years of operation/maintenance must be identified in the proposal. Proposals that do not identify any revenue sources will be considered non-responsive.

Part 3: Site Description Each of the Shelters listed below are free-standing structures, set within the sidewalk/pedestrian right-of-way, and are located along East Main Street between the Genesee River (Main Street Bridge) and Clinton Avenue. Many other developments and investments (public and private) are currently taking place on Main Street, or within a quarter mile of these Shelters. The historic Sibley Building and the 17-story Midtown Tower are being privately redeveloped into a mix of residential, commercial, and office space. Gannett will soon break ground on a new headquarters on the southeast corner of Main and Clinton. The historic National Clothing store at 159 East Main Street is being transformed into a new 110-room Hilton Garden Inn, and a new $50 million transit center recently opened two blocks north of Main Street between Saint Paul Street and Clinton Avenue. Most importantly, though, a $2.4 Million reconstruction of Main Street in 2016/2017 has the potential to add on-street parking spaces, new sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, bike racks, and pedestrian signs and kiosks to this section of East Main Street. Any concepts planned in response to this RFP should be cognizant of this project and clearly state contingency plans based on expected disruptions including limited access to the shelters, construction noise, temporary lack of street lighting, etc. The Shelters were designed by the firm Johnson, Johnson and Roy (Detroit) as part of the Main Street Improvement Project c.1986-1989. The 26 Million dollar project was a complete reconstruction and included new streets, sewers, sidewalks, and the installation of a transit mall with new street furniture, lighting, and bus shelters. The Main Street transit mall was loosely modeled after the Nicollet pedestrian mall in Minneapolis, MN. According to the Rochester Times-Union (4/15/1985), Rochester Transit Corporation unveiled the first drawings of a “transit mall” concept in 1959. The Shelters to be leased in this RFP are currently owned and maintained by City of Rochester and they include:

1. 120 East Main Street (at Radisson Hotel) Geo coordinates: 43.15654925, -77.60952339 Approximate Dimensions: 30′ L x 9′ W x 11′ H

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2. 123 East Main Street (at Riverside Convention Center) Geo coordinates: 43.15646511, -77.60905668 Approximate Dimensions: 30′ L x 9′ W x 11′ H

3. 195 East Main Street (at Chase Tower) Geo coordinates: 43.15694253, -77.60696724 Approximate Dimensions: 40′ L x 13′ W x 13′ H

4. 221 East Main Street (at Main & Clinton) Geo coordinates: 43.15701492, -77.60665342 Approximate Dimensions: 40′ L x 13′ W x 13′ H

5. 316 East Main Street (at University Place) Geo coordinates: 43.15776235, -77.60401949 Approximate Dimensions: 30′ L x 9′ W x 11′ H

The Shelters are constructed of aluminum/steel framing (secured below grade) and nearly fully enclosed with transparent Plexiglass material around the sides and roof. Each Shelter has four (4) exit/entry points with two on the street side and two facing the sidewalk. To prevent access during off-hours, all entry points will need to be secured. Rolling or overhead gates, interior screens, or other security systems should be considered. The Shelters are served by electricity and are equipped with overhead interior lighting fixtures. Additional lighting or all new lighting and heating systems may be installed by the lessee as necessary. The Shelters are not served by gas, water, or sanitary sewers. Shelters could be connected to water & sewer at respondent’s expense, and depending on the intended use, additional sidewalk space and/or street access is negotiable. Further, the master lessee will be responsible for ensuring that any proposed uses of the spaces meets all applicable building and health codes. Proposals should be conscious of modifications that may push the structure’s definition under the code into an ‘occupied structure’, which will incur additional requirements and significant additional cost. Please review the City’s building code regulations here: http://ecode360.com/12553592 The City seeks to engage in a multi-year master lease with a developer for all of the bus shelters. The leaseholder would then be free to sublease or rent space to individual businesses or users. Please see attached for a set of original bus shelters engineering drawings which include electrical service details and main circuit breaker location. While each shelter is slightly unique,

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this set represents the common features of each and should provide sufficient information from which to respond to this RFP.

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Part 4: Proposal Submission Requirements The proposal must contain the following:

1.) A transmittal letter containing the following: a.) Proposer’s Name b.) Proposer’s Street Address c.) Proposer’s Mailing Address (if different from street address) d.) Contact Person (Name and Title) e.) Telephone Number f.) Email Address g.) Federal Taxpayer ID Number

2.) A detailed proposal demonstrating a well-planned and high-quality design concept. The

minimum set of items to be submitted is listed below. The City reserves the right to reject any proposal without these minimum items.

a.) Summary of Overall Proposal

Narrative and vision statement summarizing the overall project, including the demand for the proposed uses, key benefits of the proposal, and project development costs. The proposer should clearly state, in narrative form and graphics as appropriate, a clear understanding of the repurposed bus shelter. This vision statement shall describe the general development program and layout, but detailed architectural drawings are not necessary.

b.) Proposer’s Experience Please submit a listing of all current projects and committed projects for the next 24 months in addition to a detailed history of projects operated in the last 5 years with an emphasis on similar projects, if applicable.

c.) Project Team Please provide resumes for the principal proposers. Proposals should also include a summary of the experience of the project team and relate prior experience to the repurposing of the selected bus shelter.

d.) Development Plan Please provide, at a minimum, a sketch of the planned repurposing and a detailed project schedule that includes potential temporary activation of the shelters, design, construction, and occupancy/opening.

e.) Business & Operation Plan

Please provide a business plan including an assessment of market viability for the proposed uses. The proposer will be also be responsible for maintenance and operations of the Shelters. Please provide a summary of how routine

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maintenance of the Shelters and immediate area will be handled. If the proposal involves 3rd party leasing of the Shelters, please indicate how this will be handled. Be sure to indicate any seasonal considerations (i.e. Will operations change during cold winter months, and how?).

f.) Funding

The proposer shall identify intended funding sources. Final funding commitments are not required at the time of submission, but if available, would strengthen the proposal. Project proposals that will not require city funding will receive stronger scores than those that do. Please include in this section cost estimates that include construction costs and soft costs, any expected terms for financing, and any expected public funding.

g.) Issues and Concerns The proposal should identify any issues or concerns in relation to the project. Any deletions or additions to the scope of the project should be clearly stated, with reasons and recommendations as to why the changes are being proposed.

Part 5: Evaluation Criteria A project review committee will be formed with members appointed from the various stakeholders in this project. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

1.) Plan and Design a.) Strength of use and design b.) Strength of business and operation plan c.) Quality and compatibility of the proposed repurposing with Main Street and

immediate surroundings d.) Potential benefits of the proposed repurposing on the surrounding neighborhood

and the wider Center City district

2.) Financing Plan a.) Strength of the financing plan b.) Level of proposer cash equity in the project c.) Experience of the proposer in obtaining financing d.) Terms and conditions of financing e.) Public financing expectations f.) Contingencies

3.) Development Team Experience

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4.) Project Readiness

a.) Expediency of the timetable and demonstrated ability to activate the Shelters b.) Ability to activate the shelters on a temporary basis within the first 2 months c.) Reasonableness of contingencies, including the Main St. Reconstruction

A 10% weighting will be applied in each of the following cases:

• Proposing organization is located in the City of Rochester • Proposing organization has MWBE certification

Part 6: Schedule and Submission The following milestones comprise the schedule from RFP release to the master lease agreement. 5/1/2015 - RFP Release 5/27/2015 - Pre-proposal meeting 5/29/2015 - Deadline for RFP questions 6/5/2015 - Responses to RFP questions 6/26/2015 - Proposals due by 4:00 PM EST 7/15/2015- Interviews with finalists (as necessary) 7/24/2015 - Complete negotiations with successful proposers 7/31/2015 - Successful proposals announced Please submit a PDF document as an attachment in an email, or through a link to a file sharing web service, to Henry Fitts at fittsh@cityofrochester.gov. Submissions received after 4:00 PM EST pm on June 26th will not be evaluated.

Part 7: Rights Reserved Only proposals that comply with all the objectives, provisions and requirements of this RFP will be considered for review. All determinations of completeness of any submission and compliance with the objectives, provisions and requirements of this RFP, and the eligibility or qualification of any respondent shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of the City of Rochester. All materials submitted in response to this RFP become property of the City of Rochester, without obligation of the City to return such materials. The City is collaborating with Reconnect Rochester, Inc. in evaluating responses to this RFP. In furtherance of this collaborative effort, the City shall share with Reconnect Rochester, Inc. all responses and materials submitted in response to this RFP. The City reserves the right to request additional information from any or all RFP respondents, if necessary, to clarify that which is contained in the proposals.

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The City could be required to disclose proposals under the New York Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law §§ 84-90). The City will, to the extent permitted by law, seek to protect the respondent’s interests with respect to any proprietary information that is submitted. Any proprietary information submitted with the proposal must be clearly identified and a request to keep such information confidential must be submitted. Should it become necessary to revise any part of this RFP, provide additional information necessary to adequately interpret provisions and requirements of this RFP, or respond to written inquiries concerning the RFP, the City reserves the right to issue an Addendum to the RFP to all respondents who received the initial RFP and to post an Addendum to the RFP on the City’s website. The City reserves the right to extend the Submission Deadline by a reasonable time and may do so by posting a notification of the extension on the City’s website. The City may waive any of the provisions, requirements, terms and conditions of this RFP. The City reserves the right at its sole discretion to accept or reject any and all proposals received as a result of this RFP, to waive minor irregularities, to elect not to proceed with the process set forth in this RFP, to enter into exclusive negotiations with a respondent prior to acceptance of the proposal, and to conduct discussions with all responsible respondents, in any manner necessary, to serve the best interest of the City of Rochester. No brokerage fees, finder's fees, commissions or other compensation will be payable by the City of Rochester in connection with selection of a project. The City has no obligation to discuss its reasons for selecting, accepting, negotiating or rejecting any proposals with any respondent. The City and Reconnect Rochester, Inc. shall not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by any respondent in responding to this RFP, including, without limiting the foregoing, whether or not a particular proposal was accepted, rejected or otherwise designated or selected or if the City elects not to proceed with the disposition process. All costs and expenses incurred by each respondent in connection with this RFP will be borne by the respondent, including without limiting the foregoing, all costs and expenses in connection with: surveys, reports, studies, research and other due diligence work; preparation of each proposal; advice and representation of legal counsel; travel expenses; responding to this RFP; and the proposed reuse of the Shelters.