REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS
HUD TOD REDEVELOPMENT
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Project Title: HUD TOD REDEVELOPMENT PLANNING GRANT
Organization: City of Dallas - Department of Sustainable Development and Construction
Deadline: 9/14/2011
Contact name: Moses Aito
Contact number: 214-670-3332
Contact email: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

The City of Dallas was awarded a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Challenge Grant to enhance Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) through focused planning aimed at developing workforce, mixed income, and mixed-use housing at multiple Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail stations. This effort will focus on creating five area plans which include seven different DART stations throughout the City along three separate DART lines. The intent of the plans and related activities through the HUD Community Challenge grant program is to assist in the transformation of these areas, leveraging existing planning efforts and significant rail investment to create safe, attractive community centers. The City of Dallas, through the Office of Sustainable Development and Construction, is requesting written proposals from consultant firms to assist with the HUD Community Challenge grant through the development of area plans and catalyst project concepts. Catalyst sites will serve as focal points for development and redevelopment activity within the area. The selection and treatment of these sites is a critical component of the plan.

The City of Dallas will take a two part approach to creating redevelopment activities in the transit-oriented development opportunity areas. The first is the creation of an Area Plan document to guide land use and urban design decisions. This process will include a substantial community outreach element. At a minimum, the community outreach will include the creation of Citizen Advisory Committees, comprised of private citizens and individuals from partner agencies and community groups, that will be briefed as needed during different project milestones. Additionally, the City and its consultant(s) will provide briefings to City Council, Council Committees, and/or City Plan Commission and the DART Board as needed as well as informing city staff throughout the process. At least two public workshops or "open houses" will be held for each of the planning areas. Appropriate focus groups, individual interviews, and/or other interactive sessions will be used to gauge attitudes, concerns, preferences, and priorities. All outreach activities will be bilingual when appropriate.

A second component of the redevelopment process will be the formation of catalyst project concepts for each Planning Area. The definition of "catalyst project" will be determined by community input, developer interest, and available land or facilities. These catalyst projects will be a part of the planning deliverables and will include a real estate component for new construction or renovation. While the size and complexity of the projects will vary at each study area the concepts should be shown as feasible. The City may consider public assistance so that the project becomes financially viable. The catalyst project plans will closely follow both the land use and design portions of the long-term vision and Area Plan, as well as existing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district master plans. The catalyst project approach will also include the acquisition of land for redevelopment projects and to improve mobility through better access to transit.

The Planning Areas

While geographically diverse, the focus areas under this grant share some common characteristics. Each of the areas is located along a DART rail line in neighborhoods that have suffered low investment or disinvestment and have seen a shrinking population and tax base. Despite the rail transit access these communities are generally isolated, with high populations of low-income households. Common issues include vacant and abandoned properties, a deteriorating rental housing stock, the perception of high crime, limited retail opportunities, and a lack of significant employment opportunities. The descriptions below provide a general overview of the focus for the five area plans.

1. The Lancaster Corridor Area
The study area would include a quarter mile area around the Kiest Blvd. and VA Medical District DART stations and parcels within 1 city block on either side of Lancaster Road.

2. DART Green Line Hatcher Station-Spring Avenue area
The study will concentrate on the areas surrounding the Hatcher DART station, the proposed Hatcher area TOD, and the City's Spring Avenue (4600-4800 blocks of Spring Ave.) redevelopment initiative. Adjacent neighborhoods and development sites within ¾ of a mile will be taken into consideration.

3. The DART Green Line MLK Station Area
The study area will include a quarter mile area around the DART Green Line MLK station, extending to encompass surrounding neighborhoods.

4. The DART Green Line Buckner Station Area
The study area includes a half mile area around the DART Green Line Buckner station.

5. The Vickery Meadows / Five Points Area
The Vickery Meadows / Five Points Area is generally bounded by Northwest Highway to the South, Walnut Hill to the North, 75/Central to the West and Fair Oaks Park to the East.
Proposal Contents

The submission will cover the following:

Cover Page (1 page)
The proposal shall have a cover page with the following information:
1. Consultant's name and contact information
2. Contact person's name, title, telephone number and e-mail address
3. List of any Sub-contractors on the project team

Project Understanding and Approach (8 pages maximum)
The proposal will include a conceptual summary of the proposed approach to the project(s). This section will describe the team's project understanding and approach the team would employ to develop the area plans covered by the submission. This approach should include proposed objectives and methodologies for both planning and community processes. Proposals are encouraged to consider alternate study sequences, products, and approaches to meet the goals of the project(s) in a more cost effective manner, or propose elimination of project elements deemed not essential to achieving the overall study goals.

Scope of Services with Timeline (8 pages maximum)
This section will detail the proposed work program and schedule for the project(s), including tasks and timelines, with the knowledge that Dallas' objective is to have final products available for action within 12 months from the project initiation date. The timeline(s) contained in this section should provide a schedule that includes process steps, deliverables, and target delivery dates for intermediate and final products.
Proposed Costs (4 pages maximum)
Proposals should indicate cost of services organized by firm, personnel, and by projected hours assigned to tasks and deliverables including a to-not-exceed costs for the project(s).
Team Experience (14 pages maximum)
Description of the relevant experience and capabilities of the lead firm and any proposed sub-consultants including information on capacity to handle the demands of this project and each firm's organization, size and capacity. This section provides relevant information on the project manager and team members, including information on similar project experiences, capabilities and time commitment for the duration of this project. This should also include project manager's track record of keeping projects on schedule and within budget. Include descriptions of at least two directly related or similar projects successfully completed within the last five years, including scope, role of team members, name of the client and current contact information.

Proposals should use a minimum of line-and-a-half spacing. Page limits are for each project area with the exception of the Cover Page and Team Experience. Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition whenever possible.