[Consultantservices] [Consultant Services] RFP posted Wednesday, January 16, 2008, 9:38 AM

[Grace Williams]

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consultants follow a two-part RFQ/RFP selection procedure. Click here to
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Request for Proposals - Consultant Services

Garden Street Planning Analysis
The City of New Rochelle, New York
Submittal Deadline: February 15, 2008

INTENT
The City of New Rochelle, NY is soliciting proposals from qualified
firms or individuals to provide consulting services for a comprehensive
planning analysis of the Garden Street Project Area detailed in the
Scope of Work section. This planning analysis will serve as the basis of
a formal Request for Proposals that will be issued to the private
development community in summer 2008.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE
Proposals will be accepted up until 3:00 pm on February 15, 2008 in the
Purchasing Office, City of New Rochelle, City Hall, 515 North Avenue,
New Rochelle, New York 10801 and should be mailed to the attention of
Mark Zulli, Deputy Finance Commissioner. Please include Spec. #4744 on
the mailing label.

OVERVIEW
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to prepare a
comprehensive planning analysis for the revitalization of the Garden
Street Project Area (the "Project Area"). The Project Area includes the
Garden Street lots (Block 801 Lot 013, 011 and 003), air rights over the
Metro-North Railroad tracks, the sliver of land adjacent to the
Metro-North Railroad tracks (Block 238 Lot 15), and other private
properties. This study will analyze possible zoning changes that will
affect density, traffic, and overall urban design in the project area.
The study will also analyze the constraints on the site that may impact
the feasibility of the project. These constraints will include, but not
be limited to, cost of development, sustainability, and feasibility of
Metro-North air rights, possible neighborhood impacts and critical mass
studies.  The Consultant and the City will assemble all of this
information, along with clear and concise mapping and site information
into a professional Request for Development Proposals for the Project
Area.

The City owns two parcels in the Project Area. The City-owned Garden
Street lots consist of approximately 36,277 SF of land adjacent the
Metro-North Railroad tracks. This property's only municipal purpose is
to provide surface parking for residents and businesses.  The property
fronts primarily onto Garden Street but also extends to the corner
parcel at the intersection of Garden Street and North Avenue. The other
parcel of City owned land is located across the Metro North tracks
southwest of the Garden Street Parcel. This property is a .22-acre
parcel of land that runs between the Bank of America Property and the
Metro-North tracks right of way. This property is deeply sloped and, and
by itself, would be very difficult to develop. However, in combination
with the possible the air rights over Metro-North, the City owned Garden
Street Lot and other private properties, this combination of properties
could provide a significant development opportunity with a developable
lot of over 130,000 SF, or approximately 3 acres, across from the New
Rochelle Transit Center.

The product that will result from this analysis will be an RFP to the
development community to encourage economic revitalization in the Garden
Street Project Area to create a mixed-use transit-oriented development
in Downtown New Rochelle.

SCOPE OF WORK

Definition of Area

*	Garden Street/Metro-North Railroad Air Rights - North Avenue
Properties 

Product: Through the use of zoning and ownership maps, aerials, and any
other appropriate medium, the consultant will provide a clear visual and
narrative description of the development area identified above. This map
will indicate ownership, total area in square footage, current uses and
any other information deemed relevant to the development of the site. 

Zoning

*	Build-out Under Existing Zoning 
*	Build-out with Density Bonuses 

Product: The consultant will provide a complete zoning analysis of the
sites including the maximum buildout of the sites under the City's
Downtown Density Bonus Legislation

Identification of Development Constraints

*	Parking 
*	Traffic 
*	Sewer 
*	Stormwater 
*	Market (Office/Retail/Residential) 
*	Other Possible Constraints 

Product: The Consultant will provide a general analysis of the
constraints that will affect the full buildout of the site. This will
not involved SEQRA analysis that would include actual traffic counts or
other technical studies. Rather, the consultant would generally identify
possible constraints and use existing EIS and other studies to assess
the significance of these constraints and whether these constraints
present a significant development obstacle.

Review of Development Roles and Responsibilities for Metro-North
Railroad 

*	Air Right Needs from Metro-North 
*	Possible Air Right Legal Structures 
*	Assessment of Public/Private Partnership Possibilities 

Product:  Working with Metro-North Railroad and City staff, the
Consultant will prepare a realistic assessment of the interest of
Metro-North in allowing the air over the Metro-North tracks to be leased
or sold for private development. If there is such an interest, the
Consultant will prepare, in discussion with the Corporation Counsel and
Development, possible legal structures that could be used to allow these
rights to be used for the development of public/private mixed use
projects.

Comments from Planners and Developers

Product: The Consultant will solicit comments from both private
developers and professional design and planning professionals as to the
overall feasibility of the plan to develop Garden Street and air rights
over the Metro-North tracks. These conversations will address market
constraints and the overall financial feasibility of the development of
this project.

Analysis of Feasibility

Product: Based on all the preceding analysis and discussion, the
consultant will provide a thorough and comprehensive assessment of the
overall feasibility of the proposed development project. This
feasibility will assess each possible project as identified by the City
of New Rochelle (Garden Street, Garden Street/Metro-North/Surrounding
Properties). The analysis will also address the best method to proceed
with developer solicitation.

Preparation of Request for Proposals

Product: Based on the analysis of the overall feasibility of the
projects, the Consultant will prepare a complete Request for Proposals
for the recommended project area. This RFP will include all maps,
factual information, zoning and development information as well as any
commitment from Metro-North necessary to provide and interested
developer with sufficient information to make a proposal on the project.

If your firm would like to receive a copy of this Request for Proposal,
please contact Sandi Nunez, Purchasing Specialist, via e-mail at
snunez at newrochelleny.com <mailto:snunez at newrochelleny.com> .

 

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