REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Date: March 17 th, 2017 To: Re: Qualified Consulting Firms Request for Qualifications for Paces Mill/ Palisades Facility Rehabilitation Concept Design The Cumberland Community Improvement District (CID) and the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) have partnered together to rehabilitate the southernmost park unit of the CRNRA, which is located at the CID s southern boundary and gateway, and is known as the Paces Mill/ Palisades Unit. The secluded park unit is easily accessible, but is tucked away in the rapidly growing urbanized Cumberland environment, which presents an opportunity to transform the CRNRA Paces Mill Facility into an Urban Gateway Park. The park units attracts thousands of visitors a year. Background: The CRNRA was authorized by Congress in 1978 to lead the preservation and protection of the 48- mile Chattahoochee River corridor from Buford Dam to Peachtree Creek, and its associated natural and cultural resources, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. The Cumberland Submarket is home to more than 800 of the 6,500 acres of CRNRA, including the Paces Mill, Palisades, and Cochran Shoals Units and trailheads. CRNRA provides numerous recreational opportunities within the various units of the CRNRA, including hiking, biking, paddling, wildlife viewing, fishing, and boating. Because the CRNRA is located within the metropolitan Atlanta area, there is convenient access to the many recreational opportunities for a large visitor base. The Paces Mill Unit was developed during the 1970 s and deeded to the Park after inception and is currently the trailhead for the Bob Callan Trail. The Park has approximately 3.2 million visitors and this Paces Mill Unit is utilized by approximately 140,000 of those patrons annually. Paces Mill Unit is the southernmost amenity for the Park along the river. This makes this facility the last take-out point for rafters and kayakers until the river becomes unnavigable. The CID is a special tax district located just northwest of Atlanta, encompassing 6.5 square miles around the I-75/I-285 interchange in Cobb County, Georgia. The CID is the mechanism by which local commercial property owners advance roadway, streetscape, parks, trails, beautification, and other infrastructure improvements that enhance property values as well as the greater community. CID revenues are generated through self-imposed commercial property taxes not residential taxes or sales taxes. The first such assessment district in Georgia, the CID, was founded in 1988.
Over the past 26 years, $100 million in local assessments have been raised through the CID, leveraging public funds to construct 60 capital projects valued at nearly a half billion in infrastructure improvements. The CID works with local, state, and federal partners to identify funding sources to finance these improvements, benefitting not only commercial property owners, but all of citizens of the county, region, and state. The CID is within one of the largest submarkets in the Southeast, northwest Atlanta s Cumberland Submarket, which has evolved over the past three decades from a predominantly suburban office market to a community that offers diverse leisure and entertainment, attractive housing and fastpaced business. The Bob Callan Trail has been expanded to the north under three separate projects. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has added a 12 wide multi-use trail in association with two projects on Cobb Parkway (US 41) adjacent to this facility; these projects connect Paces Mill Unit with the City of Atlanta, and the Silver Comet Trail, respectively. This trailhead connects 16 miles of multi-use trails in the immediate vicinity, with an additional nine miles planned or under construction. This project may result in either a minimal or a drastic reconfiguration of the entire site. Potential improvements include minimizing exposure from the adjacent US41 roadway, storm water management, vehicular & pedestrian circulation, parking, multi-use trail connections, restroom facilities, pavilions, river access, site entry features, interpretative paths, picnicking areas and assistance in developing a defined identity for the Park, as a Gateway and Urban Park. In 2014, the CRNRA and CID collaborated as a few initiatives had been announced and/or were underway: The CID was expanding its boundary which included much of the Paces Mill Unit of the Park, the Cobb/Fulton County line became the new eastern boundary for the CID. Therefore, the CID boundary change has made it possible for the CID to expend its revenues within the Park boundary; The Atlanta Braves announced move to the CID, and the construction of the SunTrust Stadium and the Battery complex; The development of the Cumberland Circulator; The potential to ask Cobb Transit for a potential bus stop on Cobb Pkwy/US 41 at the park entrance; and The connection of planned and programmed multi-use and greenway trails. Recognizing the synergy of the abovementioned initiatives, along with the shared goals of both entities, the NPS and the CID recognize that the Paces Mill Facility is an important natural regional resource and both want for the resource to be protected, and for visitors to be able to enjoy the urbanizing park. Review and Evaluation of Proposals: Respondents must demonstrate competence and experience in the areas of expertise outlined in the following Required Expertise and Project Scope sections of this Request for Qualification (RFQ). Respondents must demonstrate competence and experience in public speaking and graphic presentations for the purpose of conveying project information to large and diverse groups of community stakeholders. Respondents should also demonstrate the ability to build consensus among public and private interest groups related to the project. 2 of 9
Respondents should address each of the following characteristics and qualifications as succinctly and briefly as possible. All items listed below will be given equal consideration in the evaluation process: Team Organization (15 points): Identify a project manager and describe the person s relevant experience and qualifications on similar projects. Provide information of project team members, identifying their relevant qualifications and experience and the tasks for which they will be responsible along with man-hours. Consultant Capability (15 points): Demonstrate the ability to perform the work outlined in the Scope of Services on schedule and within budget. A preliminary work program along with a milestone schedule of consultant team members, title/role, and associated man-hours per team member shall be included that anticipates an approximate finish date. Statement of Project Understanding (20 points): Demonstrate a clear understanding of the project, including the partnership of the National Park Service (NPS) and the CID as it relates to the scope of work outlined for the rehabilitation of the Paces Mill Facility, as well as, an understanding of both organizations goals and mission as they relate to the park facility. Project Approach (30 points): Demonstrate a clear outline or overview of the Consultant s proposed project approach to the rehabilitation to the Paces Mill Facility CRNRA. Collaboration and Public Participation (15 points): Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively with, and facilitate consensus among a variety of governmental, neighborhood, institutional, nonprofit and business interests. References (5 points): Provide five (5) references of previous relevant work performed by the Consultant. List contact name, organization, contact number, email, relevant project(s), and brief project description. Review Process: All submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by a Selection Team established specifically for this effort. The Selection Team will establish a short list of respondents. The short listed respondents may be required to expand on submitted materials or submit additional materials for review. All short listed respondents shall make a formal presentation to the Selection Team at a yet to be determined time and date. The scheduling and location of the presentations will be communicated at the appropriate time. Each respondent will be given approximately one (1) hour to make its presentation and respond to questions from the Selection Team. The Selection Team will then make a final recommendation to the CID Board of Directors and notify the successful respondent. Selection shall be made to the respondent whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous for the CRNRA and the CID, taking into account all of the evaluation factors set forth in this RFQ. A Contract for Services will be formulated and executed as soon as appropriate. Following the proposal due date, the proposal constitutes a binding offer and may not be withdrawn prior to the consummation of good faith contract negotiations or rejection of a proposal by the CID in its sole discretion, whichever occurs first. No award shall be binding upon the CID unless and until consummated by a written, fully executed contract. The proposing firm shall state with specificity those elements of its response that it considers confidential and/or proprietary. Failure to properly identify and mark confidential or proprietary information as 3 of 9
specified in the following paragraph may result in all information received being deemed non-confidential, non-proprietary, and in the public domain. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the proposing firm is hereby notified that any and all materials submitted in response to this RFQ will be treated as if subject to the provisions of Georgia s Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 et seq.). The CID s receipt, review, evaluation or any other act concerning any such information shall not create an acceptance by the CID of any obligation or duty to prevent the disclosure of any such information except as required by the Open Records Act. Proposing firms that submit information they believe should be exempt from disclosure under the Open Records Act shall clearly mark each document as confidential, proprietary or exempt, and state the legal basis for the exemption with supporting citations to the Georgia Code. If the information is requested under the Open Records Act, the CID shall make a final determination if any exemption actually exists for the CID to deny the request and prevent disclosure. The CID will withhold such information from public disclosure under the Open Records Act only if the CID determines, in its sole discretion, that there is a clear legal basis to do so. The CID reserves the right to: (a) waive minor irregularities or variances, non-material bid formalities or defects in any qualification proposal; (b) reject any and all qualifications, in whole or in part, submitted in response to this RFQ; (c) request clarifications from all submitting firms; (d) request resubmissions from all qualifying firms; (e) make partial, progressive or multiple awards; and (f) withdraw or cancel this RFQ without prior notice, at any time, at its sole discretion. The proposing firm shall be solely responsible for any and all costs associated with developing and preparing its proposal. Required Expertise: Interested respondents must demonstrate the experience and expertise to address and coordinate the following disciplines as they relate to this effort: Landscape Architecture Urban & Park Planning Engineering Architecture Value Analysis/ Value Engineering Project Scope: To initiate the next step of the rehabilitation of the CRNRA Paces Mill Facility, the CID and CNRNA are in search of a planning and landscape architecture firm to assist with formulating deliverables that will conceptualize the shared goals of the Paces Mill Facility as a known regional resource and a major gateway into the Cumberland community as an urban park amenity. The goal of this project is to identify the appropriate design elements to rehabilitate the Paces Mill Facility as an Urban Park and Gateway. The conceptual designing process will develop deliverables that will assess and incorporate the following. This phase is a 10 month project. The project includes joint collaboration to accomplish the rehabilitation of the Paces Mill Facility of CRNRA. The Paces Mill Facility is utilized the most during the summer months by people who participate in recreational boating, fishing, picnicking, jogging, walking and are casual nature enthusiasts. During higher use times, the parking at Paces Mill is insufficient and has undergone very few upgrades since the Park acquired it in the 1970 s. The parking surface is deteriorated, the vehicular and pedestrian circulation is poor, drainage issues plague the facility and the overall look of the Facility has deteriorated. 4 of 9
The partnership rehabilitation project and these deliverables will identify improvements to enhance the experience of the patrons and connect to the surrounding community. It will identify the appropriate infrastructure elements and the preferred configuration. Listed below are minimal programmatic goals to incorporate into this design phase: Defining and assessing National Park Service (NPS) Urban Park and Gateway design themes to create an iconic NPS experience surrounded by urban environments Minimizing the exposure to the adjacent Cobb Parkway/US41 roadway Storm water management Sustainability - operate in a much more sustainable manner and working to reduce their overall environmental impacts. Vehicular and pedestrian circulation Improve parking area, paving, drainage, landscape (native) Develop multi-use trail connections to surrounding community trails Building new or improve existing restroom Concessions facilities Pavilion facilities Improve river access and visibility Site entry features Interpretative paths Enhance and expand picnic/cookout areas New pick up/drop off area Provide interpretive signage that meets NPS sign standards Provide forest edge transition zones Greatly minimize overall maintenance costs of the Facility NPS Standards - All work performed shall comply with applicable laws, regulations and NPS policies and guidelines and shall comply with the latest versions of the following: International Family of Codes, primarily the IBC (International Building Code) NFPA 101 (National Fire Protection Association's Life Safety Code) ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG) Local codes only if required by utility companies for service connections. Deliverables: Develop a range of four (4) preliminary schematic design alternatives for consideration for the Paces Mill Facility. The designer shall follow the NPS Denver Service Center Workflows Design-Bid-Build (DBB) process for developing a project (0.0, 1.0 & 2.0), NPS Design Standards and DBB Design Deliverables Content & Format Requirements as applicable. Guidance for this can be found at www.nps.gov/dscw/designbidbuild.htm. The designer shall provide a detailed schedule of the milestone deliverables listed below. Milestone 1: Prepare Contextual Analysis Prepare Project Program Prepare Integrated Design Narrative Complete Contextual Analysis Template Prepare Permitting Assessment Form (PAF) 5 of 9
Complete NPS Project Sustainability Checklist (PD portion) Prepare Class C Construction Cost Estimate and 30-year total cost of ownership (TCO) estimate. Prepare Scope and Cost Validation Report Documentation Scope and Cost Validation Report Doc Deliverable Support each alternative with a Class C cost estimate Submit 100% Draft Predesign Documents for Review Resolve 100% Draft PD Rev Comments & Sub Final PD Doc Milestone 2: Design Concepts Assessment Develop Schematic Design (SD) Alternatives Conduct Schematic Value Based Decision Making (conducted by a Certified Value Specialist) Fully Develop Schematic Design Preferred Alternative Prepare Basis of Design Report (BDR) Initiate NPS Constructability Checklist (SD Comments) Complete NPS Project Sustainability Checklist (SD portion) Prepare Class B Construction Cost Estimate Finalize Permitting Assessment Form (PAF) Prepare Permit List Prepare Permit Plan Submit 100% Draft SD Documents for Review Resolve 100% Draft SD Review Comments Prepare and Submit DAB Support Documents Milestone 3: Response Memorandum Meet monthly with the CRNRA and CCID for progress and project updates Conduct up to 2 public meetings, and 1 CCID Board presentation meeting. Based upon the conclusion of the Predesign and/or Schematic Design exercise, an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) could be required for this project. Preparing the EA or EIS is not part of the Consultant s Scope of Work. This documentation will be prepared by the CRNRA. The Consultant will be required to coordinate and provide supplemental documentation prepared under this scope to the CRNRA that will enable the preparation of the EA or EIS. All produced documentation, data collected, and all graphics produced will be provided in digital format. Format of Final Deliverables Five (5) printed copies of the final conceptual drawings and report PDF file of final conceptual drawings and report All electronic files in their original formats with supporting graphics. Key Dates Pre-bid Meeting - Tuesday, March 28 th, 2017 at 10 a.m. o Location: Cumberland Community Improvement District (located within the Cobb Chamber of Commerce building), 240 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30339 6 of 9
Request for Qualifications Deadline - 4:00 p.m. (prevailing time) Wednesday, April 12 th, 2017. o If hand delivered: Cumberland Community Improvement District (located within the Cobb Chamber of Commerce building) 240 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30339 Kyethea Clark, Director of Operations, Paces Mill Facility CRNRA. o If mailed: Cumberland Community Improvement District, P. O. Box 671868, Marietta, Georgia 30006, Attn: Kyethea Clark, Paces Mill Facility CRNRA. Project Term: The time frame for completion could be influenced by unanticipated requirements, constraints or circumstances. However, it is anticipated that the conceptual plans (comprised of elements outlined in the Scope of Services) of the Paces Mill Facility Rehabilitation effort will take approximately ten (10) months from contract award to completion. Project Funding: Funding for this project will be provided by CID. Inquiries and/or Submission of Qualifications: Deadline: All responses for the Request for Qualifications must be submitted no later than 4:00 PM (prevailing time) Wednesday, April 12 th, 2017. Submittals after this time and date will not be considered. Interested respondents may email inquiries to: kclark@cumberlandcid.org Firms interested in submitting qualifications may hand delivery or mail to: Hand delivered: Cumberland Community Improvement District (located within the Cobb Chamber of Commerce building) 240 Interstate North Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30339, Kyethea Clark, Director of Operations Mailed: Cumberland Community Improvement District, P. O. Box 671868, Marietta, Georgia 30006, Attn: Kyethea Clark, Paces Mill Facility CRNRA. Submission Details: Number of Copies: Five (5) complete copies of the submittal will be required. Submittals should not exceed twenty-five (25) pages, covering the general qualifications and background of the firm or team. Team Members: Submittals should state the full name, address, phone number, and email address of the organization and the branch office or other subordinate element that will perform or assist in performing the services described herein. If responding as a team, then the lead firm should be identified with a project manager designated as a single point of contact for the team. Indicate the type of ownership (i.e. individual, partnership, corporation, etc.) and explain any proposed joint venture or cooperative relationships. Include the states in which the firm is licensed to operate. 7 of 9
Diversity: Additional consideration may be given to respondents that represent the cultural diversity of the Atlanta Metro area. This diversity should be reflected in all aspects of team composition such as ownership, professional personnel, consultants and staff. Evidence of this diversity should be included in the RFQ. Budget Estimate: The cost has been established so the budget should be itemized in accordance with the following budget categories: Salaries and wages, man-hour estimates, equipment and materials, travel expense, staff benefits and payroll, overhead and fixed fees. Other expense categories may be added, if appropriate. The total estimated construction costs for the project should not exceed $5 million. 8 of 9
Cobb County Georgia Online Mapping 1,504.7 0 WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere Cobb County Georgia 752.33 1,504.7 Feet This map is a user generated static output from an Internet mapping site and is for reference only. Data layers that appear on this map may or may not be accurate, current, or otherwise reliable. THIS MAP IS NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION Paces Mill/ Palisades CRNRA Facility 1: 9,028