CITY OF DUNKIRK REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) BROWNFIELD-RELATED CONSULTING SERVICES BROWNFIELD OPPORTUNITY AREA (BOA) NOMINATION STUDY AL-TECH FOCUS AREA The City of Dunkirk has been awarded a grant from the New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) to perform a Step 2 Nomination Study of the AL-Tech Focus Area through the New York State Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) program, and is soliciting proposals from firms interested in providing brownfieldrelated, professional consulting services relative to this project. The City of Dunkirk intends to select one Consultant to provide the project management, technical and administrative services required to complete the Nomination Study. For purposes of this RFP, Consultant will be used to represent any of the following: 1. A single firm responding to this RFP 2. Multiple firms responding jointly to this RFP 3. A team of consultants consisting of a lead firm and sub-consultants responding to this RFP Typical services to be provided under this contract include: Visioning and Community/Stakeholder Consultation Planning and Zoning Analysis Infrastructure Analysis Natural Resource Analysis Market and Economic Analysis Environmental Site Assessment Remedial Analysis Site Evaluation/Prioritization Strategic/End Use Planning Redevelopment Master Planning SEQRA Compliance/Documentation Marketing Strategy and Planning Services provided under this contract must comply with applicable local, state, and federal regulatory requirements, and other professional practices and standards as necessitated by project conditions and project requirements. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The City of Dunkirk completed a city-wide Step 1 BOA Pre-Nomination Study in 2008 that identified the former AL Tech Specialty Steel Corporation site as a key brownfield redevelopment site. This former steel plant site is comprised of multiple parcels that encompass approximately 112-acres and was identified as an ideal location to create shovel-ready land within the City limits suitable for use as an industrial commerce park. The City will conduct a Step 2 Nomination Study for the AL-Tech Focus Area, which is bounded to the north by Lucas Avenue, to the west by Brigham Road and to the south by Willowbrook Avenue, and which is situated west of Central Avenue in the City of Dunkirk. The Nomination Study will build upon the Step 1 Pre-Nomination Study to provide in-depth property descriptions; thorough analyses of existing conditions; the identification of new development opportunities based on economic and market conditions; and potential re-uses for properties located in the AL-Tech Focus Area with an emphasis on the formulation of a strategy for the phased redevelopment of this heavily contaminated site. The City is also interested in exploring opportunities to expand the boundaries of the study to include other adjacent strategic sites.
Key project objectives include: Identifying and providing a clear description and justification of a manageable study area and associated boundaries; Establishing an active community participation process, including a clear description of a community vision and associated goals and objectives for the study area and techniques to enlist community partners in the endeavor; Completing a comprehensive land use assessment and analysis of existing conditions in the study area including an economic and market analysis to determine the range of realistic future uses and identifying the types of redevelopment projects that will serve to revitalize the study area; Identifying strategic parcels/sites that represent key redevelopment opportunities and could serve as catalysts for future revitalization; and Based on the overall analysis, the creation and presentation of key findings and recommendations for implementation of the redevelopment and community revitalization objectives. SCOPE OF SERVICES The following table lists project components and tasks the selected Consultant will be responsible for completing. A detailed description of each task and associated deliverables is provided in Attachment A.
Project Components and Tasks BOA Step 2 City s Responsibility Consultant s Responsibility Component 1: Project Startup 1.1 Initial Organization meeting X 1.2 Establishment of Steering Committee X 1.3 Solicitation of Consulting Services X 1.4 Selection of Consultant X 1.5 Subcontract preparation and execution X 1.6 Scoping Session with Consultant X X 1.7 Project Outline X Component 2: Capacity Building and Training 2.1 NYS Community Seminar Series X 2.2 Interagency Workshops X Component 3: Community Participation and Techniques to Enlist Partners 3.1 Public Participation Summary X 3.2 Techniques to Enlist partners X Component 4: Draft Nomination 4.1 Description of the Project and Boundary X 4.2 Community Participation Plan and Techniques to Enlist Partners X 4.3 Analysis of the Proposed Brownfield Opportunity Area X 4.4 Review of Strategic Brownfield Sites X Component 5: Completion and Distribution of the draft Nomination 5.1 Draft Nomination and Executive Summary X 5.2 Draft Nomination and Executive Summary (after comments received) X 5.3 Print and Distribute Interagency Briefing Package X 5.4 Interagency Roundtable X Component 6: Final Nomination and Advancing to BOA Program Step 3 6.1 Preparation of Final Nomination X 6.2 Application for Project Advancement X Component 7: NYS Environmental Quality Review 7.1 Environmental Assessment Form X 7.2 Lead Agency X 7.3 Determine Significance X 7.4 Scoping Session X Component 8: Project Reporting 8.1 Project Summary X 8.2 Semi-annual Reports X 8.3 Progress Report on Actions Taken to Advance Redevelopment and Revitalization X
SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS Interested respondents must submit four hard copies and one electronic copy of the proposal, accompanied by a cover letter signed by an officer of the respondent, by 0:00 PM on Month Day, Year to: City of Dunkirk Department of Development 342 Central Avenue Dunkirk, New York 14048 Attn: Director of Development Submittals received after the submission deadline will not be considered. The following conditions apply to this RFQ: The City of Dunkirk reserves the right to reject all submittals that do not comply with these instructions. Proposals will not be returned and will become the property of the City of Dunkirk once submitted. Any and all expenses associated with the preparation of the proposals are the responsibility of the respondents and will not be reimbursed by the City of Dunkirk. The proposal shall contain the following sections: 1. Name, address and brief description of the firm(s) involved in the proposal. 2. A one-page narrative explaining the firm s interest, particular abilities and qualifications related to this project. 3. A preliminary scope of activities that reflect the firm s approach to this project and addresses the proposed project tasks. 4. A detailed project budget showing elements of cost proposed for each project task, including hours per task by title, hourly rates by title, unit rates for reimbursable expenses (e.g., photocopies, mileage, etc.) and subcontractor administration fees, if applicable. 5. An organization chart identifying key personnel and subcontractors and a description of the qualifications and experience of the proposed project manager. Identify the location of staff to be committed to the project and describe the process to be utilized to manage project assignments. This section should also describe the firm s approach to satisfying typical State and Federal MBE/WBE participation goals. 6. Resumes of key personnel to be assigned to the project. 7. A timeline for completion of all tasks outlined in the Scope of Services. Additionally, indicate the frequency and anticipated dates of all meetings and public outreach. 8. Descriptions of similar studies prepared by the firm(s) that directly involve key personnel to be assigned to this project, along with corresponding current client references. 9. Examples of knowledge, expertise and/or experience with other related work. 10. Documentation of the firm s insurance coverage.
SELECTION CRITERIA The overall quality and completeness of the proposals will be assessed, and the most responsive proposals will be evaluated with respect to the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of importance: Specialized experience and technical competence of the firm will be evaluated with respect to demonstrated experience with brownfield redevelopment projects. Preference will be given to firms demonstrating experience with: area-wide projects performed under the New York State BOA Program; brownfield assessment, investigation and cleanup under the NYS Brownfield Cleanup Program; and SEQRA compliance/documentation for brownfield redevelopment projects. [15%] Understanding of the requested scope of services will be evaluated based upon the completeness and reasonableness of the submitted scope and project approach. [15%] Past performance on relevant contracts with municipal agencies will be evaluated in terms of quality of work, project management, cost control and compliance with contract requirements and performance schedules as reported by references provided. [15%] Qualifications and experience of key members of the proposed project team will be evaluated relative to education, professional registration/certification/licensing, and relevant experience. [15%] Professional labor and expense rates will be evaluated with respect to reasonableness, and the overall cost effectiveness of the proposal will be assessed relative to the proposed scope of services. [10%] Ability to complete all project tasks within the allotted timeframe will be determined based upon the schedule submitted in the proposal and the manpower resources delineated in the proposed budget. [10%] General capabilities of the firm(s) will be assessed with respect to the firm s ability to provide multidisciplined services in support of brownfield projects. [10%] Experience and ability to market strategic sites to prospective developers and potential funding agencies. [10%] It is the intention of City of Dunkirk to select one Consultant based solely on this RFP and the quality of the submittals received. Selected and non-selected firms will be notified in writing. The selected firm should be prepared to begin work immediately upon execution of an agreement. The respondent shall comply with the relevant terms and conditions of the State Assistance Contract under which the work is performed, and said terms and conditions will be made available to the consultant once such an agreement(s) is executed. Any questions regarding this RFQ should be directed to: City of Dunkirk, Department of Development: 716-366-9876
CITY OF DUNKIRK REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) BROWNFIELD-RELATED CONSULTING SERVICES BROWNFIELD OPPORTUNITY AREA (BOA) NOMINATION STUDY AL-TECH FOCUS AREA ATTACHMENT A: NOMINATION WORK PLAN