Located at 200 W Pine St, Missoula, MT 59801 Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD) dba Mountain Line 1221 Shakespeare Street Missoula, MT 59802 Phone: (406) 543-8386 Fax: (406) 543-8387 Email: vcaristo@mountainline.com October 5, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: Introduction......3 Section 2: Background....3 Section 3: Instructions......4 Section 4: Evaluation Criteria...5 Exhibits: A: Proposal Format & Content......6 B: Site Plans. 7 Page 2
Section 1: Introduction The purpose of this Request for Proposals is solicit individuals and firms interested in operating a retail establishment at Mountain Line s Transfer Center, located at 200 W Pine St in downtown Missoula, Montana. Section 2: Background Mountain Line Mountain Line has been Missoula s community bus system for over 35 years, currently operating thirty buses over twelve fixed routes in addition to paratransit and senior van service. Since the implementation of a zero-fare demonstration project in January 2015, the Mountain Line system has seen incredible growth in ridership - 15 straight months of record growth and 40% increase in ridership overall. In 2015, total fixed route ridership was just over 1.1 million passengers. The Transfer Center The Mountain Line Transfer Center was completed in March 2000. The facility consists of an on-street transfer area, a climate-controlled waiting area with public restrooms, an employee break room, offices, and a 535 square foot retail space. The facility is open to the public from approximately 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday Through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. On average, over 2,000 passengers per day get on and off the bus at the downtown Transfer Center location. Strategically located in the heart of Missoula s downtown, the Transfer Center anchors a major employment and commercial area in a popular pedestrian environment. It is surrounded by City, County, and courthouse offices in addition to private businesses. The location is less than four blocks from the federal courthouse and a medical campus as well as numerous downtown retail businesses and offices. On-street metered parking abuts the transfer center. Retail Space Lease The 535 square foot retail space, which is the subject of this RFP, has large windows facing Pine St and Ryman St, and an exterior walk up window near the corner of that intersection. A site plan of the space can be found in Exhibit B of this document. It is the intent of Mountain Line to award a lease of the retail space for a three-year period. Previous tenants in this space have included a coffee shop, a pizzeria, and a sandwich shop. Page 3
Current market rate for commercial/retail space near the Transfer Center falls in a range that s centered on about $19 per square foot. Per federal regulations, 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations are eligible to pay less than full market value if their service provides a benefit to transit users. Utilities to be included in the lease are garbage, water, heat, and air conditioning. Electricity expenses and any other utilities will be the responsibility of the tenant. Section 3: Instructions Submission of Proposals Proposals responding to this RFP shall be sent via email to vcaristo@mountainline.com, or delivered to the Mountain Line offices (1221 Shakespeare St, Missoula, MT 59802). The deadline for proposals is Friday, December 2, 2016 at 5 pm. Proposals shall follow the guidelines described in Exhibit A of this document, Proposal Format & Content. Questions All questions concerning this RFP shall be directed to: Schedule Jed Dennison Zillastate jed@zillastate.com (406) 552-0466 RFP Posted 10/5/16 Proposal Deadline 12/2/16, 5:00 p.m. Interviews (if any) 12/5/16 12/9/16 Notify Respondents of Selected Proposals 12/19/16 Page 4
Section 4: Evaluation Criteria Mountain Line staff will evaluate each respondent s proposal based on the following criteria: 1) Experience operating a successful retail establishment 2) Benefit of the proposed business to transit customers 3) Amount of revenue provided to Mountain Line 4) Completeness & professionalism of the proposal (according to Exhibit A) Page 5
Exhibit A: Proposal Format & Content Proposals shall be typed, and clearly address each of the questions and points of information listed below. Additional supporting documentation may be included, as desired. Proposals may be submitted to vcaristo@mountainline.com, preferably in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Alternatively, proposals can be mailed or hand-delivered to the Mountain Line offices. The deadline for proposals is December 2, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Respondent Information Company Name Owner/Applicant Name Street Address City, State, Zip Business Phone # Cell Phone # Experience 1) Please provide information on your background and experience, and of any partners in your firm. Feel free to attach resumes or bios if preferred. 2) Please provide a listing of businesses owned and/or operated, including the dates of operation, the location, and a brief description of each business. 3) Please identify the key partners and staff with a short description of their role in your operation. Business Concept 1) What is your vision for the retail space at the Transfer Center? 2) What types of products will you sell? What will be the range of prices? 3) How will your business benefit transit customers? 4) If you are planning to sell food, will you operate as a quick-service establishment, provide table service, or both? 5) What hours will you plan to operate your business? Page 6
6) Will you require any physical changes to retail space? Cost Proposal 1) What is the range of acceptable rates that you would be willing to pay for rent (monthly)? 2) Would you be willing to sign a multi-year lease? Page 7
Exhibit B: Site Plans Retail Space Page 8
Transfer Center Page 9