Downtown Memphis Sign Code and Design Guidelines Update REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) Release Date: Friday, March 18, 2011 Deadline for Submission: Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 2 pm. CST Inquiries regarding this project should be directed to: Brett Roler, AICP Development Project Manager Center City Commission 114 N. Main St. Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 575-0540 roler@downtownmemphis.com Page 1 of 9
I. INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) The Memphis Center City Commission (CCC), the quasi-governmental agency responsible for the revitalization of downtown Memphis, TN, requests statements of qualifications from firms to serve as a consultant on an update of the Central Business Improvement District (CBID) Sign Code (Title 7: Sections 51-55) and the CBID Design Guidelines. The primary role of the consultant will be to provide expert assistance, while working closely with CCC Staff and a volunteer committee, to develop a preliminary draft and a final draft of the CBID Sign Code and CBID Design Guidelines. Scope of Services The precise scope of work and approach will be determined in collaboration with the selected consultant. In general, the project shall at least include the following: Review and evaluate the existing CBID Sign Code and identify any other relevant, or contradictory, local code or ordinance Review and evaluate the existing CBID Design Guidelines Identify best practices and examples of innovative and effective sign codes applicable to downtown Memphis Identify best practices and examples of innovative and effective design guidelines applicable to downtown Memphis Participate with CCC staff to solicit public input from downtown stakeholders Work with CCC staff and a committee of volunteer Design Review Board (DRB) members to develop a preliminary draft CBID Sign Code Work with CCC staff and a committee of volunteer Design Review Board (DRB) members to develop a preliminary draft of the CBID Design Guidelines Prepare a final draft of the CBID Sign Code Prepare a final draft of the CBID Design Guidelines Participate in several meetings of the Center City Commission Board of Directors and the Memphis City Council during the regulatory adoption phase of the project Project Timeline The following should be used as a guide to better understand the overall project schedule: March 18, 2011: RFQ released April 14, 2011 @ 2pm CST: Deadline for submission of RFQ April 20-21, 2011: Phone interviews with selected finalists April 29, 2011: Target date for CCC Board of Directors to select consultant; it is anticipated that the contract starting date will follow immediately thereafter Page 2 of 9
June 30, 2011: Preliminary draft of CBID Sign Code and CBID Design Guidelines August 29, 2011: Final draft of CBID Sign Code and CBID Design Guidelines September 1, 2011: Begin adoption process Contracting Approach The CCC is open to contracting the update of the CBID Sign Code and the CBID Design Guidelines together or separately. It is anticipated that economies of scale can be realized with a single consultant working to update both documents through a combined public participation approach. Deliverables The consultant will prepare the updated CBID Sign Code and/or CBID Design Guidelines in a format agreed upon in advance by the CCC Staff. Throughout the course of updating the two documents, the consultant shall provide draft versions for review at predetermined stages of the project. The specific deliverables will be subject to further discussion with the selected consultant. Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Policy The CCC strives for a goal of at least twenty percent (20%) participation in all projects by Women/Minority Business Enterprises (WMBE). The selected consultant is required to give WMBE businesses an equal and fair opportunity to receive notice, to bid on, and be considered for selection of any potential sub-contracting opportunity associated with this project. In your response to the RFQ, please indicate how your firm will make best faith efforts towards this goal. II. BACKGROUND The history of Downtown Memphis is a colorful and rocky one, involving the birth of a new type of music, a large role in the cotton industry, direct involvement in the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as many economic ups and downs. In its heyday, Downtown Memphis was a vibrant center of shipping and commerce. As the largest port on the Mississippi River between St. Louis and New Orleans, Memphis developed as a transportation center and as a market for large quantities of cotton grown in the area. In the second half of the 19th century, Memphis was a booming and prosperous city that had capitalized on its river access, but by the late 20th century, the historic center city had fallen on hard times. In the 1970s, the wheels of progress began to turn in Downtown Page 3 of 9
Memphis, leading to the formation of the Center City Commission and one of the most dramatic revitalization efforts in the country. In 1977, the City of Memphis and Shelby County governments established the Center City Commission to capitalize on Downtown's role as the economic, cultural, and governmental heart of the city and county. Today, the CCC is the primary leader in the comprehensive redevelopment of the CBID and the official partnership between local government and the private business community in Downtown's revitalization. Today, Downtown is a bustling residential, business, and entertainment center. With approximately $3 billion in development projects recently completed, underway, or scheduled to begin, Downtown Memphis is experiencing the most dramatic period of redevelopment in its history. The CCC s mission is "to improve the economy of Memphis and Shelby County by coordinating an aggressive public/private program to promote the redevelopment and economic growth of the CBID," the area referred to as "Downtown." The CBID is approximately 6.5 square miles bordered roughly by the Mississippi River on the west, the Wolf River on the north, Crump Boulevard on the south and Danny Thomas on the east. The CBID extends through the Medical Center which is bound by Linden Avenue on the south, Watkins Street on the east, Poplar Avenue on the north and Danny Thomas on the west. The CBID also includes the French Fort neighborhood, which is bound by the Mississippi River on the west, Crump Boulevard on the north, Interstate 55 on the east and the Exxon Rail spur on the south. Please see map of CBID boundary on page 6. As the oldest developed area in Memphis, the CBID has a wealth of historic properties that contribute to the unique character of the city's original urban center. Within the CBID, there are 46 individually listed National Register properties and 14 National Register Historic Districts. Five of these National Register districts are also locally zoned Landmarks districts, which have overlay zoning that regulates exterior building alterations, signage and new construction. The CCC consists of five (5) separate, but related, boards of volunteer members. The Design Review Board (DRB) is a seven member board with additional non-voting advisors who are all appointed by the Center City Commission Board of Directors. The DRB reviews the design of all publicly funded development projects in the CBID and all projects receiving financial Page 4 of 9
incentives from the CCC's affiliated agencies. The DRB is also charged with developing and implementing the CBID sign ordinance as the regulatory authority responsible for reviewing and approving all public and private exterior signage in downtown Memphis. Currently, the DRB uses the CBID Sign Code to review and regulate signage downtown. This code is a City ordinance (Title 7: Sections 51-55) that dates back to 1985, and needs to be updated to reflect changes in technology and current best practices. The DRB recognizes that signs are a vital component of a community s streetscape and that good commercial signage can make a significant contribution to the physical appearance and economic prosperity of downtown. The new CBID Sign Code should provide property and business owners a palette of signage options that will simultaneously meet their needs while serving to enhance, strengthen and celebrate the unique character of downtown Memphis. It is important for the new CBID Sign Code to be clearly written and understood by a wide variety of downtown stakeholders. The sign code should use graphics and illustrations to help convey complex ideas and provide clear guidance to project applicants. Any changes to the CBID Sign Code will require the approval of the DRB, the CCC Board of Directors, and the Memphis City Council. The DRB last revised the CBID Design Guidelines in 2001 to provide guidance to property owners for new construction, redevelopment and streetscape projects. Although the current CBID Design Guidelines have served their purpose over the last 10 years, the DRB has decided that it is time to update these guidelines to ensure that the best tools are available to encourage high-quality development and redevelopment in downtown Memphis. The DRB believes that appropriate and compatible design is crucial to maintaining long-term investment value throughout downtown. The CBID Design Guidelines foster an aesthetically pleasing environment, preserve historic character, and create lasting economic value for investors and the community as a whole. The new CBID Design Guidelines should encourage new construction, rehabilitation, and infill development that is appropriate for its context, while also being supportive of innovation and changes in building technology. It is important for the new CBID Design Guidelines to be clearly written and understood by a wide variety of downtown stakeholders. The guidelines should use graphics and illustrations to help convey complex ideas and provide clear guidance to project applicants. Any changes to the CBID Design Guidelines will require the approval of the DRB and the CCC Board of Directors. Page 5 of 9
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For copies of the DRB project application, the current CBID Sign Code, and the CBID Design guidelines, please visit our website at www.downtownmemphis.com. Select the Planning and Development tab, followed by Incentives and Applications, and then look under the heading Downtown Design Requirements for Signs and Buildings. III. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Prospective consultants are instructed to respond to this RFQ with information as outlined below. At a minimum, all submittals must include the following: Statement of Qualifications Provide a summary of the firm s background, capabilities, experience, and qualifications relative to this project. Include a synopsis of similar assignments and recent projects completed by the firm in the last five years with an emphasis on sign codes and design guidelines that use a graphic-focused and illustrative approach in a downtown or urban context. In your response to the RFQ, please include hard copies of three (3) or more examples of sign code and/or design guideline documents (or representative excerpts) that best illustrate and describe your firm s recent completed work. Company Information Description of your staff s capabilities and the Project Manager who will be assigned to the project; an organizational chart showing the proposed relationships among key personnel and the support staff assigned to the project; the proposed responsibilities of each person on the chart; and brief resumes to highlight special qualifications and relevant experience. Availability Provide a brief description of the key personnel s present activities and their availability to accomplish the required services. Sub-consultants Identify any sub-consultants to be used, if any. Information should include the name and address of the sub-consultant, resumes of the key staff, and the tasks to be carried out. Page 7 of 9
Firm Philosophy Provide a statement describing your firm s overall philosophy towards the creation of regulatory sign codes and design guidelines that are appropriate for an urban downtown. Project Approach Based upon the information provided within this RFQ, briefly describe your recommended project approach, including the public involvement strategy and a preliminary outline of major project milestones or tasks to be completed. EBO Policy Briefly discuss how your firm will make best faith efforts toward meeting the requirements of the EBO policy discussed on page 3. Compensation Please provide a range of what fee you would expect to charge for the update to the CBID Sign Code as described in this RFQ. Also provide a range of what fee you would expect to charge to complete only the CBID Design Guidelines update. You may also submit a range of what fee you would expect to charge for both components of the project combined if that number is different. The final negotiated project fee will be based on a lump sum fixed fee with additional estimated reimbursable expenses. Compensation negotiations will occur later in the process once a preferred consultant is selected. IV. SELECTION CRITERIA CCC Staff and a sub-committee of DRB members will review all responses to the RFQ and will select finalists to participate in an interview. The CCC Staff and DRB sub-committee will make a final recommendation to the CCC Board of Directors, who will select the project consultant. Selection of the consultant for this project will be based on the following factors: A. Responsiveness to the RFQ B. Experience in writing clear and understandable sign codes for urban areas and downtown contexts C. Experience in writing clear and understandable design guidelines that use graphics and illustrations to effectively communicate complex ideas to a diverse audience Page 8 of 9
D. Demonstrated ability to successfully engage a variety of stakeholders in the public participation process E. Professional qualifications, capability, and availability of the consultant team assigned to the project F. References- minimum of three (3) required G. Compliance with CCC s EBO Policy V. SUBMITTAL DEADLINE Should you be interested in submitting a proposal for this project, please submit six (6) bound copies and one (1) digital copy on CD of the Qualification Proposal to the address below. All proposals must be sealed, marked as Request for Qualifications: Downtown Memphis Sign Code and Design Guidelines Update and submitted on or before 2:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, April 14, 2011. The responsibility for submitting on or before the stated date and time is solely and strictly the responsibility of the Proposer. The CCC is not responsible for delays caused by any mail, package, or courier service, including the U.S. Mail, or caused by any other occurrence. Any proposal received after the time and date specified will be returned to the Proposer unopened. All correspondence and questions must be made in writing. Proposals and other correspondence shall be submitted to: Brett Roler, AICP Development Project Manager Center City Commission 114 N. Main St. Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 575-0540 roler@downtownmemphis.com Page 9 of 9