EVALUATION COMMITTEE REPORT
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT OF TOWER THEATRE RFQ # 100722RQ
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
RUTH F. QUINTO, CPA – Assistant City Manager
GREGORY BARFIELD – Assistant City Manager BRIAN
BARR – General Services Department Director AARON
AGUIRRE – PARCS Department Director DAVID
RODRIGUEZ – Special Events Program Manager
BACKGROUND
The City of Fresno is seeking an Operator (Respondent ) for the operation and management of the Tower. The City now seeks to contract with an Operator which can deliver a broad array of cultural, educational, entertainment, s porting, meeting, conference, and events for the region’s residents, while optimizing revenues available for reinvestment in the facility.
The Tower is comprised of two venues: Tower Theatre, and the Lounge. The Theatre is a historic multi-purpose audito rium that accommodates reserved or general admission seating with capacity of 761. The Theatre features two separate lobby areas, that allow approximately 2,000 square feet for concession space. Adjacent to the Theatre is the Lounge, which boasts an additional general capacity of approximately 100 seats, and an adjacent patio with an outdoor s eating capacity of approximat ely 50. Additionally, the adjacent parking lot consists of approximately 120 spaces and is managed by the City of Fresno.
The Tower is a community facility of the Cit y of Fresno Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services department (PARCS). PARCS offers a variety of community facilities throughout the City of Fresno. T hese centers offer a range of activities, programs, and community services that support all ages.
Proposals were solicited for this project on October 7, 2022, and advertised in the Fresno Business Journal. The Request for Qualificat ions (RFQ) was sent to three building exchanges and specifications were distributed to 42 potential proposers. Proposals were submitted by eight vendors on November 4, 2022.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The solicitation included the following evaluation criteria in order to determine the best value for the City:
Qualifications
City objectives
Demonstrated experience
Financial capacity
Soundness and timeframe
Capacity to perform
Proposed cost
COMMITTEE EVALUATION NOTES
After reviewing each of the eight proposals in connection with t he RFQ, the evaluation committee came to a consensus that three proposers were responsive to the RFQ, and in person interviews were scheduled for: Tower Theatre Productions, 809 Olive Avenue LLC, and Sterling Venue Ventures.
Interviews took place on Januar
y 4, 2023, in Room 2060 at City Hall. Following the
completion of the Tower Theatre operator interviews, the evaluation committee unanimously recommended 809 Olive Avenue LLC.
809 Olive Avenue LLC demonstrated a high leve l of understanding of the scope of work and presented a plan which aligned to the Cit y’s expressed utilization of the Tower Theatre as detailed in the RFQ. The proposal included consideration and coordination of existing programming at nearby Tower venues and focused on providing the community with the best available and diverse opt ions for entertainment and community engagement. 809 Olive Avenue LLC demonstrated a proven track record and experience within the Tower community as well as committed to providing the variety of programming the City is seeking for the historic Tower Theatre. 809 Olive Avenue LLC’s management team demonstrated a high level of expertise, determination, and depth of understanding both in the written proposal as well as in the in-person interview including data driven decision making via the use of metrics and measurements for community interest.
SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION
The committee recommends that the City enter into a professional services agreement with 809 Olive Avenue, LLC, to operate and manage the tower Theatre with a fee equal to 12% of the gross receipts for three years with two one-year optional extensions.