RFP SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS |
CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Request for Proposals (RFP) for
the Preparation of an Economic Analysis
and Land Use Study for Three Proposed
Opportunity Study Areas
PROPOSALS DUE BY:
May 9, 2024 @5:00PM
2 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
[INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK)
3 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
NOTICE INVITING PROPOSALS
RFP: Preparation of an Economic Analysis and Land Use Study for Three Proposed Opportunity Study Areas
The City of Signal Hill (“City”) will receive proposals from qualified consultants for the RFP:
Preparation of an Economic Analysis and Land Use Study for Three Proposed Opportunity Study Areas, by 5:00 PM on Thursday, May 9, 2024.
Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the City’s RFP, which is available to registered vendors through the City’s electronic bid management system, PlanetBids. The RFP can be found using the following link https://pbsystem.planetbids.com Interested bidders may participate by selecting “Bid Opportunities” on the home page.
The Contract Documents may be downloaded at no charge. The Contract Documents will not be available at City Hall.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Five (5) bound copies of the proposal and one (1) electronic version (USB flash drive) must be received by 5:00 PM on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Please submit your proposal in a sealed envelope labeled “RFP Response: Preparation of an Economic Analysis and Land Use Study for Three Proposed Opportunity Study Areas – Do Not Open with Regular Mail”.
Proposals must be mailed or delivered as follows:
Colleen T. Doan, Community Development Director
City of Signal Hill
2175 Cherry Avenue
Signal Hill, California 90755
A contract shall be awarded, if at all, to the qualified consultant(s) whose competitive proposals are responsive to this RFP and are in the best interest of the City as determined by the City, a determination to be made solely by the City upon criteria as determined and weighed by the City. The decision of the City shall be final. In its discretion, the City may reject any proposal, abandon the purchase, or re-advertise. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive any informality or irregularity in any proposal received by the City.
For further information, contact Colleen Doan, Community Development Director at 562- 989-7344. Please note that all questions related to this RFP have to be submitted via PlanetBids.
END OF NOTICE INVITING PROPOSALS
4 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Introduction
The City of Signal Hill, California, is a vibrant municipality steeped in rich history.
Occupying just over 2.2 square miles within the larger City of Long Beach, Signal Hill is recognized as a safe, clean, and welcoming community, whose small-town charm continues to allure new residents and businesses. Incorporated in 1924, today Signal Hill boasts a blend of award-winning schools, attractive housing across diverse income levels, a robust economy, and a scenic network of parks and trails that draw in visitors from all around the region. With a population of 11,749 residents, the community embraces its diversity, entrepreneurial spirit, and progressive vision for the future.
Strategically positioned near I-405 and I-605, Signal Hill is a 30-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles and just 3 miles from the beach. Although oil production dominated its economy until the 1970s, the dwindling oil prices led the City to shift its focus towards economic development and diversification of its sales tax base. Signal Hill’s prime location is now home to major retailers such as Home Depot, Costco, and Target, along with a thriving auto center anchored by luxury dealerships including BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Tesla.
The City of Signal Hill extends an invitation to experienced consultants to be a part of a compelling opportunity to shape the future growth and development of this growing community. The City seeks consulting services to conduct economic analysis and recommend strategies to harness the potential of the proposed Opportunity Study Areas.
Diverse teams of consultants with expertise in economic development, urban planning, design, and community outreach are invited to submit proposals.
5 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Project Background
The City of Signal Hill recently completed an update to its Five-Year Strategic Plan. The plan includes a notable expression of community sentiment concerning the absence of a central hub - a town center, commercial corridor, or downtown focal point within Signal Hill. Strategically positioned near the 405 freeway and Long Beach Airport, the area benefits from excellent connectivity and access. Additionally, the area’s proximity to residential neighborhoods and commercial zones in both Signal Hill and the surrounding Long Beach region adds to its potential for transformation.
The City of Signal Hill has contracted with a private firm to prepare updates to the General Plan. Drafts of the Environmental Resources Element (combining the Open Space and Conservation Elements) will be available in the coming months. Updates to the Land Use, Circulation, and Safety Elements are estimated to begin this calendar year.
In consideration of these long-range planning efforts and given the area’s strategic location and potential, the City of Signal Hill is keen to explore strategies that leverage zoning regulations to stimulate redevelopment. The City of Signal Hill’s goal is to revitalize a significant portion of the community and seek an expert consulting team to develop a robust and effective redevelopment strategy for three Opportunity Study Areas. The proposed RFP would evaluate three Opportunity Study Areas for their potential as a residential, commercial, mixed-use development, or hotel development.
The City is open to expert recommendations from the selected consultant regarding the definitive boundaries of the Opportunity Areas 1, 2, and 3. This includes recommendations on whether to exclude or include additional properties within the district to optimize the redevelopment potential of the area. The redevelopment strategy will need to be nuanced, considering the current diverse usage of land in this area. The City anticipates the establishment of the Opportunity Study Areas formalized through a Specific Plan or Overlay District, and recommendations from the Consultant are sought to best implement those redevelopment strategies.
The City further envisions the newly identified Opportunity Study Areas as an exciting opportunity to address long term community aspirations. By incorporating the community's desires in the redevelopment strategy, the City aims to enhance its urban fabric and create a vibrant, centralized space that can serve as the heartbeat of Signal Hill.
6 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Opportunities Study Area 1
This study area includes the westernmost section of the City. The general boundaries of this area include Atlantic Avenue to the west, California Avenue up to the 405-Freeway to the north, and Willow Street to the south. OSA 1 includes the Spring Street and Atlantic Avenue property owned by the City. The General Plan Land use designations for this OSA includes Commercial General, Commercial Office, Commercial Industrial, General Industrial, Public Institutional, and Open Space.
Opportunities Study Area 2
This study area is located toward the mid-section of the community. OSA 2 is generally bordered by Orange Avenue to the west, East 29th Street to the north, Cherry Avenue to 7 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
the east, and East Willow Street to the south. The General Plan Land use designations for this OSA includes Commercial Town Center, Commercial Industrial, General Industrial, Light Industrial, and Public Institutional. This study area includes the sites for the two proposed workforce housing sites, Heritage Square, and Town Center Northwest. 8 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Opportunities Study Area 3
This study area is located adjacent to OSA 2 and is generally bordered by Cherry Street to the west, East 28th Street to the north, Temple Avenue to the east, and East Willow Street to the south. The General Plan Land use designations for this OSA includes Commercial Town Center, Commercial Industrial, General Industrial, and Light Industrial. 9 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Opportunity Study Areas Objectives
By encouraging reinvestment and fostering economic development opportunities, the City seeks to tap into the area’s potential, converting it into a thriving hub that contributes positively to Signal Hill's overall growth and prosperity. The consultant's role is integral to unlocking the potential of this area, shaping its future, and helping the City accomplish its redevelopment objectives. The RFP outlines a comprehensive scope of services aimed at achieving several strategic objectives for the Opportunity Study Areas including:
1. Vision and Branding: Develop a well-defined, community-driven vision for the Opportunity Study Areas that is reinforced by distinct branding and an inspiring district name that resonates with the community.
2. Stakeholder Outreach: Engage with property owners and community stakeholders in a robust outreach process to formulate effective and inclusive redevelopment strategies.
3. Business and Development Outreach: Conduct outreach to businesses and the broader development community to gain a comprehensive understanding of market demands and untapped opportunities.
4. Land Use Evaluation: Thoroughly assess the current land uses within the Opportunity Study Areas and conduct a detailed analysis of potential optimum land uses based on prevailing and projected economic trends.
5. Opportunity Areas-Boundary Identification: Define the recommended boundaries through a combination of community outreach, economic analysis, and market assessment to ensure the district’s feasibility and effectiveness.
6. Vibrant Downtown: Recommend and identify potential locations suitable for the creation of the downtown area. The establishment of a vibrant downtown area within one of the identified opportunity study areas. The creation of a downtown space aims to enhance community engagement, economic development and urban vitality.
7. Leveraging Land Use Authority: Discern the most effective means to utilize the City's land use authority to motivate existing and future property owners to redevelop their properties, particularly with a focus on creating new housing opportunities and commercial centers.
8. Economic Feasibility and Incentives: Conduct an economic feasibility study analysis to assess the potential viability within each opportunity area. Evaluate factors such as market demand, business potential, and revenue generation 10 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
opportunities. Develop a list of economic incentives that promote lot consolidation and redevelopment and encourage existing owners to collaborate with potential developers on transformative large-scale projects.
9. Infrastructure: Develop a plan that incorporates current and future infrastructure needs of the Opportunity Study Areas; prepare a series of recommendations related to potential opportunities to fund desired improvements, including recommendations for the upcoming updates to the Land Use, Circulation, and Safety Elements estimated to begin this calendar year.
10. Comprehensive Redevelopment Plan: Create a holistic development plan, inclusive of development standards and zoning regulations, either through an Overlay District or Specific Plan. This approach will provide the City with the opportunity to translate the community's vision into actionable plans, complimenting updates to the Land Use Element, and diversity City revenues.
11. Conceptual Designs and Planning: Develop conceptual designs and plans for the Opportunity Areas. Develop an implementation strategy outlining the recommended approach. Identify specific action steps and milestones.
11 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Section 1 - Scope of Services
The proposed scope of work, further detailed below, encompasses a process that evaluates market demand for sites location within the study areas, engages the community, and prepares the areas for comprehensive rezoning, including the required environmental analyses. Alongside the implementation of the stated Objectives, the selected Consultant Team will be expected to complete the following comprehensive set of services:
1. Economic Analysis: The Consultant will prepare an economic gap analysis, to provide critical insights into the local commercial environment and identify unfulfilled needs within the broader Signal Hill market. The Consultant will identify and recommend the highest and best use land development proposals that enhance ongoing revenue opportunities for the City within the Opportunity Study Areas. The City is specifically interested in understanding whether Opportunity Study Areas are candidates for new commercial, mixed-use, research/development, and hotel uses. The economic analysis should provide data-driven strategic decision-making regarding potential land use decisions.
2. Community Outreach: The Consultant will undertake a comprehensive outreach initiative engaging diverse stakeholders including the Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce, property owners, local businesses, residents, potential developers, and other community stakeholders. The goal is to ensure a broad-based consensus for the OSA districts.
3. Public Infrastructure Improvements: Segments of the Opportunities Study Areas lack infrastructure such as sidewalks and stormwater improvements. The Consultant will identify ways to overcome these obstacles to attract future development opportunities.
4. Fiscal Analysis: The Consultant will prepare a fiscal analysis that broadly outlines the potential revenue and cost impacts to the City’s General Fund resulting from the proposed land use changes. The City’s goal is to ensure that proposed changes in land use create a positive return to the General Fund.
5. CEQA Documents: The Consultant will prepare an environmental document in accordance with the CEQA guidelines. This document will analyze the potential environmental impacts of the new land uses, densities, and development intensities that would be established through potential Overlay Zones.
6. Comprehensive Land Use Plan: The Consultant will prepare a comprehensive land use plan through an Overlay District or Specific Plan. This plan should align with the City’s outlined objectives and reflect the community’s vision, setting the path for transforming the OSAs into vibrant, economically prosperous, and 12 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
community-oriented destinations. The Consultants must include proposed recommendations in conjunction with the updates to the Land Use, Circulation, and Safety Elements estimated to begin this calendar year.
7. District Naming and Branding: The Consultant will create an inspiring, community-driven name for the Opportunity Study Areas, complemented by associated imagery and/or a logo that captures the unique identity and aspirations of the Opportunities Study Areas. This effort should promote the City as a place for art, culture, education, and scientific achievement.
8. Direct Marketing to Development Partners: Once the analysis is complete, the City will retain the Consultant to provide direct marketing of opportunity sites to the development community. The Consultant should have a demonstrated history of working with various development partners to implement the City’s redevelopment goals. As part of its proposals, the Consultant will identify prior work examples of which resulted in bringing new development to the community.
13 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Section 2 - Technical Specifications
The breadth and depth of this project necessitates an array of specialized expertise.
Proposers are, therefore, allowed and encouraged to form consultant teams, utilize subcontractors, or engage in joint ventures to ensure complete coverage of the required work. Proposals should clearly outline the specific work assigned to each subconsultant, along with their respective experience and qualifications.
The preferred Consultant Team should meet the following technical specifications:
Stakeholder Engagement: The Consultant Team should have an extensive track record of effectively working with diverse stakeholder groups. This includes facilitating collaboration and achieving consensus among differing interests. Economic and Gap Analyses Expertise: The Consultant Team must possess significant knowledge and experience in conducting economic analyses and gap analyses. The Consultant Team should also have experience creating comprehensive redevelopment plans and conducting environmental level of reviews.
Knowledge of Current Economic Environment: The Consultant Team should have a comprehensive understanding of the prevailing economic environment, with an emphasis on identifying retail and commercial uses that would complement Signal Hill’s unique character and needs.
Planning and Zoning Principles: The Consultant Team should have extensive experience updating reviewing and recommending potential changes in land use based on a multitude of factors. Significant experience updating General Plans, Zoning Overlay Zones, Specific Plans, and similar planning documents is required. Redevelopment Practices: The Consultant Team should bring a wealth of knowledge about redevelopment practices. This includes practical experience in tackling challenges related to site assembly and creating robust strategies to incentivize redevelopment, lot consolidation, and economic development.
These technical specifications ensure that the chosen Consultant Team has the necessary qualifications, experience, and expertise to guide the City of Signal Hill in achieving its ambitious redevelopment goals.
14 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Section 3 - Timeline
Consultant teams should present a clearly delineated timeline that lays out all aspects of the proposed scope of work. The City expects the entirety of the analysis be concluded within a year from the project commencement date.
Section 4 - Budget
All proposals must include a detailed budget for the scope of services, broken down by specific work tasks. This budget should include itemized personnel hours, their associated rates, and any additional costs related to each task. The City of Signal Hill has allocated a project budget of $300,000. However, recognizing the breadth of services required, the City is open to considering budget adjustments if some elements of the scope of work exceed the current allocation. This flexibility reflects the City's commitment to ensuring a comprehensive and high-quality analysis and final report.
Section 5 - Proposal Submittal
Five (5) bound copies of the proposal and one (1) electronic version (USB flash drive) must be received no later than 5:00 PM on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Please submit your proposal in a sealed envelope labeled “RFP Response for Signal Hill: preparation of an Economic Analysis and Land Use Study for Three Proposed Opportunity Study Areas – Do Not Open with Regular Mail”. Proposals must be mailed or delivered to:
Colleen T. Doan, Community Development Director
City of Signal Hill
2175 Cherry Avenue
Signal Hill, California 90755
Proposals received after the submittal deadline stated above will not be considered. Emailed proposals may not be accepted. Once received, the proposal and supplemental documents become the property of the City and may be subject to public records laws.
Section 6 - INQUIRIES
For all questions and inquiries related to this Request for Proposals (RFP), please contact:
Colleen T. Doan, Community Development Director
City of Signal Hill
2175 Cherry Avenue
Signal Hill, California 90755
(562) 989-7341
15 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Section 7 - TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Below is the tentative schedule for the RFP process. Note the schedule is tentative and with the exception of the RFP release date, the submission deadline may be extended, and the schedule may be subject to change.
Date(s)
RFP Release Date Thursday, March 28, 2024
Q&A Deadline
*questions will not be accepted outside of the PlanetBids portal.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 @
4:00 PM
RFP Submission Deadline Thursday, May 9, 2024 @
5:00PM (unless extended)
Estimated City Council Award Date Tuesday, June 11, 2024 Estimated Project Start Date June 2024
Section 8 - EVALUATION PROCESS
The City will conduct a two-tiered evaluation process to select the ideal firm(s). The initial evaluation will consist of a review of all timely submitted proposals with a focus on qualifications and customer service and will include consideration of cost estimates.
Following the initial evaluation, the pool of candidates will be reduced to a short list of no more than the top three (3). The secondary evaluation will consist of interviews and reference checks for each of the shortlist candidates.
INITIAL EVALUATION
The following criteria (as weighted) will be used to evaluate all timely and deemed complete submitted proposals:
1. QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
(Weight 40%)
Years in business and qualifications of individuals and team Demonstrated successful experience providing all similar services for local government agencies
Detailed demonstrated successful technical expertise
Service delivery time frames
16 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Procedures to be used to ensure close contact between the consultant and the City
2. THOROUGHNESS AND ORGANIZATION OF PROPOSAL
(Weight 20%)
Includes all elements of the proposal, as described in Sections 1-5 of the RFP
The proposal is organized, concise and thorough
Demonstrates understanding of the scope of work
Consultant’s approach to successful accomplishment of the scope of work
3. METHODS AND PROCEDURES
(Weight 25%)
Demonstrated ability to provide sufficient qualified and experienced personnel, including sub-contractor
Availability of lead and all proposed team members
Consultant’s general approach to providing services and evaluating issues Complete description of procedures and analytical methods for each service Demonstrated ability to deliver services in a timely and expedited manner Demonstrated ability using technology and computers
4. COST ESTIMATES
(Weight 15%)
Costs for providing the proposed scope of services
Quality of work to be delivered based on consultant’s fee
SECONDARY EVALUATION
The following criteria (as weighted) will be used to evaluate the short list of selected consultants during an interview process:
1. QUALIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
(Weight 40%)
Years in business and qualifications of individuals and team directly assigned to the scope tasks
Demonstrated successful experience providing all similar services for local government agencies
Demonstrated understanding of the scope of work
Detailed demonstrated successful technical expertise
Demonstrated analytical ability and problem solving skills Service delivery time frames
Demonstrated history of timely service delivery
17 RFP: SIGNAL HILL OPPORTUNITY STUDY AREAS
Procedures to be used to ensure close contact between the consultant and the City
2. PREPAREDNESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROJECT
(Weight 40%)
Demonstrated ability to provide sufficient qualified and experienced personnel, including sub-consultants
Demonstrated availability of lead and all proposed team members Consultant’s general approach to providing services and evaluating issues Communication skills
Demonstrated ability to deliver services using technology and computers Cost estimates and delivery time
3. REFERENCE CHECKS
(Weight 20%)
Customer satisfaction
Cost versus product level of service
Communication strengths and analytical skills
Other