DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP No. 18-3602

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 General

The City of Greenville, South Carolina is seeking an experienced and dynamic professional planning consultant team to develop a new Downtown Greenville Strategic Master Plan and to propose related recommendations to update the Land Management Ordinance in support of that Plan.

1.2 Background

Since the 1970s, Greenville's community and public sector leaders have diligently worked to revitalize the downtown Greenville area through strategic public-private partnerships. It is this established history of planning and spirit of collaboration that have transitioned downtown into a vibrant and nationally recognized model for redevelopment. The success has resulted in unprecedented development along with new growth challenges as well as opportunities. The downtown is a source of great civic pride, yet it is just one part of the thriving Greenville.

The City of Greenville updates its downtown vision and plan about every ten years. The last effort, completed in 2008, identified five corners of redevelopment opportunities and served as a framework for future development. This new plan will provide a deep-dive into the past, present, and future, tempered by market and fiscal realities. The plan will answer questions for the community, strategically outline opportunities, preserve what makes downtown special, and move downtown forward for the next decade.

For a comprehensive community profile on Greenville, please visit www.greenvillescbusiness.com.

2.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES

2.1 Objectives

1. The City of Greenville desires to attract and retain businesses, residents and visitors to downtown while ensuring that the uniqueness and authenticity of Downtown Greenville is maintained.
2. The City of Greenville desires to position downtown for the attraction and retention of a work force for the new economy, which reflects Greenville's strengths and future potential.
3. The City of Greenville desires a new downtown strategic master plan that will continue the right blend of redevelopment for Greenville, drawing from previous planning efforts, including the recent adoption of the City's new "Downtown Design Guidelines". Download links here: http://www.greenvillesc.gov/244/Commercial-District-Plans; http://www.greenvillesc.gov/180/Design-Guidelines
4. Downtown Greenville's new strategic master plan will disclose a unified vision and will include a comprehensive strategic implementation strategy to ensure the continued development and redevelopment of Greenville, as well as good quality, mixed-use design with a balance in each block. The master plan will be a frequently referenced document by the community and will serve as a policy guide in decision-making. The plan will make recommendations to update the Land Management Ordinance in support of the new strategic master plan.
5. The planning process will build consensus from a variety of engaged stakeholders, including property owners, residents, businesses, developers, philanthropies and elected officials.

2.2 Anticipated Tasks and Services

1. Review past downtown plans and incorporate in the Downtown Strategic Master Plan wherever feasible and appropriate: The Downtown Design Guidelines, Downtown Streetscape Master Plan and the City's Downtown Traffic Plan (in progress). Refer to section 2.1.c. above for relevant links.
2. Examine issues and make recommendations on the following topics:
   1. Physical Environment
      • Determine appropriate height and density for downtown. Identify the strategic places where height is appropriate;
      • Evaluate existing C-4 zoning and downtown boundary for any changes and expansion opportunities;
      • Examine pedestrian connectivity downtown and how better connections can be made across streets, in compliance with ADA Title II requirements;
      • Analyze the adequacy of existing infrastructure including utilities, storm water, sanitary sewer and roads;
      • Analyze the adequacy of public, open green spaces and make recommendations for future locations;
      • Develop a strategy for coordinating service deliveries and trash receptacles for commercial development and prepare the strategy for adoption; and
      • Identify opportunity sites for large, mixed-use developments, ensuring their connectivity.
   2. Market Analysis
      • Evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of downtown Greenville;
      • Perform an analysis of and present a proposal for the appropriate and sustainable mix of office, retail, residential, hospitality, events and other uses;
      • Determine the appropriate mix of local and national retailers and identify strategies to ensure local retailers remain downtown;
      • Analyze opportunities for establishment of innovation districts and identify weaknesses that would inhibit these;
      • Identify market gaps;
      • Make recommendations for how downtown can continue to prosper while retaining what makes downtown special; and
      • Analyze the adequacy of parking and make recommendations for future parking to support development and the economics of whether the City should remain in the public parking business long-term.
   3. Financial
      • Public/Private Partnerships have served as the cornerstone of Greenville's redevelopment. Moving forward, future projects will need to rely less on the public investments of the past due to funding constraints. The new strategic master plan will recommend new ideas and programs to help the City prioritize investments and to encourage appropriate and desirable private developments.
   4. Design
      • Provide conceptual design and requisite public infrastructure for key redevelopment sites; and
      • Examine City's existing downtown wayfinding signage and make recommendations for possible improvements.
   5. Implementation Strategy
      • Identify specific action items and timing for all recommendations; and
      • Include in a matrix or reference chart for ease of use.
3. Work with the City's GIS Department to incorporate the strategic master plan into the City's existing downtown 3-D model.
4. Provide master plan files, in a variety of formats, for public distribution and awareness of plan (i.e. GIS layers, PDF, internet-formatted plan, marketing-type summary brochure, etc.). Materials produced as part of the strategic master plan project shall be the property of the City of Greenville.
   1. Public Engagement
      • Identify key stakeholders within the Downtown area and develop a Stakeholder Committee at the beginning of the project.
      • Facilitate meetings, workshops, interviews, and development of public outreach materials.
      • Coordinate with public sector officials/agencies and private sector stakeholders to grasp the history and understanding of the planning studies and past initiatives associated with the redevelopment of the downtown area. Establish a meeting schedule for each group.
      • Use creative strategies for public engagement and broad project participation.

2.3 Schedule / Timeline*

Proposals due by 2PM January 17, 2018

Master Plan Team selected February, 2018

Finalization of Scope & Contract March, 2018

Project Kick-Off March/April, 2018

Draft of Downtown Strategic Master Plan Presented October, 2018

Public Hearings November, 2018

City Council Formal Adoption of the Downtown Strategic Master Plan December, 2018

*The City of Greenville reserves the right to modify the schedule as the project demands.

To view the complete RFP please visit http://www.greenvillesc.gov/bids.aspx.