Tri-County Regional Planning Commission requests statements of qualifications from qualified firms to provide professional planning services for the development of a Corridor Revitalization Study for the City of Chillicothe, Illinois.

Statements of Qualifications will be accepted until 4:00 pm, January 26, 2018. Statements of Qualifications received after that date and time will not be considered.

Background

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) of Peoria, Illinois provides staffing for the Peoria-Pekin Urbanized Area Transportation Study (PPUATS), which is recognized as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Peoria-Pekin urbanized area.

The MPO receives federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. A portion of the FY 2018 allocation has been set aside for this project. The proposed compensation for the project is $20,000. Due to the federal funding source, all work related to the project must be completed by June 30, 2018. Upon proposal review, TCRPC reserves the right to undertake a portion of the project as outlined above for a lesser amount and over a shorter time period.

Project

The City of Chillicothe is seeking assistance to conduct a Corridor Revitalization Study of the Illinois Route 29 (aka 4th Street) Corridor. The proposed study would review and recommend improvements, policies and ordinances that would be appropriate to improve the appearance, viability and vitality of the Corridor.

The City is bisected in a north/south direction by Illinois Route 29 which is a major link between the City of Peoria and northern parts of the State with many travelers using Route 29 to make their way to and from Chicago. Currently an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 vehicles per day travel through Chillicothe on Route 29 within the proposed study area.

The corridor through the City is a mix of residential and commercial uses, with increased commercial development over the past 40 years. The state route consists of two northbound and two southbound lanes with a turn lane through approximately two-thirds of the City. The State of Illinois has plans to upgrade the narrower portion of Route 29 (north of Truitt Avenue to the city limits) and the City continues to apply for federal funds to replace an existing railroad viaduct at the north edge of Chillicothe.

The Study Corridor for Route 29 would generally extend from the southern City limit at the south end of 3 Sisters Park to just north of Moffitt Street. The total length between these limits is approximately 3 miles but most of the work for the study will concentrate on the section of Route 29 from McGrath Road to Truitt Avenue.

For the City, the goal would be to implement the recommendations to enhance the aesthetic value and appeal of the corridor, making it more attractive to travelers through the community and for commercial development. The study would address the existing and proposed land uses, streetscape, zoning and or code modifications if necessary, and any other items that would aid in efforts to make this area more attractive and inviting.

Scope of Services

Scope of Services will be negotiated upon consultant selection.

Deliverables

This contract will result in the following deliverable:

A completed 4th Street Corridor Revitalization Study for Chillicothe, Illinois.

Submittal Contents

Only submissions limited to 5 pages (not including resumes) and containing the following will be considered:

• Name, address, telephone number, email, and website of firm;
• A Statement of Qualifications of:
  • The firm and any subcontractors (if any);
  • The lead team member; and
  • The individuals to be assigned to the project;
• At least three (3) examples of similar plans the firm has completed in the last 5 years;
• Business references from these projects, including client's name and telephone number shall be included; and
• Identification of any potential subcontracted services as necessary.
• Please submit two (2) physical copies and one (1) digital PDF with all submittals.

All submittals shall be sealed and identified as CHILLICOTHE 4TH STREET CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION STUDY RFQ RESPONSE and addressed to:

Ryan Harms, Planner
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission
456 Fulton Street, Suite 401
Peoria, IL 61602

Contract Development

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission will enter into a contract for professional consulting services based on a fixed-price to the selected consultant for a Scope of Services to be negotiated and finalized once the consultant is chosen. Incremental payments to the consultant will be made at the completion of major tasks with a "not to exceed" contract amount. Ten (10) percent of the contract price will be held as final payment upon delivery of the final products. The exact payment schedule will be negotiated and determined as part of the contract.

TCRPC is not liable for any costs incurred by a consultant in responding to this Request for Qualifications or for any costs associated with discussions required for clarification of items related to this RFQ.

The contract shall not be considered executed unless signed by the authorizing representative of TCRPC.

Selection Process

TCRPC reserves the right to accept or reject any or all statements of qualifications. All submittals become the property of TCRPC upon receipt. TCRPC will evaluate each statement of qualifications according to the following factors and 100-point scale:

1. (25 points) Experience and Technical Competency
   The consultant's response should reflect qualifications and experience necessary to successfully develop and execute a Scope of Services. Reviewers will also assess the applicability and relevance of the consultant's experience and previous projects.
2. (25 points) Familiarity with Corridor Planning
   The consultant's response must demonstrate a level of familiarity with the proposed project and an understanding of the planning challenges posed by the project.
3. (20 points) Record of Success
   The consultant's response should demonstrate success on similar projects and provide examples of similar work.
4. (20 points) Knowledge of the locality of the project
   The consultant's response should demonstrate familiarity with Chillicothe and/or the Greater Peoria area.
5. (10 points) References
   The consultant's response should include at least 3 references, with contact information.

All submittals will be reviewed by a committee made up of representatives from TCRPC and the City of Chillicothe. All statements of qualifications will be scored and ranked, however the committee IS NOT bound to select the highest-scoring submittal. TCRPC reserves the sole right to invite one firm to the contract development stage or to reject all candidates that submit.

Project Schedule

• January 15, 2018 – Request for Qualifications is announced
• January 26, 2018 – Deadline for submittal of Statement of Qualifications
• January 26-30, 2018 – TCRPC and Chillicothe evaluate responses and select consultant
• January 31, 2018 – TCRPC approves contract with consultant; work begins
• June 30, 2018 – All project work is completed

Compliance with Laws

The selected firm agrees to be bound by all applicable Federal, State and Local laws, regulations and directives as they pertain to the performance of the contract.

Questions

TCRPC staff will answer all questions related to this RFQ until 4:00 pm, January 24, 2018. All questions and answers will be posted publicly on TCRPC's website. Questions should be addressed to:

Ryan Harms, Planner
rharms@tricountyrpc.org