REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Master Planning & Design Services

Grand Forks Herald Building

Grand Forks, ND

The Grand Forks Growth Fund and the City of Grand Forks, ND, are seeking a team of qualified professionals in architecture, historic preservation, space planning and appropriate specialty fields to assist with the adaptive reuse and reconfiguration of the iconic Grand Forks Herald building in downtown Grand Forks. The property includes the ­+36,000 s.f. building located at 375 Second Avenue N. and the 11,500 s.f. surface parking lot at 202 N. Fourth Street.

The Grand Forks Herald has long been an important presence in the heart of downtown, located adjacent to key civic buildings: City Hall, the Federal Building, Central High School. After the 1997 flood and fire, The Herald was one of the first corporate entities to commit to rebuilding downtown and the resulting structure has become a local landmark. The reconstruction retained the character of its 1930s Art Deco architecture and added elements referencing the 1997 disaster and subsequent recovery, including a generous community room. With its space requirements shrinking, Forum Communications put the building on the market in Summer/Fall 2017. With space at a premium across the street at City Hall, the Grand Forks Growth Fund acquired it in Spring 2019 with the vision of creating a vibrant multi-use, multi-tenant facility that recognizes the building's historic role in public information, communication and collaboration. That vision includes traditional offices and conference/meeting space for public- and private-sector tenants but the focal point will be unique 18-hour public spaces operated by Grand Forks Growth Fund/City, Grand Forks Public Library and UND.

Partners/stakeholders in the master planning process will include

• current leaseholders: the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation, Forum Communications/Grand Forks Herald, Grand Forks Public Schools;
• Staff and board members of Grand Forks Public Library;
• Staff from the University of North Dakota;
• Staff and elected officials from the City of Grand Forks/Growth Fund.

It is expected that design/bidding will immediately follow the master planning process. The consultant selected is expected to use a team approach that combines local knowledge and leadership with outside specialty expertise to address unique space utilization issues and design needs specific to this diverse array of partners and their uses.

BACKGROUND

Grand Forks is the third-largest city in North Dakota, home of the University of North Dakota and the seat of Grand Forks County; Grand Forks Air Force Base is located 16 miles to the west. Grand Forks' population is approximately 60,000, while the Grand Forks, ND — East Grand Forks, MN MSA tops 102,000. Downtown Grand Forks contains a mix of office, retail, residential and government uses, including a social service/public health hub. It has a National Register historic district at its core and is beginning to expand beyond its perceived boundaries. The Red River of the North, along with the Greenway that runs along both sides of it, physically separates Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, but the two downtowns function as one in many ways.

The City of Grand Forks has nearly completed a Downtown Action Plan and expects up to $100 million in downtown investment in the next 5 years. This includes

• Major NDDOT street projects
• Multiple private mixed-use infill developments
• Updates to Town Square and other downtown parks
• Redevelopment of the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) site

PROJECT OVERVIEW/SCOPE OF WORK

The selected consultant will collaborate with City staff and other stakeholder representatives to develop a detailed scope of work and schedule for the master planning and subsequent design/ bid/build processes. It is anticipated that the master plan will include

1. a comprehensive inventory of the existing facility.
2. in-depth stakeholder consultations meant to
   • o determine what building modifications, if any, are desired by existing tenants;
   • o finalize the specific uses/activities desired by future tenants;
   • o appropriately allocate space to those uses/activities;
   • o determine the services and amenities necessary to support those uses/activities in individual tenant spaces as well as common areas.
3. conceptual drawings/renderings sufficient to illustrate the results of the above stakeholder consultations to decision-makers and the public.
4. preliminary fit-up cost estimates, including break-outs by tenant.

Design/bid/build is expected to immediately follow completion of the master plan; stakeholders for the design process will be modified accordingly. Since recommendations developed through the master planning process will likely have a significant impact on space utilization in City Hall, it is possible that additional work related to City Hall alterations may be requested.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Firms responding to this RFQ must provide the following:

1. Letter of intent identifying the full names and addresses of the organizations, lead and subordinate, that will provide services. It must be signed by a principal or authorized representative that is qualified to making legally binding commitments on behalf of the project team.
2. Experience/qualifications statement that provides a complete and concise description of consultants' capacity to provide the services described herein. The team member acting as project manager must be identified, as well as a project contact person for each subordinate organization.
3. Past projects summary, including references, of at least three recent, relevant projects of similar size, scope or conditions.
4. Statement of project understanding and approach that outlines the respondent's proposal and timeline, and that demonstrates the consultant team's understanding of and familiarity with the needs and services described herein.

Respondents will be evaluated and ranked on the basis of the above information; interviews may be conducted at the discretion of the Grand Forks Growth Fund. Upon completion of the evaluation process, respondents will be notified of the results. Fees will be negotiated with the successful firm. If the fee cannot be agreed upon, the Growth Fund reserves the right to terminate negotiations, then negotiate with the second and third ranked firms in order, if necessary, until a satisfactory contract has been negotiated.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. The deadline for submissions is noon on Friday, June 7, 2019. Please direct inquiries and submissions (pdf plus 1 hard copy) to:
   Meredith Richards, Director
   Community Development
   255 N. 4th Street
   Grand Forks, ND 58203
   (701) 792-2864
   mrichards@grandforksgov.com
2. The Grand Forks Growth Fund reserves the right to waive irregularities, to reject any or all submissions, to re-solicit submissions, and to negotiate with selected respondents if such action is deemed to be in the City's best interests.
3. The Grand Forks Growth Fund retains the right to negotiate modifications to all submissions.
4. No reimbursement will be made for any costs incurred in responding to this Request.
5. No member, officer, or employee of the City of Grand Forks or the Grand Forks Growth Fund, its governing body, or of any local public body having jurisdiction within the City of Grand Forks' service area, shall have any interest, direct or indirect, in any resultant contract or the proceeds thereof.

Download the RFQ here