ISSUE DATE: Friday, November 1, 2019

QUALIFICATIONS DUE DATE: Monday, December 9, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh ("URA") requests qualifications from firms to conduct research and make policy and regulatory recommendations related to economic development as part of future neighborhood plans. These services will be contracted through the URA, and will receive project guidance from staff at the City of Pittsburgh leading neighborhood planning processes. The Economic Development Consultant will work collaboratively with other neighborhood planning consultants contracted for other topics (e.g., urban design, transportation) to provide technical support to DCP and partner agencies.

The URA plans to select one or more respondents to be a part of an approved list of contractors to provide economic development services on an as-needed basis. The firms selected for this list will be eligible to provide bids to the URA as work opportunities arise. Once firms are approved by the URA Board of Directors, they will remain on the list through December 2021.

For each neighborhood planning process, URA staff will invite the approved list of contractors to an event in Pittsburgh where they can meet and potentially form teams with approved contractors for other topic areas related to neighborhood planning process (e.g., urban design). The purpose of the event will be to introduce approved contractors for different topics required by specific planning processes. A Request for Quotes or Request for Proposals for professional services will then follow to solicit proposals from project teams consisting of approved firms showing their approach to meeting the specific requirements identified for the planning process (e.g., urban design and economic development).

Background Information

The URA is the City of Pittsburgh's ("the City") economic development agency, committed to creating jobs, expanding the City's tax base, and improving the vitality of businesses and neighborhoods. The URA was established in 1946 under the Pennsylvania Urban Redevelopment Law, 35 P.S. §§ 1701, et seq. The URA acquires and clears blighted property; initiates rebuilding with the private sector; negotiates with federal, state, county, and local governments for public funds and facilities; and works to maintain and improve Pittsburgh neighborhood and business districts through business loan programs, multi- and single-family loan programs, and home improvement loan programs.

Due to the URA's mandate and a citywide push to expand economic opportunity throughout the City, the URA is expanding its work with small- and medium-sized businesses to provide opportunities to as many firms as possible.

The URA is a legal entity separate and distinct from the City and works closely with the City in fulfilling its redevelopment mission.

Scope of Services

Respondents should have experience and expertise in economic development, real estate market studies, policy and regulations development, and other related fields.

For the Economic Development Consultant, the following research questions are expected to be part of project scopes and should be considered relevant examples of research questions Economic Development Consultants will be requested to address in future neighborhood plans. The work will also help to inform potential zoning code changes and land use regulations that implement the plan. The resulting product should answer questions such as:

• What is happening today in the study area's real estate market?
• What is the study area's development potential under existing conditions?
• How can the study area's key corridors be developed in ways that complement each other and provide for the needs of the community as well as attract users from throughout the city?
• How can the study area maximize benefits from past and present cultural heritage?
• What is the role of access and transit in future development of the study area, particularly connections to surrounding employment areas?
• What opportunities and challenges do proposed developments in and around the study area present to realizing community objectives as stated by existing plans or through the current planning process?
• What economic development programs in other cities might support stated community objectives if applied here?
• What is the study area's role in the Pittsburgh's broader economic growth?

To answer these questions, the consultant will need to undertake the follow research:

1. Conduct interviews with those who have led recent planning efforts in the area and the local trade area and then collect existing data such as Esri Business Analyst Online, Retail MarketPlace Profile and Tapestry Segmentation as well as data related to housing affordability while avoiding duplication;
2. Determine current and future demand, lease rates and overall mix for residential, commercial, R&D, institutional, retail, cultural, etc. including comparison to other competitive areas of Pittsburgh;
3. Space availability (residential, commercial, R&D, institutional, retail, etc.). Profile tenants and their needs for both residential and non-residential spaces;
4. Building types, condition, potential uses/format, height, site coverage, setbacks, building materials/façades, building amenities – for existing buildings and new construction;
5. Conduct soft site analysis and estimate potential development capacity of the study area based on proposed Zoning concepts when developed during the planning process;
6. Detail recent site assembly activities and issues;
7. Characterize public vs. private property ownership and property tax revenues under existing conditions as well as potential build out of the study area;
8. Characterize the state of business supportive services such as the transportation system and transit services, freight and loading access, data and energy infrastructure, etc. and identify how existing conditions may negatively impact growth and development;
9. Research existing economic development programs and their application to the study area;
10. Make recommendations for addressing residential and commercial growth needs in the next 5 and 10 years through regulations, incentives, and other programs across the range of topics included in the above existing conditions research; and
11. Provide economic development, workforce development, and residential and commercial affordability case studies to show successful approaches in other cities consistent with ongoing efforts in Pittsburgh.

Important Bid Notification Announcement

Please note that the URA is now using Public Purchase as its bid notification and RFQ submission platform. In addition to following the Submission Requirements (see Page 1), respondents must also register at: https://www.publicpurchase.com/gems/register/vendor/register to submit their proposals. See Addendum A ‐ Instructions for Registering on Public Purchase.

Question and Answers

All questions regarding this Request for Qualifications should be submitted, and will be answered, through the Public Purchase platform. Both the question and corresponding answer will be visible and available to anyone registered on the site who reviews this opportunity.

Pre-Proposal Meeting

A pre-proposal meeting for all contractors who wish to submit qualifications for consideration will be held on Friday, November 22^nd, 2019 at 11:00 A. M. ET at the URA, 200 Ross Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 in the 1^st floor conference room.

Evaluation Process

Request for Qualifications Anticipated Timeframe