Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
Request for Proposal

This Request for Proposal (RFP) Invites qualified firms to provide planning, engineering and associated professional services to prepare a detailed plan to realize high value development opportunities along the I‐69 Ohio River Crossing corridor.

RFP Schedule:

RFP Release Date — January 27, 2023
Questions due by February 21, 2023
Responses due by February 28, 2023
Remote interviews of select respondents by March 15, 2023
Selected respondent announced by March 24, 2023

Introduction of Evansville Regional Economic Partnership

The Evansville Regional Economic Partnership is committed to fostering high‐value development. Launched in 2021 following the combination of three like‐minded legacy organizations in the business and growth space, E‐REP promotes regional economic development and vitality. We are here to drive the region's economic growth, attract a high‐wage and high‐skilled workforce and elevate quality of life.

Background

The Evansville Metropolitan Area has a unique accelerator arriving over the coming 7‐10 years, the Ohio River Crossing I‐69 Bridge, connecting the Bi‐state region with the National I‐69 corridor, and eventually Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The project not only addresses a solution to long‐term cross‐river mobility, but it plays to the Evansville Region's strengths of being in the logistical center of the United States. The region provides unique advantages for these businesses and industries, including a central U.S. location, situated within 3.5 hours of five cities with metro populations of 1+ million. Indeed, the true impact of the highway expansion will be to activate development parcels that stand to benefit from the access and capacity provided by the I‐69 bridge. The potential for public investment to prepare sites and private investment in buildings, technology and equipment, and potential retail and housing to serve new employment, is powerful.

Scope of Work

BridgeLink is the bi‐state advocacy organization responsible for leading the aligned public‐private initiative to build the Interstate 69 corridor elements through Southwest Indiana and Western Kentucky. The recent commitments by the States of Indiana and Kentucky to the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement, the associated Record of Decision (including identification of the route corridor) and key elements of the funding plan have afforded BridgeLink the opportunity to shift focus to ensure that the project is constructed both quickly and in a manner that affords this national investment the greatest possible opportunity to catalyze regional growth and prosperity.

Over the next 8 years and in partnership with BridgeLink, E‐REP will work closely with business, regional planning partners, state departments, federal agencies, and local governments to create a master plan ensuring that the corridor and the Ohio River Crossing are highly integrated into the Regional Development Plan. BridegLink's longstanding and effective relationship with public partners in both states and at all levels of government, as well as the bi‐state private sector, will position it to support this planning initiative to realize high value development opportunities along the I‐69 Ohio River Crossing corridor and adjacencies.

The planning effort should focus on identifying and developing:

1. Intermodal opportunities among the key logistics assets in the region
2. Development sites and related infrastructure that can be developed to accommodate the industrial and commercial opportunities that the new interstate corridor will activate
3. Securing site control and making initial investments in shell buildings and related development investments
4. Barriers to be eliminated in the free and productive flow of development opportunities that construction of the corridor and bridge crossing will bring
5. Development opportunities that will be enhanced by the addition of this key freight corridor to the Mid‐America logistics grid, shortening key supply chains for the automotive industry, strengthening the farm‐to market network for agricultural commodities, further leveraging opportunities for the EVV Regional Airport, and the Mt. Vernon, IN Port are examples.

Unique Planning Considerations

Most of the opportunities for the creation of high‐value sites in proximity to the designated I69 corridor is privately held. It is anticipated that the bridge corridor plan will provide the marketing strategies that catalyze owner interest in preparing their property for conversion from agriculture to industrial/commercial uses. While some opportunities will likely be best advanced through public‐private partnerships, the region conservatively projects that a minimum of $325 million will be privately invested to bring top quality sites into the regional inventory.

Submissions

Questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to Jenna Richardt, Chief Regional Economic Development Officer, Senior Vice President, by emailing jrichardt@evvregion.com. The deadline for questions to be received in writing will be February 21, 2023, to allow for a response to be provided in an addendum if necessary.

Proposals for providing these services will be received until the close of business (4:00 P.M.) February 28, 2023.

Submit a PDF digital copy of the entire proposal to Jenna Richardt at jrichardt@evvregion.com and Candace Chapman cchapman@evvregion.com.

Late submittals will not be considered.

Selection

The criteria for selecting a qualified firm for the assignment will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Experience and ability of the staff that will be participating in the respective projects and respective project managers.
• Qualifications via experience and documentation of work activities on similar projects
• Timeline for completion of the projects listed above
• Description of technical approach for the successful completion of each project
• Estimated cost for design, project/construction management, permitting and other activities necessary for successful project completion