THE OPPORTUNITY

The City of Berkeley is seeking an innovative individual or firm to develop a master plan for the core of the City's downtown business district. The project site is the heart of Berkeley. It is bordered by Interstate 170, and is less than a five minute drive from Boeing Defense headquarters, Lambert St Louis Airport, the North Park industrial park, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis (see Figure 1).

The revitalization of downtown Berkeley is one of the City's highest priorities. It is a key step in the long-term vision for creating economic opportunities in Berkeley as a whole, and is anticipated to address streetscape improvements, lighting, security, new development, façade improvements, zoning updates, and marketing the area by highlighting proximity to key employment, education, and transportation centers.

SCOPE OF SERVICES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Purpose/Intent: The purpose of this project is to develop a Downtown Master Plan that will create a vision for Downtown Berkeley, including development, building facades, streetscapes, pedestrian access, parking and other public amenities. The Plan will serve as the guiding document for anticipated growth, development and revitalization of the Downtown area and will act as a framework for future ordinances and initiatives; including coordinated strategies to help reinvigorate the Downtown area and make it an attractive place to live, work, and play.

The new Downtown Master Plan is to be developed with participation and input from City's residents and business community and coordinated with area and regional governmental agencies. The plan should be visionary yet grounded with practical and relevant policies and strategies to guide Downtown growth. It should recognize the cultural and geographic uniqueness of Berkeley and seek to capitalize on its regional location, encourage economic development, and promote Downtown as a destination.

The plan should be easily interpreted by the general public, with an addendum housing all of the technical data to be used by City staff. With oversight from City staff, along with guidance from the Planning Commission and City Council, the successful consultant(s) will assist in the planning process and develop project deliverables as outlined within this RFQ.

The following scope of services serves as a general framework and must be incorporated into the consultant(s)proposed scope of work; however, the proposed scope of work is not limited to these services. The final scope of services will be developed in collaboration with the selected consultant(s) and the City prior to contract approval.

The consultant(s) shall have a good understanding of the historic background of the development of Downtown Berkeley, as well as a firm understanding of the context, trends, and related information that have shaped the community. The consultant(s) shall analyze the assumed effects of external forces (physical, social, economic, and political) and trends on the future of the local community; issues and forecasts of local and regional growth shall be included.

1) Project Management: It is intended that consultant(s) will lead the overall project to ensure that the project objectives are met. However, the staff shall support consultant(s) in all aspects of the project. Staff will provide continuous updates to the City Council and/or other governing boards on the development of the plan. Additionally, City staff will assist in facilitating interactions with appropriate City staff members, elected and appointed officials, committee members, and other key stakeholders.

2) Public Participation Plan: The consultant(s) shall be responsible for developing a comprehensive participation program that encompasses the public and stakeholders and incorporates local knowledge and experience. Key to the development and success of the plan, the consultant(s) must facilitate participation and interaction of residents, property owners, business owners and leaders, churches and key community organizations, elected officials, utility providers, City staff, and other key stakeholders.

At a minimum the public participation plan should utilize traditional media, social media, virtual open houses, online polling, and should take advantage of the many civic groups that meet regularly. The participatory process must also be creatively designed to seek out and involve residents and other stakeholders that are unlikely to participate in a standard workshop style community engagement process. Additionally, the process must ensure that participation is reflective of both the current and future citizenry. The overall goal of the participatory process is to increase the ownership of the final product.

3) Vision and Goal Setting: The consultant(s) will work with the City and project stakeholders in developing a broadly supported and achievable vision or alternative vision(s) of the long-term future design and character of the Downtown, along with related goals that help accomplish the same. Vision and goal setting shall be a component of the plan that is officially approved by the City early in the process. The vision and goal setting shall also include the identification and approval of the guiding principles. If alternative visions are created, the consultant(s) shall include the cost/benefit implications of each alternative.

4) Guiding Principles: As part of this process, the consultant(s) will work with the City and project stakeholders in developing supported guiding principles that will guide the formation of related goals, objectives, and actions.

5) Planning Elements: At a minimum, the selected firm will be responsible for the following items:

• Economic Vitality: development and review of economic development incentives, business recruitment and retention practices
• Infrastructure Assessment: review of current downtown infrastructure to include sidewalks, bicycle facilities, parking, waste collections, water, telecom, lighting, security, wayfinding, electric and gas
• Land Use: creation of potential districts (potentially expanding/reducing districts and district areas), uses allowed, and development process – a fiscal impact analysis that clearly describes the costs associated with the anticipated growth shall be developed
• Activation: ideas and visual concepts for increasing the activation of downtown parks, sidewalks, and storefronts; including building facades, streetscapes, signage, pedestrian access, parking, and other public amenities
• Funding Mechanisms: all recommended concepts should include estimated costs and potential funding sources
• Design: renderings of streetscapes and high priority properties

As part of the development of the elements of the plan, emphasis shall be placed on prior plans that address said elements (in whole or in part), including but not limited to:

• 2022 St. Louis County Airport Road Resurfacing Project No. AR-1692
• 2009 Berkeley Comprehensive Plan and Sign Code
• 2009 City of Berkeley/Boeing Company Airport Road Phased Enhancement Plan
• 2005 Berkeley Comprehensive Blighting Study
• 2003 Berkeley Southeast Redevelopment Area Proposal (Tristar/Clayco)
• 1998 City of Berkeley Southeast Area and Corridor Master Plan

In addition, other existing and ongoing planning efforts, such as the St Louis Lambert International Airport 2040 Master Plan Update, NorthPark ongoing development, and the upcoming St. Louis County Master Plan update, etc., shall be reviewed for possible incorporation into the planning process. The final draft of the plan will be utilized to craft future capital improvement plans, land use and development code decisions, and economic development recruiting activities.

6) Market Analysis: The selected firm will be responsible for reviewing and updating the current market analysis to explore how much, and what type of new retail, entertainment, and housing, etc. exists, and might be needed in the years ahead. This update will include a comprehensive framework for attracting and managing future development in the project area. The City does not have a specific scope of work identified to complete this analysis but is looking for responders to lay out the steps and process they propose to follow to complete each task identified herein.

7) Implementation Strategy / Action Steps / Comprehensive Decision-Making Packages: The consultant(s) shall develop a list of strategies and implementation measures to accomplish the short, mid, and long-term goals and objectives of the plan. The consultant(s) will be innovative and proactive in their approach to implementation, to ensure the highest chance for success. As part of this strategy, the consultant(s) shall develop comprehensive decision-making packages. Comprehensive decision-making packages are a set or group of actions that, while done together, provide a greater degree of success than when actions are done individually. The implementation strategy shall also include a strategy for review and maintenance of the goals, objectives, and actions, as well as the overall Downtown Master Plan.

8) Presentations and Communications: The consultant(s) and City staff will present the final plan and implementation strategy to the Planning Commission and City Council along with other applicable committees as defined in the final scope of work. Additionally, the consultant(s) will work with staff to communicate with project stakeholders and various committee(s) throughout the process, and to present intermediate deliverables and related information.

9) Deliverables: The following is a list of the minimum deliverables for the project:

• A project management plan with milestones and timelines for the completion of various aspects of the project.
• A participation plan that includes objectives, activities, methods, roles, and timeframes.
• A coordinated implementation plan that includes roles, timeframes, and monetary solutions.
• A highly graphic and interactive complete Downtown Master Plan that can be easily disseminated and understood by the public, with addendum housing all the technical data to be used by City staff for future planning efforts

THE SITE

The Downtown area roughly consists of the 6000-6200 blocks of the west side of North Hanley Road, Stella Court, Jo Court, the 8300-8600 blocks of Airport Road on both sides, going back 4 parcels deep on the intersecting side streets, and the 6100 block of Madison and Garfield Avenues (see Figure 2). There are multiple Zoning classifications on these blocks, which are shown on Figure 3. The City is currently rezoning this area to DT-1, 'Downtown Core', except for the west side of Airport Road, Stella, and Jo Courts, which will become DT-2, 'Airport Frontage'. Hotels and restaurants will become permitted by right instead of Special Uses in these new Districts, and the height limit in DT-2 will be raised to 60 feet or five stories (with an option for a sixth) to facilitate hotel/office development in DT-2. Parking minimums will be eliminated in DT-1, and significantly reduced (with options for further reduction bonuses) in DT-2. Finally, mixed-use and accessory uses are all being permitted by right. These changes are being implemented to encourage high-density, walkable, pedestrian friendly development. While this is occurring, St Louis County is resurfacing and updating the entire length of Airport Road from Hanley Road east to Elizabeth Avenue in Ferguson, a project that includes narrowing the street from 4 to two lanes, and adding bike lanes and expanding on-street parking in both directions.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Qualifications should enhance and reinforce the overall vision for Berkeley's Downtown Business District. The Plan should produce long-lasting development that projects a positive community image, increases the value of surrounding properties and add access to public convenience/services. Sustainable design elements are encouraged. Parcel consolidation and acquisition will be considered to achieve project objectives. The City is also willing to retain and maintain some of the property for public use, including parking or green space areas designated as part of the Plan.

Applicants must demonstrate 1) successful experience with similarly sized communities, 2) generation of economic and social benefits in these communities as a direct result of implementing the Plan, and 3) understanding and/or articulation of applicable plans, regulations, and visions for the area. Qualifications must include sufficient information and evidence of legal and financial ability of the respondent to carry out the project.