I. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Carrick Community Council ("CCC") and Hilltop Alliance ("HA"; together "CCC/HA") are requesting proposals from professionals to conduct a strategic plan of the potential for commercial and residential development in the Carrick neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh ("City"). This project aims to provide CCC/HA with a holistic understanding of the neighborhood, problems it faces, potential projects/programs that could be implemented to address these problems, and projected goals/outcomes for development over the coming decade.

The project duration is estimated to be 4-6 months. Interested parties are requested to submit a detailed proposal package as outlined below.

Contact person for all queries and for receipt of proposals:

Bill Shimko
Executive Director
Hilltop Alliance
209 Bausman Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15210
bill@pghhilltopalliance.org

Respondents shall restrict all contact and questions regarding this Request for Proposals (RFP) and selection process, including terms, conditions, and technical specifications, shall be directed via email to the email address listed above. Properly submitted questions that are received by 5:00 PM on January 29, 2026 will be answered in writing and provided to all who submitted a Statement of Interest, by February 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Questions submitted after 5:00 PM on January 29, 2026 will not be answered.

Consideration is expected to be given, but is not guaranteed to be given, to the criteria listed in this RFP. CCC/HA reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any and all informalities outlined in the RFP and in the selection process, and generally to make the award that, in its judgment, will best meet the objectives stated in this RFP.

Expenses incurred by the respondents in replying to the RFP or in making any appearance before the selection committee are at the respondents' own expense and risk.

CCC/HA reserves the right to make suggestions related to team structure during final contract negotiations.

II. BACKGROUND

The Carrick neighborhood is located in the southern Hilltop area of Pittsburgh, situated between the Mt. Oliver Borough and the Brookline, Bon Air, Knoxville and Overbrook neighborhoods of the City of Pittsburgh and Baldwin, Brentwood, and Whitehall boroughs. Brownsville Road runs the neighborhood, serving the critical functions of being the major north-south thoroughfare for Carrick and containing the majority of neighborhood's commercial properties, which are spread across three distinct nodes. Other major roads include Maytide Street (east-west across the southern portion of Carrick) and Beck's Run Road (northeast-southeast across the eastern portion of Carrick). Brownsville Road and Maytide Street connect Carrick to Pennsylvania State Route 51 (Saw Mill Run Boulevard – which is a portion of Carrick's western border), although only the latter does so in Carrick. Beck's Run Road runs from Carrick to Pennsylvania State Route 837 (East Carson Street). The majority of the neighborhood is residentially-zoned apart from Brownsville Road commercial districts and small areas of neighborhood industrial along Saw Mill Run Boulevard and Becks Run Road. Carrick residents enjoy a close proximity to Pittsburgh's Central Business District, their own neighborhood business districts, and many commercial areas in the South Hills region of Pittsburgh. Carrick is home to the City of Pittsburgh's Phillips Park as well as numerous other greenspaces.

Carrick is the sixth largest of the City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods by population, but like many Hilltop neighborhoods, has lost a significant percentage of its peak population. As of the 2020 Census, Carrick contains approximately 60% of the population it had at its peak in 1920 – before it was annexed by Pittsburgh. The median age range in Carrick, as a percentage of the population, is generally higher than median age ranges across the City of Pittsburgh. Compared to the rest of the City of Pittsburgh, Carrick has a higher percentage of Asian, Hispanic, and other populations, an equal population of those identifying two or more races, and lower percentages of other racial demographics.

As detailed recently in Pittsburgh's Public Source, Carrick's population increased from 2010 to 2020 and is viewed as a location where property values are still reasonable enough for younger, start-up and lower-income families to be able to afford them.

III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

CCC/HA is seeking the creation of a strategic plan for the Carrick neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh identifying key priorities and establishing a clear vision for future support of sustainable business district corridors and residential neighborhood development leading to a stronger sense of neighborhood identity. The study should keep a focus on informing neighborhood leaders about the potential of the area and encouraging sustainable commercial and residential development.

The overall outcome is a strategic plan intended to guide CCC/HA's community development efforts in the Carrick neighborhood. Measurable steps toward this outcome include: community survey development, distribution, and return; data analysis and defining priorities; draft vision statement and goals; finalization of strategic plan vision and goals.

Scope of Services

• Review and analyze existing demographic, population, commercial and residential real estate, and retail data from publicly available sources, data provided by the client and stakeholders
• Development, distribution, engagement, and return of community and stakeholder surveys
• Interaction with CCC/HA strategic planning steering committee
• Data analysis
• Defining priorities
• Determine future residential, retail, and commercial demand based on the neighborhood residential market and submarket (surrounding neighborhoods)
• Draft vision statement and goals
• Finalization of strategic plan vision and goals
• Approximate timeline: 4-5 months
• Total cost not to exceed $60,000

Key Questions to answer:

• How does data define where Carrick is now and trends over time to arrive here?
• Who lives, shops, worships, etc. in Carrick?
• What are the main commercial, residential, and economic problems currently impacting Carrick?
• What broad types of projects/initiatives/programs can be identified to improve access to job and economic opportunities, affordable and market rate housing, quality-of-life amenities, and other key factors in building healthy communities?
• How can CCC/HA track implementation and progress?

Deliverables

Deliverables include a survey questionnaire, survey analysis report, SWOT analysis report, draft vision and goals document, final vision and goals report, and a comprehensive strategic plan comprised of: analysis of current conditions within Carrick; community-driven vision and corresponding goals; strategic recommendations based on both qualitative and quantitative analysis; an outline of actions, performance metrics, and an implementation roadmap.

CCC/HA will use the deliverables in numerous ways, including, but not limited to:

• Assisting in assuring future development is reflective of the community's desires;
• Increasing community cohesion around shared desires;
• Attracting funding and support for initiatives such as the PA DCED Neighborhood Assistance and Main Street Matters programs;
• Providing commercial development strategies to benefit Carrick residents through employment opportunities and procuring goods and services they desire in their neighborhood;
• Identifying opportunities to assist homeowners with home repair programs and support low-income populations
• Creating strategies for community-focused real estate development;
• Better connecting the Carrick Community Council with Carrick residents;
• Developing metrics through which Carrick Community Council can analyze proposed real estate and commercial development.

IV. ORGANIZATION AND REQUIRED SUBMITTALS FOR PROPOSAL

Submission Requirements and Deadline

One (1) electronic copy, VIA EMAIL ONLY, in PDF format of the proposal must be received by CCC/HA by no later than February 23 at 5:00 P.M.

Submissions should be emailed to bill@pghhilltopalliance.org.

Proposal Format and Content

The respondent shall submit a proposal that includes a Technical Section and Fee Section.

1. Cover Letter
   Limit to one page; letter should include:
   • Company name, contact name, address, and email address
   • Why the respondent's team is the most qualified to complete this project
2. Respondent Team and Firm Information
   Briefly describe the roles of the members included on the team. Please include the following for each firm:
   • Name, address and telephone number
   • Number and location of offices
   • Managing principal, CEO or president
   • MWBE status
   • Legal actions currently pending against firm
   • Role on the team
   • Resumes for key staff members assigned to the project
3. Proposed Method and Schedule
   • A detailed narrative of methods and plan to carry out the scope of work
   • A list of sources and databases the respondent plans to use
   • Project timeline with key milestones
   • Description of respondent's current work load and availability of staff to deliver this project on schedule
4. Relevant Projects and References
   Limit three (3) projects, one page per project. Relevant projects should include at least one project that emphasizes business district planning and one project that emphasizes market feasibility study.
   Please include the following:
   • Name and location of project
   • Size and cost of project
   • Name, address, email, and telephone number of the client
5. Fee Proposal.
   The fee proposal shall identify the derivation of the total fee by indicating:
   • The level of effort in staff hours for various tasks and subtasks corresponding to the Scope of Services and the technical proposal
   • The total salary cost for the services
   • The direct costs projected, including subconsultant's fees for various services
   • Assumptions made in estimating time and costs
6. Minority and Woman- Owned Business Enterprise Participation
   Hilltop Alliance encourages the full participation of minority and women business owners and professionals in this effort. Proposals must include a MWBE narrative. Respondents are required to state as succinctly as possible what your firm is doing to promote opportunities for minority and women professionals within your organization.
   MWBE participation can be satisfied by:
   • Ownership/Partnership of firm
   • Employment levels of minorities and/or women in the organization
   • Use of minorities and/or women as part of consultant team
   • Firm's use of minority or women-owned businesses as vendors for legal, printing, office supplies, travel, etc.
   • Subcontracting with organizations owned and controlled by minorities and/or women

V. EVALUATION CRITERIA

All proposals will be evaluated based on the technical and professional expertise and the experience of the respondent team, the proposed method and the procedures for completion of the work, and the cost of the proposal.

Technical Expertise, Experience and Access

The technical expertise, experience and access of the respondent will be determined by the following factors:

• Overall experience of the respondent team
• Expertise and professional level of the individuals proposed to conduct the work
• Demonstration of accessibility to HA and of responsiveness to community needs
• Demonstrable experience working in underserved markets/communities

Procedures and Methods

Evaluation of procedures and methods will be determined by the following factors:

• Clarity and completeness of the proposal and the apparent general understanding of the work to be performed
• Proposed methods and plan to conduct the scope of work in a thorough, objective and timely manner
• Sequence and relationships between major tasks
• Knowledge and understanding of the local environment
  • Approach to project management, including efficient utilization of person-hours

Project Schedule

• Schedule for the completion of work
• Sequence and relationships between major tasks

Fee Proposal

Describe your proposed fee structure (e.g., hourly, fixed fee per item, etc.) and include proposed rates and anticipated total cost.

MWBE Participation

The Hilltop Alliance encourages that all respondents demonstrate a good faith effort to obtain minority and women-owned business enterprise participation. HA acknowledges the City's goal of 18 percent (18%) minority and 7 percent (7%) women participation in planning and/or professional service activities.

PROCESS

Responses to the RFP will be evaluated by a selection committee. The selected respondent(s) will be chosen based on the selection criteria listed above. CCC/HA reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all information submitted.

One or more respondents may be asked to meet with the selection committee in a formal interview process.

CCC/HA shall be the sole judge as to which respondent(s) meet the selection criteria. CCC/HA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any or all responses received, to waive any submission requirements contained within this RFP, and to waive any irregularities in any submitted response.

The following schedule is subject to change; however, the RFP due date will not be changed without notice from HA:

RFP Issue Date: January 12, 2026

Statement of Interest Period Ends: February 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Questions Due: February 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Questions Answered: February 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Proposal Due Date: February 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Review of Responses Received: Week of February 23, 2026

Interviews (if necessary): Week of March 2, 2026

Notice of Selection: By March 9, 2026

Commencement of Work: Within two (2) weeks of selection

Upon notification of selection by CCC/HA, the successful respondent is required to enter into a contract within two (2) weeks of notification. If the successful respondent is unwilling or unable to execute the agreement as required by the RFP, CCC/HA has the right to request another respondent to enter into the contract with CCC/HA.

Respondent acknowledges by submitting information and proposals to CCC/HA that CCC/HA does not undertake any obligations, and shall have no liability with respect to this RFP, and responses thereto, nor with respect to any matters related to any submission by a respondent.