1524 South 16th Street
Wilmington, North Carolina 28401
______
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
CONSULTANT ASSISTANT
FOR: CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITATIVE PROGRAM
CNG13.05
PROPOSALS DUE – Monday, January 5, 2015 @ 3:00 p.m.
Local Eastern Standard Time
Laurette Corbyons, Procurement Manager
Contract/Purchasing/Division
(910) 341-7700, extension 247
E-mail address:
Paul D’Angelo,Planning Manager
Choice Neighborhood Initiative
(910) 341-7700, extension 264
E-mail address:
INDEX ISSUED DATE: December 22, 2014
PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT ……………………………………………………………
OVERVIEW ………………………………………………………………….…………
ORGAINZATION BACKGROUND ……………………………………………..………
CHOICE NEGHBORHOOD INIITIVE GRANT ……………………………………………
SOUTHSIDE HISTORY ……………………………………….…………………………
SCOPE OF WORK ………………………………………………………………………
EVAULATING FACTORS …………………………………….…………………………
SUBMISSIONS AND RECEIPT OF PROPOSAL ………………..
PROPOSAL FORMAT.……………………………………….
VENDOR SELECTION……………………………………….
EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS ……………………………
PROJECT COMPLETION REFERENCE FORM……………
REQUIRED SIGNATURE FORMS
- 2992 – DEBARMENT SUSPENSION
- 92010 – EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT
- 5369B – RESPRESENTATION AND CERTIFICATION
- Section 3 Certification
INFORMATION FORM(S)
HUD5369C
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ADVERTISEMENT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
CNG13.05
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF
WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA (WHA)
CONSULTANT ASSISTANCE FOR
CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS IMPLEMENTATION GRANT
In compliance with 24 CFR § 85.36,Housing Authority of the City of Wilmington, North Carolina (WHA) is inviting statements of proposals from experienced Planning Consultants to actively participate in the submission of a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant, with the winning application being awarded up to $30M for redevelopment and revitalization of a severely distressed public housing community located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and the surrounding neighborhood.
Proposals to perform these services will be received by Housing Authority, 1524 South 16th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401, until 3pm Eastern Standard Time, on Monday, January 5, 2015. Our objective is for the contract to begin on Monday, January 12, and end February 9, 2015. Proposals will be held in confidence and not released in any manner until after the contract award. All proposals should be clearly marked as “RFQ Consultant for Choice Implementation.”
Proposal documents, including Scope of Services and Proposal Details, may be requested from the Contract Department by e-mailing or downloading from our website at beginning 8am, Monday, December 22, 2014. Questions pertaining to this project should be e-mailed no later than 12:00 noon Monday, December 29, 2014 to Paul D’Angelo at .
WHA reserves the right to reject any/or all proposals, make the determination as to what is equal to the specifications, or to waive any informality in the proposals received, and to accept any proposal, which, in its opinion may be in the best interest of WHA.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
- PLANNING CONSULTANT TO ASSIST WITH A CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS PUBLISHED IMPLEMENTATION GRANT APPLICATION
FOR
THE REBUILDING OF THE HILLCREST REAL ESTATE PROPERTY AND THE REVITALIZATION OF THE SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY
OVERVIEW
The Wilmington Housing Authority (WHA) is seeking Statements of Proposals from experienced planning consultants with thorough knowledge of the Wilmington area and Wilmington Stakeholders for the assistance in the creation of a winning Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant. The goal will be to submit a successful application on February 9, 2015, and be awarded $30M to build an affordable housing Mixed-Finance Development community for the Hillcrest Public Housing Community in conjunction with the FY 2010 Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) Planning Grant guidelines and the FY2014 Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Implementation Grant.
WHA was awarded a CNI planning grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support the development of a comprehensive neighborhood “Transformation Plan” for the Dry Pond neighborhood and the surrounding area, identified as the SouthSide. The Plan will rebuild Hillcrest’s 256 public housing units and transform the Dry Pond Neighborhood and the surrounding SouthSide area into a Neighborhood of Opportunity.
The Choice Neighborhood Planning process has supported the development of a comprehensive neighborhood revitalization, which focuses on directing resources to address three core goals:
HOUSING: Transform distressed public and assisted housing into energy-efficient, mixed-income housing that is physically and financially viable over the long term;
PEOPLE: Support positive outcomes for families who live in the target development(s) and the surrounding neighborhood, particularly outcomes related to residents’ health, safety, employment, mobility, and education; and
NEIGHBORHOOD: Transform neighborhoods of poverty into viable, mixed-income neighborhoods with access to well-functioning services, high quality public schools and education programs, high quality early learning programs and services, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs.
The successful respondent must demonstrate the ability and experience to review and submit winning federal grant applications that involve community engagement and revitalization. The selected Consultant Team, working in concert with WHA, the City of Wilmington NC, and a wide-range of community stakeholders, will be responsible for the review, content, overall message and scoring of the Implementation Grant.
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
The Housing Authority of Wilmington NC was created under the Housing Act of 1937 for the purpose of providing decent, safe and sanitary housing to the low and moderate-income residents of Wilmington. Currently, WHA owns and manages 1164 units of public housing and administers 1958 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.
A nine-member Board of Commissioners, authorized by laws of the State of North Carolina and appointed by the Mayor of Wilmington, is responsible for the development of housing policy and the authorization of expenditures. Organizational operations and planning strategies are the responsibility of the Chief Executive Officer.
As with many urban public housing authorities, WHA has encountered the difficulties of managing poorly designed, high density, low quality, multi-family housing developments. In an effort to change the face and character of public housing in Wilmington, the Housing Authority has embarked on an aggressive plan for the revitalization of its most undesirable properties. The redevelopment of the Hillcrest neighborhood represents a comprehensive approach to creating new viable affordable housing opportunities for residents of Wilmington.
WHA is an award-winning housing authority with many examples of quality self-developed properties. Most recently, WHA was recognized by the American Planning Association for its self-developed revitalization efforts on the Northside of the City of Wilmington as its HUD Secretary’s Opportunity and Empowerment Award winner last year. That development is also recognized by HUD as a national best practice. The final phase of that development was a 48 unit LEED platinum/silver certified public housing community. As part of our substantial development experience (most of which occurs through our not-for-profit instrumentality, Housing and Economic Opportunities, Inc.) we have prepared mixed finance proposals, operating subsidy only proposals and subsidy layering review proposals, among others. We have an excellent resume of successful tax credit applications and have been recognized by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency for our efforts. This list is available upon request.
THE WHA CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVES PLANNING GRANT
The Housing Authority of Wilmington was awarded a Choice Neighborhoods Initiatives Planning Grant in March, 2011, in the amount of $200,000. With the use of the CNI grant, the Housing Authority of Wilmington, along with key community stakeholders, developed a “Transformation Plan” to be used as a guiding document for the redevelopment of the Hillcrest Community and the revitalization of the SouthSide area of Wilmington. The Transformation Plan was accepted by HUD in the Spring of 2013. Since its acceptance, WHA has worked diligently to build a Foundation for Investment for the SouthSide to attract public and private dollars to the area, including infrastructure, economic development and new residents.
The selected Consultant will become an integral member of this team of stakeholders and be expected to take a lead role, working closely with WHA, key partners and residents, in the review of the Implementation Grant. Respondents are strongly encouraged to become familiar with the goals and requirements of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Planning and Implementation Grant Programs. The CNI program focuses on a holistic approach to neighborhood revitalization, which includes housing, education, healthcare, recreation, jobs and transportation, all leading to self-sufficiency and ending the cycle of generational poverty
HISTORY OF THE SOUTHSIDE
The Southside section of Wilmington, North Carolina, is a neighborhood rich with history. Located just south of Downtown, the area first began to develop more than 150 years ago. In the mid-19th Century, Wilmington – at the time, emerging as North Carolina’s largest city and a major commercial center – saw the beginnings of an influx of foreign immigration and domestic workers. Many of the new residents settled in SouthSide, not far from the Cape Fear River. Though the area rapidly took on the reputation as an “undesirable” part of town, it was in fact a vibrant – if lower income – community that thrived along with the rest of the City during the post-war boom. Its northern boundary, Castle Street, was a commercial core populated by local and national retailers. The Hillcrest site was constructed in 1941 to accommodate a growing population of workers, before conversion to public housing in the 1950s. For the next decade, the entire area hummed with families and community.
Unfortunately, the SouthSide – like many working class communities – struggled as the 20th Century waned, and in the 1960s the district began a prolonged period of economic decline and social disinvestment. Vacant and dilapidated houses and storefronts are common throughout the SouthSide. The poverty rate is almost 45%. The schools that serve the residents – from elementary through High School – are all in some form or fashion persistently underperforming. The Hillcrest Community, in particular, occupies housing that suffers from poor design and structural deficiencies. These buildings have long outlived their useful life.
SCOPE OF WORK:
- Thorough reading and comprehension of the Choice Grant
- Understanding of WHA Revitalization background, including the winning Choice Neighbourhoods Planning Grant application and the HUD approved Transformation Plan
- Coordinated work with WHA Planning Manager and Partners
- Review of application materials provided by WHA Planning Manager
- Responsible for overall message and story of the Implementation Grant application
- Identifying gaps in the application with solutions to overcome any and all shortfalls
- Scoring the application, identifying any and all solutions to increase total scoring of the application
EVALUATION FACTORS:
Overall experience as a Planning Consultant 10 pts.
Strong and extensive experience in Wilmington, NC, as a Planning
Consultant, with knowledge of local officials, stakeholders, non-profits,
and other governmental agencies 40 pts.
Experience in submitting winning Federal Grants 20 pts.
Overall price to assist WHA with the Choice Implementation application, broken down by hours and hourly rate 20 pts.
How can you assist WHA is submitting a winning CNI $30M application 15 pts.
*** NOTE *** Please submit a White Paper of at least 2 pages, not to exceed 4 pages, with answers to the above evaluation Factors. Winners will be scored by a WHA Team based on your answers to the Evaluating Factors. Our objective is for the contract to begin on Monday, January 12, and end February 9, 2015, with the submittal of a successful application, a full 4 weeks of assistance.
In order to be considered, all proposals must be delivered to WHA, addressed to:
Laurette Corbyons, Procurement Manager
Contracts Division
Wilmington Housing Authority,
1524 South 16th Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
Proposals must be conspicuously labeled “RFQ CNI CONSULTANT”. An unbound originaland three bounded copies of the proposal must be received no later than 3:00 pm. (Local Eastern Standard time), Monday, January 5, 2015.
Proposals sent by U.S. Mail, Overnight Delivery, Federal Express, or similar carriers must be packaged and addressed and marked as above, in a sealed envelope inside the courier's envelope. Proposals received prior to the time set forth in this paragraph will be kept unopened until the time set for opening. Proposals received after the date and time noted above will not be considered.
Submitted by:
Company NameAddress
City/State/Zip
Phone
Fax
Authorized Signature
Authorized Personnel
(please print)
Date
Attachment A
REQUIRED SIGNATURE FORMS
Attachment B
Form of Non-Collusive Affidavit
AFFIDAVIT
State of ______)
County of ______)
______, being first
duly sworn, deposes, and says: that he is ______
(a partner of officer firm)
the party making the foregoing proposal or bid; that such proposal or bid is genuine and not collusive or sham; that said bidder has not colluded, conspired, connived or agreed, directly or indirectly, with any bidder or person to put in a sham bid or to refrain from bidding, and has not in any manner, directly or indirectly, sought by agreement or collusion, or communication or conference, with any person, to fix the bid price of affiant or of any other bidder, or to fix any overhead, profit or cost element of said bid price, or of that of any other bidder, or to secure any advantage against the Wilmington Housing Authority or any person interested in the proposed contract; and that all statements in said proposal or bid are true.
______
(Bidder, if the bidder is an individual)
______
(Partner, if the bidder is partnership)
______
(Officer, if the bidder is incorporated)
CORPORATE SEAL
Subscribed and sworn to before me
This ______day of ______20______.
Notary Public ______
My commission expires ______, 20______.
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