RFP - 942 Main Street Mixed-Use Development

The Town of Manchester is requesting proposals from experienced real estate developers interested in executing a transformative downtown project on a key gateway parcel. The Town seeks to select one proposal from a qualified entity or team in keeping with the preferred goals, objectives and uses outlined in this document. Manchester is a forward-thinking community of nearly 60,0000 residents and the commercial, entertainment and residential hub of the east-of-the-river Greater Hartford region. This Request for Proposals outlines important information regarding the site, the context for this project, the qualification documentation and other information to be submitted. The development site includes two adjacent parcels totaling 2.38 acres. The Forest Street lot (1050 Main Street) is a 1.59-acre parcel that occupies a prime downtown location at the corner of Main Street and Forest Street. The lot currently contains 116 parking spaces and can be accessed from driveways on Main Street and Forest Street. The second parcel, 942 Main Street, will be owned by the Town as of February 28, 2023. The .79 acre property includes a one-story residential building which the Town plans on demolishing by February 2024. The site is abutted by a condominium complex to the west and an Army/Navy club across Forest Street to the south.Together, the project parcels equate to a full Downtown block on Manchester's Main Street. The site is currently zoned Central Business District (CBD) and is within a federally-designated Opportunity Zone. This is a mixed-use zoning district that allows a wide variety of residential and commercial uses. Off-street parking standards are permissive and dimensional requirements are extremely flexible and intended to bring about denser urban development. Manchester's Downtown is in the midst of a positive transformation with millions of dollars in public and private funds over the past five years. While key incremental improvements have come steadily during that time, the Town's efforts are about to be turbo-charged with a $39 million, 75,000 sf public library project in the pipeline. The project envisioned in this RFP will sit directly across the street from the new library location and is intended to both compliment and benefit from this generational public investment. Downtown is an authentic mixed-use district, the great majority of which was constructed in the late 1890's and early 1900's. Existing buildings occupy all or most of the lot area on which they stand and represent a well-preserved collection of Victorian era commercial architecture including Classical Revival, Romanesque, and Queen Anne Revival styles. Main Street runs north and south from I-384 to Routes 6 and 44. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Main Street Historic District. Downtown has endured several shifts in retail activity to other areas of town, first to the Broad Street area with the development of the Manchester Parkade shopping center in the 1960's. The opening of the Buckland Hills Mall in 1989 began the rapid development of the Buckland Hills area into a superregional shopping, entertainment and residential destination. Despite these shifts, Downtown's access to Interstate 384 and State Routes 6 and 44, its historic significance, unique architecture, central location and flexible zoning regulations have allowed it to continue to remain a viable center of activity in the community. Recent interest in supporting local businesses, downtown living, walkability and vibrant quality of life have burgeoned Downtown as a true, center of commerce, culture, and community. Today, Downtown includes restaurants, specialty retail shops, and financial and personal service offices. Newer businesses including Silk City Coffee, Urban Lodge Brewing, and the Firestone Art Studio and Cafe, which have opened in recent years and along with older, established businesses, draw customers both locally and from the surrounding region. The Town-owned-and-operated WORK_SPACE is a unique coworking and meeting space with multiple public art galleries that hosts entrepreneurs and small businesses while driving additional visitors to the area. Downtown sits between two of Manchester's historic neighborhoods and is served directly by I-384 Exit 3. The district is served by CT Transit bus service and currently has over 800 public parking spaces. The Town's planned $10-15 million dollar streetscape improvement project will result in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements, additional outdoor dining opportunities and public spaces and amenities. In November 2022, Manchester voters overwhelmingly approved a bond referendum for a modern, 21st century public library directly across Main Street from this property at 1041 Main Street and the surrounding area. The current, undersized Mary Cheney Library's status as an anchor contributed heavily to the decision to ensure the new library remained Downtown, as outlined in the attached Goman & York Economic Impact Analysis. The Town is currently working with Webster Bank to take ownership of the property. Ultimately, the current one story Webster Bank building will be demolished to make way for the new library building. Question Submission Deadline:April 21, 2023, 3:00pm These rules and regulations have been adopted by the Board of Directors of the Town of Manchester pursuant to Section 5-22 of the Town Charter. They are standard for all competitive bidding proposals issued by the Town of Manchester, Connecticut for contracts of all types where labor, materials, and necessary equipment to complete work is to be furnished to the Town, where the Town is to purchase supplies, materials, and equipment, where the Town is to sell surplus materials and equipment, or where the Town is to sell real estate. These rules and regulations shall be binding upon all prospective bidders and the Town of Manchester. The development of this gateway location will address several of the Town's goals for Main Street, which include: 1. Increase the density of residential and commercial uses Downtown. 2. Fill in a portion of the under-developed west side of Main Street and improve aesthetics and streetscape. 3. Increase modern housing opportunities. 4. Increase employment opportunities. 5. Increase pedestrian traffic to add customers for downtown businesses and further increase the vitality of the community. 6. Provide accessible public parking for existing businesses and the new Downtown library location. 7. Provide a location for Webster Bank, which is vacating its location at 1041 Main as part of the library development process. Because of this property's location and history, the following are required to be included in the development of the lot: 1. One or more buildings. The site should accommodate a traditional downtown mix of uses. It is expected that at least one building will be multi-story and mixed-use with ground-floor retail and residential and/or office units above. 2. Space for a bank branch of approximately 2,000 sf. The space can either be part of a multi-story building or a stand-alone, single-story building. The space will be leased by Webster Bank, which will sign a long-term lease for the space. 3. A minimum of 50 public, off-street parking spaces that are available during daytime hours. This area could be privately owned with an associated agreement for use as public parking, or ultimately owned by the Town. 4. While height and bulk requirements in the Central Business District are permissive and there are no private off-street parking requirements for developments in the CBD, proposed buildings should blend with and complement the existing building stock and streetscape. The various attached concepts show buildings between 1 and 5 stories, with mixed use buildings of 3-4 stories along the street frontage. These concepts are meant to be illustrative and not instructive. While the site can accommodate varying layouts and building sizes the Town is most interested in what is financially feasible while meeting the other goals stated in this RFP. 5. Building and site design should conform generally with the Downtown Manchester Architecutral Design Guidelines (Attached). The Town would like to see this project completed as soon as possible. Phasing will be critical to the timing and success of related initiatives, including the public library. Importantly, a space to accommodate a Webster Bank branch (+/- 2,000 sf) must be included in any first phase of the project. The Town intents to assist Webster with its goal of continuing downtown operations without interruption and a new space for Webster will allow the Town to move forward with the library project. Plans could include a temporary banking location if necessary. The following are not required in any submission but will be viewed positively by the review committee. 1. Accommodation of any current tenants of 942 Main Street. 2. Location for public rideshare pickup/drop-off and/or transit stop. 3. Affordable housing units. To meet Connecticut Department of Housing and Community Development (DECD) requirements for certain grant funding, either 10% of the units could be restricted to households earning 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), or 20% of the units could be restricted to those earning 80% of the AMI. Please note any expected state grant funding would trigger State prevailing wage and potentially other requirements. The following are the basic guidelines for the transfer or sale of any real property located within the Site: 1. The Town prefers to sell the property but is open to a lease agreement. The Town will consider which system is in the best interest of the Town and developer. 2. The developer shall complete the purchase or lease of Town owned property in accordance with an agreed upon development plan and schedule. The Town will be looking to accomplish the goals of the project as quickly as is reasonably possible. 3. The developer will be required to enter into a Land Disposition Agreement and/or purchase and sales agreement with the Town of Manchester, which will include but not be limited to provisions regarding retention of public parking, building design standards, public open space amenities, investment commitments, implementation schedule, reversion of title for failure to perform and transfer of development rights. Any agreement will be filed on the land records of the Town of Manchester. Responses to the Request for Proposals will be reviewed by a project review committee. Following the review of responses, the Committee may elect to interview some or all the respondents or may otherwise seek clarification or amplification of the materials. Upon completion of the review, the Review Committee will make its recommendation to the full Board of Directors, Manchester's legislative body. The recommendation may include: 1. Rejection of all submittals 2. Invitation to one or more respondents to an interview with the team 3. Selection of one or more respondents to enter into exclusive negotiations. This contract is subject to provisions of the Town of Manchester Living Wage Ordinance. A summary description of the ordinance and the certification form is attached. Bidders are asked to indicate on the attached Certification Form if your firm would be considered a covered employer. The Certification Form shall be returned to the Town with the proposal.

Division 03 -	Concrete, Concrete Forming and Accessories, Cast-in-Place Concrete.
Division 04 -	Masonry, Unit Masonry.
Division 06 -	Wood, Plastics, and Composites, Rough Carpentry, Finish Carpentry, Millwork.
Division 07 -	Thermal and Moisture Protection, Dampproofing and Waterproofing, Thermal Protection, Weather Barriers.
Division 08 -	Openings, Doors and Frames, Entrances, Windows.
Division 09 -	Finishes, Plaster and Gypsum Board, Acoustical Ceilings, Flooring, Carpeting, Acoustic Treatment, Painting.
Division 12 -	Furnishings.
Division 21 -	Fire Suppression, Water-Based Fire-Suppression Systems, Fire-Extinguishing Systems.
Division 22 -	Plumbing, Instrumentation and Control for Plumbing, Plumbing Piping, Plumbing Equipment, Plumbing Fixtures, Drinking Fountains and Water Coolers.
Division 23 -	Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Instrumentation and Control for HVAC, HVAC Air Distribution, Central HVAC Equipment.
Division 26 -	Electrical, Power Distribution Units, Lighting, Interior Lighting, Emergency Lighting, Exit Signs, Exterior Lighting.
Division 27 -	Communications, Structured Cabling, Data Communications, Voice Communications.
Division 28 -	Electronic Safety and Security.
Division 31 -	Earthwork, Clearing and Grubbing, Grading, Soil Treatment.
Division 32 -	Exterior Improvements, Flexible Paving, Asphalt Paving, Rigid Paving, Concrete Paving, Curbs, Gutters, Sidewalks, and Driveways, Paving Specialties, Parking Bumpers, Pavement Markings, Fences and Gates, Irrigation, Planting.
Division 33 -	Utilities.