Request for Proposals:

Retail and Commercial Development Consultant

Date Issued: January 30, 2017

Response Deadline: February 17, 2017 5:00pm CST

Project Manager/Contact Person:

Andy M. Buehler, Director of Planning & Development
Kenosha County
19600 75^th Street Suite 185-3
Bristol, WI 53104
Phone: 262-857-1892
E-mail: andy.buehler@kenoshacounty.org

Project Description/Purpose:

Kenosha Area Retail, a team representing a number of Kenosha County municipalities and partners such as Kenosha Area Business Alliance, Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce, Kenosha County UW-Extension and Kenosha Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, seeks advisory services related to maximizing exposure and marketing at retail and commercial development conferences such as International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and Commercial Association of Realtors-Wisconsin (CAR-W). The team seeks assistance in attracting interest from new or expanding national retailers, marketing key retail development locations, and supporting local development partners in the Kenosha County area. The team also looks to fill retail gaps and to balance quality of place in each community with an ultimate long term goal of attracting corporate users. Kenosha Area Retail invites qualified retail consultants to deliver a proposed scope of work that best accomplishes the outlined mission.

Market Description:

Kenosha County is comprised of 11 municipalities (1-City -Kenosha, 6-Villages – Bristol, Paddock Lake, Pleasant Prairie, Salem Lakes, Somers, Twin Lakes, 4-Towns – Brighton, Paris, Randall, Wheatland) with a total population of just over 167,000. The City of Kenosha is the fourth largest WI city with a population of just over 100,000. Kenosha County is located 40 miles south of Milwaukee, WI on the WI/IL border and just 50 miles north of Chicago—within the US Census metropolitan statistical area of Chicago-Naperville, Elgin, IL-IN-WI. This ranked as the 3^rd largest metro-region population in the USA and is projected to experience significant population and industrial growth in the coming years. Kenosha County populations are projected to grow between 30% to roughly (216K) as much as 60% (267K) by the year 2050. Between 2013-2016, Kenosha County economic development projects account for 6,000+ jobs, 936+ million in capital investment, 8.8M square feet of development. Kenosha County therefore has significant industrial strength and seeks to augment and diversify its retail/commercial offers. Kenosha County is home to several notable retail establishments (Costco, Five Guys, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Steinhafels, Meijer, Premium Outlets).

Objectives:

• Extend existing capacity and expertise of Kenosha Area Retail Team in identifying short-term retail goals and priorities, including outlining retail-related economic development objectives, and targeting potential retail store types and priority areas.
• Lead team in prioritizing a list of specific national retailers seeking expansion into new markets.
• Lead team in prioritizing a list of specific retail locations (specific sites, corridors, etc).
• Perform necessary demographic analysis of identified sites/corridors relevant to potential targeted retailers, tapping existing local resources and networks to add depth to available data.
• Cultivate data on under-represented market segments that contribute to retail demand.
• Match potential retail store targets with potential corresponding locations.
• Assist in property owner/development partner outreach to identified priority locations.
• Assist in the selection/training of the individuals to attend regional and national conferences.
• Assist in pre-conference outreach to local retail development partners in support of key retail projects.
• Lead effort in developing marketing materials with assistance from team members.
• Assist in setting up meetings with targeted retailers, developers and brokers and representing the communities.
• Start by April 1, 2017.

Submission of Proposals:

1. Introductory Letter: A cover letter summarizing the consultant's background, its resources, and its relevant experience. The letter should include a clear and concise response as to why the consultant should be selected for this project. If you need to partner with another firm, in order to complete all the items in this RFP, please indicate who and why.
2. A description of the firm, its management and roster of project team members. This would include identification of the project manager, the primary point of contact if different and all pertinent contact information. A resume of each key team member should be included as part of the submittal.
3. Provide a narrative highlighting the firm's experience with similar and relevant projects. Provide a description of the project, its location, the completion date and the scope of services that were provided for the project. Provide reference narratives from at least three similar projects. The Project Manager and/or the person most directly involved or most familiar with the project from the municipality that hired the consultant needs to be identified and contact information identified.
4. Project Approach: Provide your firm's intended approach to the project that will demonstrate a thorough understanding of the issues, the tasks required and the consultant firm's capability to meet those requirements. Creative and innovative approaches for completing the project are highly encouraged to be conveyed in this narrative.
5. Project Schedule: Provide a project schedule with a detailed explanation of how the project schedule and submission of the deliverables will be met, including the proposed number of meetings with the Kenosha Area Retail Team.
6. Budget Proposal: Provide itemized costs for all elements listed in the Scope of Services. Provide a fee schedule for supplemental changes that may be charged for other work tasks that perhaps will be necessary including but not limited to attendance at public meetings. PLEASE PROVIDE IN SEPARATE SEALED ENVELOPE.
7. Sample of deliverables (Color bound copies).

Format shall include a Table of Contents and follow the above categories.

Submittal shall be electronic (Word or Design) with three (3) hard copies.

Review Process and Criteria for Selection:

Responses will be reviewed by Kenosha Area Retail Team and shall determine which, if any, respondents are qualified to perform the work and evaluate the submitted proposals. Kenosha Area Retail Team may request an interview of some or all proposals. The contract will be awarded to the most responsible bidder, whose proposal is within the competitive range and offers the most advantageous proposal, taking into consideration responsiveness to the evaluation criteria established within this Request for Proposal, as well as the cost of the proposed services. Responses will be evaluated and the consultants selected based on the following criteria:

1) The consultant's approach, plan of work, recommended schedules, and suggested responsibility assignments.

2) Qualification and experience in providing the requested services as exemplified by past projects and client contracts.

3) Experience and qualifications of personnel to be assigned to the project.

4) Knowledge of and experience in identifying community-based decision making opportunities, techniques and strategies. Proposals must clearly identify individual component costs. The proposer shall submit the rates for the principals who will participate in this contract.

5) Total project cost and anticipated time frame including start and completion dates of the project.

6) Samples of past work with a multi-community team.

Project Deliverables:

Kenosha County Deliverables:

1) Research market conditions/demographics favorable to attracting additional retail into Kenosha County.

2) Share base strategies on market realities in Kenosha County.

3) Recommend and document a plan of action for the County to follow-up after consultant work has been completed.

4) Provide market analysis with recommendations.

Individual Community Deliverables:

(City – Kenosha; Villages – Bristol, Paddock Lake, Pleasant Prairie, Salem Lakes, Somers, Twin Lakes; Towns – Brighton, Paris, Randall, Wheatland)

1) Research market conditions/demographics favorable to attracting additional retail customized for each participating community in the Kenosha County.

2) Develop a flexible plan of action to prioritize retailers for each community participating.

3) Develop inventory of retail sites for each participating community, including data sheets for a minimum of three (3), community determined, sites.

4) Plan and secure meetings with retail opportunities at future events such as ICSC and/or locally for any of the participating communities that plan to engage in those future events.

5) Identify potential and appropriate incentives.

6) Separate from the plan of action for the County, document a plan which includes a set of retail recommendations for each community.

Contract Negotiations:

Kenosha Area Retail Team reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to negotiate the terms of the contract, including the award amount, with the selected proposer prior to entering into a written agreement. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully with the highest scoring proposer, Kenosha Area Retail Team may negotiate a contract with the next highest scoring proposer. The length of contract period will begin as soon as the Notice to Proceed and contract of service is received, evaluated and approved.

Evaluation Criteria for Award:

1) Format to be followed as requested in the RFP including a table of contents.

2) Evaluation of the extent to which the firm's proposed solutions fulfill the stated requirements as set out in the RFP.

3) Self-assessment of the firm's ability to deliver a qualified response/service.

4) Firm's experiences, references and record of past performance.

5) Creative approaches including financial solutions offered as a part of response.

6) Availability and commitment of sufficient high quality personnel to complete the contract.