Ohio City Incorporated (OCI) is the community development corporation responsible for preserving, promoting and developing the Ohio City neighborhood. OCI serves the community by providing assistance to both neighborhood residents as well as businesses and institutions through the vehicles of advocacy and engagement, community building, marketing, special events, neighborhood planning and housing assistance. The Ohio City neighborhood is just west of downtown Cleveland, and home to nearly 10,000 residents. The neighborhood is bordered roughly by Lake Erie on the North, Train Avenue to the South, the Cuyahoga River to the East, and West 52nd Street to the West. Ohio City is an economically and racially diverse neighborhood which has seen a massive wave of investment in the last decade. Since 2009, Ohio City has seen over 120 new businesses open, many on West 25th Street, creating over $250 million dollars in investment, over 900 jobs, and a commercial vacancy rate less than 2%. Ohio City has also seen a massive increase in residential development. A market study conducted in 2013 showed an immediate demand for over 1,800 units of new housing. As of 2018, over 1000 units have been recently completed or are under development in the neighborhood.

Ohio City is seeking a consultant to facilitate a community design process, culminating in the creation of new design guidelines with a focus on infill development opportunities, housing typologies, long term affordability, and preservation of the community's architectural character.

The work will consist of two distinct but interrelated components:

This scope would include:

1. Historic District Design Guidelines Update:

Ohio City is home to the City of Cleveland's largest landmarks district. Administration of that district is the purview of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission, with the Ohio City Design Review Committee serving as an advisory body. At this point, the guidelines for the district have been the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Historic Preservation, and the Franklin Circle Historic District Design District Guidelines, which were written in 1992. Today, with the subsequent addition of several new historic districts and new development practices, amendments to the Guidelines are needed. The proposed amendments include document reorganization, updated and expanded content, and the inclusion of consistently designed illustrations. The intent is to create a user friendly, electronic document that is rich in content and illustrations. Staff will assist the consultant in each phase and lead certain components when appropriate. A copy of the Guidelines is available online here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4tlrvmsl7isoqxt/Franklin%20Circle%20DESIGN%20GUIDELINES.pdf?dl=0.

Consultant's charge will be to:

1) Analyze the existing Franklin Circle Historic District Guidelines and develop a suggested outline of the reorganized and updated guidelines that serves both historic and non-historic districts within the neighborhood.

2) Reorganize content by placing the existing text into the new outline. This will require the use of a system to track all changes to the guidelines. Content changes include the addition of images of suitable development, housing typologies, etc.

3) Make changes to format and content. This will also require tracking of changes. Prepare summary of recommendations for future improvements including identification of absent content, content to be eliminated, revision of standards and improved processes.

4) Review the changes with OCI and Landmarks Commission staff, indicating any conflicts or issues with the text, in light of staff and stakeholder feedback, and revise as needed.

5) Present finalized guidelines to Landmarks staff for approval.

6) Work with Ohio City staff to post online document and train for maintenance.

2. Development Planning: Review of existing plans for development, as well as mapping available sites for infill development on commercial corridors and in interior of neighborhood. This will constitute a revised “New Construction” section of the new Neighborhood Design Guidelines.

Baseline data should include at a minimum:

1) Identifying existing building typologies in the Ohio City neighborhood.

2) Incorporate existing adopted plans, and gaps therein, as well as entitled projects proceeding toward construction, market studies, census data, and other relevant data.

3) Traffic patterns and parking.

4) Public Space and parkland.

5) Existing and planned trail networks, transit and pedestrian connections.

6) Review of best practices for creating vibrant, mixed income communities, and preserving and augmenting affordable housing options in the neighborhood.

Consultant will lead an iterative community process that will include interaction with a community steering committee, comprised of residents and community stakeholders, property owners, City Planning and Landmarks staff, developers, and other key individuals in order to gauge interest in and limitations on development possibilities. Needs and strategies for affordable housing options, mechanisms to achieve affordable options, and recommendations for type, density, materiality and locations of possible new development. Consultant would be expected to present design alternatives to the community, elicit feedback, and to present the results of that feedback to the community for review.

Final output will include at a minimum:

(1) New neighborhood design guidelines that include illustrative recommendations for appropriate commercial and residential housing typologies and design.

(2) Recommendations for provision of new and retention of existing affordable commercial and residential units in the Ohio City neighborhood. These could include inclusive zoning overlays, recommendations for tax policy changes for long term residents, etc.

(3) Presentations of results to the public, City Planning, Landmarks Commission and Cleveland City Council for approval.

Public Outreach and Engagement: Ohio City is a neighborhood that prides itself on citizen participation. Consultant will report directly to a steering committee composed of Ohio City residents and stakeholders, and will conduct at minimum a series of three public meetings, three meetings with steering committee, and additional meetings with stakeholders, residents and community members as necessary. Consultants should also be prepared to make presentations to the City of Cleveland Landmarks Commission, City Planning Commission, and City of Cleveland Council meetings for final adoption of recommendations.

Proposal Format and Content: The submittal format should follow the suggested content outline below. The submittal document should be of sufficient detail to effectively present the Consultant's proposal and responses to the items requested. There is no specified length. However, proposals will not be judged by the volume of material, and therefore should be as concise as possible without sacrificing clarity. The content should include the following information, as previously requested or described in this RFP, in the following order:

1. Cover Letter, briefly introducing the Consultant and any proposed sub-contractors, if applicable.
2. Proposed Work Program, indicating the approach and steps that the consultant recommends to complete the work, and a timeline for key project steps.
3. Anticipated additional deliverables (optional) should be listed and briefly described.
4. Estimated Costs and Fees.
5. Consultant Qualifications should address experience in historic district guideline development, as well as community planning efforts.
6. 2-3 Work Product Examples showcasing recent relevant projects, along with key contacts and phone numbers, and a very brief description of each project.
7. Consultants must submit 4 bound original proposals, including all required forms, and a CD containing one consolidated digital copy of the complete proposal in pdf format using software such as Adobe. Proposals should generally be printed on 8 ½" x 11" paper, but pages with organizational charts, matrices, or diagrams may be printed on larger sheets. Document pages should be numbered. Non-conforming submissions may be removed from consideration. All submissions should consist of materials that are easily recyclable or reusable at the conclusion of the evaluation process.

Proposals will be due by 5 pm on Friday, March 30th, and must be submitted to:

P Benjamin Trimble
Senior Director of Real Estate and Planning
Ohio City Incorporated
2525 Market Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113
btrimble@ohiocity.org