Invitation/Overview

Riverfront Recapture is soliciting proposals from qualified teams experienced in waterfront park design to provide Master Planning, Landscape, Architectural Design, & Engineering Services for a new riverfront park, regional trail extension, and a contemplated commercial development in Riverfront Recapture's parcel bordering Hartford and Windsor, Connecticut.

Project/Property Background

Riverfront Recapture has a development project covering 76 acres that will feature a new riverfront park, contemplated commercial development, and regional trail system extension in the north end of Hartford and south end of Windsor, Connecticut. The project area consists of 60 acres of land owned by Riverfront and 16 previously inaccessible acres of Windsor Meadows State Park, which Riverfront will manage via a stewardship agreement with the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP).

The property is notable for barriers cutting the community off from the Connecticut River which runs along the entire eastern edge of the land. To the south, the property is bordered by Meadow Brook and Hartford's landfill, to the west by high-speed rail tracks and Interstate 91, and to the north by Decker's Brook. For more than a century, the land was used for farming; most of the property is an open field with remnants of the floodplain forest on its edges. Over the last 50 plus years, the previous owners mined and processed sand, silt, and clay for sale, used the land for commercial truck parking, and as a contractor laydown area for equipment related to railroad construction. Pesticides and construction fill such as concrete, asphalt, and building debris are present throughout the property and are environmental concerns.

Project Address: 100 Meadow Road, Windsor, CT 06098. Visit https://riverfront.org/rlirfq/ to view project boundary map.

SCOPE

The scope of the project will include, in order of priority:

• program development, with a focus on community & stakeholder input,
• park master planning,
• community engagement facilitation,
• conceptual planning & design,
• project phasing,
• preliminary design services
• cost estimating,
• funding plan,
• regulatory permitting.

Project Priorities

Riverfront Recapture's priorities in the selection process include:

• experience in designing innovative and engaging public spaces,
• a robust and inclusive community engagement process,
• experience in regulatory permitting especially related to building in a floodplain,
• an understanding of environmental restrictions,
• a background in brownfield site development,
• experience in sustainable building practice,
• demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion,
• a track record of successful park design projects attracting construction funding.

Vision/Design Process Goal

The central vision for this process is transforming this parcel into a public park that embodies Riverfront Recapture's mission to connect people with the Connecticut River. Anticipated program includes development of areas supporting active and passive recreation, youth programs, large scale community events, and festivals. A major program element in this parcel is a newly constructed nine-acre cove to be home to Riverfront Recapture's paddle sport and outdoors center. The multimodal trail will close the final gap in a seven-plus mile Riverwalk system linking the region from South Windsor to the south end of Hartford and East Hartford, creating a vital new regional asset and increasing non-motorized, carbon-free transportation in the area.

Ten acres of uplands is contemplated for potential mixed-use commercial development that complements the park design. As developers of public spaces in and around the Connecticut River floodplain, Riverfront Recapture's green building practices focus on creating public spaces and structures using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout their life cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and ultimately deconstruction.

Submission

Submit a PDF proposal, not to exceed 50 MB, by 5:00 PM EST, May 8, 2023, to Riverfront Recapture's website portal: riverfront.org/rlirfq/

Proposals must be for the scope of services outlined in this RFQ. Submission requirements detailed on RFQ portal. Incomplete proposals will not be considered.

Questions related to RFQ may be submitted in writing via Riverfront Recapture's website portal by April 21, 2023. Answers will be published on portal by April 25, 2023.