BACKGROUND AND HISTORY:

Islamorada, Village of Islands (the "Village") is a municipality located within the Florida Keys comprised of four (4) islands spanning 18 miles. The population is approximately 7,212, and the Village has about 115 full-time employees. As a Florida municipality, the Village must operate within the guidelines of Florida Statutes relating to public records, public meetings, and Sunshine laws. The Village undergoes an annual financial audit pursuant to Florida Statutes. Additionally, the Village must follow the guidelines of its purchasing ordinance when purchasing capital, supplies and services.

Founders Park is the center of the Village's park system. Located at 87000 Overseas Highway, the 42-acre park offers open space and a full suite of amenities for residents and visitors. The purchase of the Founders Park property was a significant undertaking by the new Village Council soon after incorporation of the Village on December 31, 1997.

On the highway at the park entrance is the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce building and a public restroom. Visitors entering the park are greeted by staff at the gate house where they receive park information and pay applicable park fees. In the roundabout beyond the entrance is an historic lighthouse surrounded by native flowering plants.

Within Founders Park is the Aquatic center with an Olympic size pool and diving well, a splash pad designed for children, men's and women's locker rooms, and the Parks and Recreation office. The pool structure is currently being evaluated by an engineering consultant to create a scope of work for a pool resurfacing (and repair) project as well as renovations to the locker room facilities to update the conditions and provide for a Lifeguard and First Aid office.

A tennis complex is situated adjacent to the aquatic center. The Tennis Complex is open daily for use by the public. It consists of a pro shop and five (5) hard surface, LED lighted courts that were resurfaced in 2023. The Village contracts tennis instructors to run a tennis program that offers group and private lessons, clinics, camps, tournaments, and leagues for all ages. The tennis program is the most popular among all the Park programs.

The pickleball facility consist of three courts in a lighted fenced area next to the Aquatic Center and behind the Community Center (the location of Village Council meetings and other community meetings and gatherings.) The pickleball area was originally a skate park that was repurposed as an outdoor workout facility when there was no longer a demand for skateboarding. The outdoor fitness park was moved to the park entrance area when pickleball initially became popular.

Another primary feature of Founders Park is the beach, complete with tiki huts, picnic tables, cooking grills, a pavilion, a sand volleyball court, shade trees, playgrounds for children, outdoor showers, and restroom facilities.

Other significant facilities include a one-acre dog park that was updated in 2023, a basketball court that also serves as two additional pickleball courts, a golf driving cage with four hitting stations, a multi-use clay field with a backstop, a grass soccer field utilized heavily by youth soccer and lacrosse leagues, and a baseball field that is leased to the local high school for six months of the year. Near the baseball field is a batting cage provided by the high school. Paved walking and biking trails circumnavigate the park and provide ADA access between the various amenities; one section of the trail is a fitness trail with ten workout stations.

Founders Park is the host location for sports programs, sports coaching and training and various recreational programs. Performance events utilize the Amphitheater with the backdrop of the beautiful Florida Bay. The Great Lawn at the center of the park is the site at which the large events are staged. A public restroom is provided at the edge of the Great Lawn and amphitheater; sharing a building with the Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina laundry and showers.

The Parks and Recreation department provides children's recreational camps and supervises and helps to organize and support swim meets and large special events on the Great Lawn and other areas of the park, as well as numerous large and small performance events at the Amphitheater.

Plantation Yacht Harbor Marina is located on Florida Bay at the west end of Founders Park. The 83-slip marina offers daily, weekly, monthly, and annual agreements, a public boat ramp and fuel sales. The harbor is sheltered by a breakwater that is to be fortified during the next year; the breakwater is used as a fishing jetty. A large area on the shoreline is the dedicated parking area for marina guests' vehicles and boat trailers. The elevated marina office is located at the shoreline next to the boat ramp. A shower and laundry facility is provided for marina guests adjacent to the nearby amphitheater.

The Public Works Department and the Founders Park Maintenance crew are housed on the interior roadway behind the Aquatic Center. There is one building that houses the Public Works office, shared lunchroom and Founders Park maintenance room. Along the roadway, there are a number of storage containers and outdoor storage of vehicles and equipment.

The Administrative Center and Public Safety Headquarters is located at the southern end of the park property. The building houses most of the administrative offices, the local Sheriff's Office and a fire station. "The Hill" is an area adjacent to the Administrative Center that is currently utilized for Public Works staging of vegetative and other debris for pickup.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The successful proposer shall evaluate the current condition of each of the facilities and elements within Founder's Park. Utilizing various strategies to maximize participation, implement a public engagement plan that captures resident's needs, desires, and concerns regarding Founder's Park and recreational amenities within the park. Meet with Village staff and council members to discuss planning challenges, costs and implementation timetables.

Provide a draft master plan that presents various alternatives, allowing village council and community input prior to finalization.

The draft plan should present findings from the community engagement, discuss overcoming planning challenges, i.e., pickleball courts, pool modifications, park usage, include planning level cost estimates and provide for project sequencing for implementation of the plan.

Present the draft master plan to Village staff, the community and Village Council at a public meeting for direction on drafting a final Master Plan. The finalized Master Plan shall reflects the desired vision for Founder's Park as determined by the citizens, appointed and elected officials, and other stakeholders through community participation. The Final Master Plan should provide specific elements to be undertaken in order to achieve the desired results that include planning level cost estimates, specified materials, and project sequencing.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Interested proposers must submit sealed proposal packages by certified mail or in person to:

Islamorada, Village of Islands
Attn: Village Clerk
86800 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, Florida 33036

To be eligible for selection consideration, a submittal package must contain all documentation detailed in Section IX of this document. Proposers must submit one (1) original printed package and three (3) printed copies, and one (1) electronic copy provided by email attachment or cloud storage link. The printed documents shall be enclosed in a sealed envelope and be plainly marked on the upper left-hand corner with the name and address of the contractor and bear the following title: Islamorada, Village of Islands "Founder's Park Master Plan (RFP 24-09)."

The electronic copy should be identical to the original printed package in natively converted PDF format and include "RFP 24-09" in the document title. Submit the electronic document or link to the cloud storage site via email to clerk@islamorada.fl.us within 24-hours after 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 22, 2024.

Proposals must contain the following information:

1. Cover Letter to include the following information:
   1. a statement explaining why the proposer believes itself to be qualified to perform the engagement,
   2. the proposer's understanding of Founders Park and the opportunities and challenges to be addressed by the Master Plan,
   3. the total number of professional staff that would be assigned to complete the Project,
   4. examples of similar park master plan projects completed,
   5. at least three (3) clients for whom the proposer has completed similar projects within the last two (2) years. The references should include the name, address, telephone number and email address of a contact person for each reference cited,
   6. an authorized agent of the contractor must sign the Cover Letter indicating the agent's title or authority.

1. Company Overview: Provide an overview of the company, including an organizational chart for the firm and for the proposed project team, detailing the total number and expertise of professional staff that would be assigned to the Project, describing staff credentials, and identifying office locations and staff assigned to those offices throughout the Florida Keys or the nearest locations to the Florida Keys. Include a 1 page resume for each member of the proposed Project Team.

1. Project Management Experience/Project Examples:
   1. Detail the qualifications and experience of the contractor and services offered.
   2. Provide examples of similar projects completed.
   3. Provide an organizational chart, identifying key personnel and the reporting relationship of key personnel within the organization.
2. Cost Proposal: Provide a completed proposed fee schedule to complete the Scope of Services using the Bid Form provided in the OneDrive link as Exhibit "C". Business and administrative costs including required insurance and bonds shall be incorporated into cost proposal. The cost proposal(s) must include a statement that the proposal remains in effect for one hundred eighty (180) days. As a guide for bidding, measurement and payment, please refer to Exhibit "D" provided in the OneDrive link.
3. Timeline: A proposed timeline to include the proposer's best estimate of the number of calendar days to complete the Project should be included in the proposal package.

State and Local Authorization to Transact Business: Submit proof of authorization from the State of Florida to transact and conduct business in the State of Florida. The successful proposer must be fully licensed and certified in the State of Florida at the time of submittal for the type of services to be rendered.

The bid document is posted on DemandStar and on the Village's website at: https://www.islamorada.fl.us/bids.aspx?bidID=29