REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

For Evaluation & Report on Opportunities for Forest Preserves Aquatic Centers

DUE DATE: July 25, 2024 at 10 a.m.

RFP NO. 24-35-010927

The Forest Preserve District of Cook County seeks proposals from consultants to develop potential re-use concepts, evaluate various re-use options, and recommend a long-term strategy for each of the District's three aquatic centers.

For each site, four options are to be evaluated as follows:

Option 1: Continue operating the site as is for 10 or more years.

Option 2: Transfer operation & maintenance to a local municipality or park district or other entity.

Option 3: Reposition as a sustainable, nature-compatible facility (such as a nature-themed splash park).

Option 4: Close the pool and convert the site to natural space.

Other Options and ideas are welcome.

A sample Schedule and Cost Proposal Form is included in the full RFP available on-line. (See link and instructions below).

Background information The Forest Preserves of Cook County operates three aquatic centers: Cermak Family Aquatic Center in Lyons, Green Lake Family Aquatic Center in Calumet City, and Whealan Pool in Chicago.

From 2020 to 2022, the Forest Preserves' Board of Commissioners adopted five position papers addressing key issues facing the Forest Preserves, including how to address aquatic centers and other "legacy uses" which have evolved over time and may no longer align with the District's mission and/or are not financially sustainable.

The Nature-Compatible Recreation position paper recommends re-positioning or re-purposing these legacy uses to achieve mission alignment and financial sustainability. The position paper specifically calls for the District to evaluate options and develop a long-term strategy for its three aquatic centers.

Proposals should incorporate, or take into consideration, the Fores Preserves' Sustainability & Climate Resiliency Plan, the Clean Energy Framework, and the Clean Energy Action Plan (linked are to website/ SharePoint, attached for sharing externally).

1. Contract Term. The Forest Preserve anticipates using the services requested in this RFP around July 2024. The Forest Preserve anticipates that the contract term will be for up to 18 months. Renewal options will be considered.
2. Minimum Qualifications. Proven expertise in outdoor recreation, parks and/or aquatic center planning, building, evaluation, and adaption. Please include three references.
3. Preferred Qualifications. Experience with aquatic center or swimming pool operations; ability to do in-person site visits and surveying; energy efficiency and decarbonization and/or green buildings and green infrastructure previous work/experience. references from like organizations or organizations with similar projects; M/WBE participation.
4. Budget. The estimated budget for this contract is not to exceed $50,000 over a 18 month period.

The pricing sheet should include cost estimates for each of these components of the project:

Review costs to maintain and operate pools.

District staff will provide a summary of costs to operate and maintain the pools, including a summary of capital needs. The Consultant will review all cost information to conduct the analysis outlined in the following tasks. (Preliminary cost information is provided in the attachments; information will be updated for 2018 to 2024.)

Revise cost recovery guidelines and per person subsidies.

The District's current cost recovery guidelines call for pools to generate sufficient revenue to cover the full costs to operate and maintain the pools — including long term capital costs. (Preliminary information is provided in the attachments; updated information will be provided to the hired consultant(s)). Without significant fee increases, the district is unable to meet this goal.

The Consultant shall review and recommend any needed revisions to the cost recovery guidelines for pools as follows:

1. Identify any benefits (such as teaching people to swim and stay safe in waterways) which align with the District's mission and justify some level of subsidy. (Note: The District currently contracts with CELTS to operate and manage the pools. CELTS is focused on teaching kids to swim which may be considered a benefit aligned with the District's mission.)
2. Review the cost recovery guidelines for pools, the current fee structure, and the current per person subsidy. Recommend revisions as needed to establish an achievable cost-recovery guideline which balances mission-aligned benefits, cost recovery goals, and the need to keep pools affordable to all County residents.

Engage stakeholders and incorporate input.

For each site, District staff will develop and lead a process to engage stakeholders (pool users, group users, conservation advocates, adjacent communities, families that visit nature centers, etc.) and solicit input. This will include:

• A survey of pool users/members (to be conducted in summer 2024).
• Energy and decarbonization advocates and/or professionals
• Environmental justice organizations (in addition to just conservation and community advocates)

All input will be shared with the Consultant. The Consultant shall incorporate stakeholder input into the development of reuse concepts and the cost/benefit analysis outlined in the following tasks.

Identify viable partners to take over operations and maintenance of each aquatic center.

Partners may include local park districts, municipalities, non-profit or for-profit organizations. Partners must demonstrate the capacity to operate and maintain the pools and a commitment to maintain affordability to ensure access to all County residents. A preliminary list of viable partners is presented in the attachments. The consultant shall vet the preliminary list and identify additional viable partners.

For each site, develop a re-use concept for a financially sustainable, nature-compatible facility.

The Consultant shall develop one or two re-use concepts for each site. Concept plans can incorporate or build upon the re-use concepts presented in the attachments.

For each site, develop a concept plan to close the pool and convert the site to a natural space.

For each site, the consultant shall develop one very basic concept plan to convert the site to a natural space. We are looking for very conceptual ideas so drawings should be very basic.

For each site, conduct a cost/benefit analysis for options 1 to 4.

For each aquatic center, the Consultant shall incorporate the information from the previous tasks and conduct a cost-benefit analysis for four options.

The cost/benefit analysis should build upon the preliminary assessments presented in the attachments.

Apply a REDI Lens

The 2020 REDI position paper calls for the district to "apply a racial equity lens to all future plans, programs, policies and investments"; the 2022 Amplifying Diversity and Inclusion position paper expanded the racial equity lens to incorporate diversity and inclusion factors.

The Consultant shall incorporate REDI factors into the evaluation of each pool as indicated in the position papers and summarized in Attachment 1.1. (See link and instructions below.)

The full RFP is available here and includes summaries of studies, workshops and charettes that have been conducted in recent years to identify and begin evaluating options for the aquatic centers. (To download the documents, you will need to register by clicking the LOG IN tab and entering an email address.)

Pre-Proposal Conference. Interested parties are encouraged to attend an optional pre-proposal conference to be held via Zoom as follows:

Date: July 9, 2024
Location: Virtual Via Zoom
Time: 1 pm Central Time

Join Zoom Meeting https://fpdcc.zoom.us/j/82139840859
Meeting ID: 821 3984 0859 –
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Submittal. Proposals are to be submitted electronically at: https://www.cookcountyil.gov/service/online-solicitation-bid-submission-forest-preserves