INTRODUCTION

The City of Cedar Falls is seeking qualifications from qualified professional consulting firms to develop plans for parks in need of updates as per recommendations in the Cedar Falls Park Master Plan adopted September 15, 2025. That Master Plan recommended park improvement projects that the City intends to undertake, including:

• A city-wide specialty park assessment to determine the best location within city limits for specialty amenities such as a skate & action sports park, splash pad, and a dog park; and
• Ongoing design and renovation of our existing parks to keep pace with recreational trends.

The Master Plan calls for neighborhood involvement in these design efforts to imagine the amenities in parks including: active and passive recreation, restrooms, shelters, lighting, parking, shade trees, off-leash dog areas, and walkable paths/connections. Our aim in park design will be to activate the parks and ensure their ongoing use and utility.

In the Cedar Falls Capital Improvements Plan the specialty park assessment is budgeted and programmed to be undertaken in early 2026 and at least one park renovation per year is budgeted and programmed starting in early 2026. Qualifications submitted through this process will be used for consultant selections on all park design projects to be outsourced during Fiscal Years 2026-2031. We anticipate selecting up to 3 firms to be preferred consultants over that time span. Very soon after selection we hope to begin completing contracts with scope of services on our first programmed projects. Contract discussions may begin immediately following the selection of a list of preferred consultants.

Note that for any contracted project the scope of work may include any of the following: developing conceptual designs of parks for public review, refinement of the design plans based on public and city staff input, producing final construction drawings necessary to execute the construction phases of a project, and/or overseeing construction, if necessary.

COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

Cedar Falls is located in Black Hawk County, Iowa and has a population of approximately 41,000. Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), one of Iowa's three public universities. The Cedar River flows through the heart of the city and borders downtown Cedar Falls.

There are over 40 parks within Cedar Falls, encompassing approximately 940 acres of land. Some contain active recreational amenities and others are maintained as natural areas. In recent years, park improvements have included an inclusive park, pickleball complex, zip line, an additional disc golf course, and pollinator prairies. Based on the adopted Park Master Plan, Cedar Falls will continue to support and build a park system that is:

• Well-maintained for the safety and comfort of users, and also to promote the longevity of investments.
• Collaborative with partnerships and support from UNI, Cedar Falls School District, and local non-profit organizations.
• Adaptable through input from local residents to meet evolving interests and needs over time.
• Attractive to potential new residents and supportive of economic development and tourism within the City.
• Diverse in programs and activities, with a balance of active and passive recreation options.
• Accessible for all ages and abilities.
• Supportive in promoting healthy and active living.
• Sustainably Funded through a variety of local resources; also employing park designs where both initial and ongoing costs are reliably within budget parameters.
• Resilient with best management practices employed to preserve and enhance valuable natural resources for water, land, and habitats.

Cedar Falls also has an extensive network of trails throughout the community that consists of 40 miles of trails and 130 miles within the Cedar Valley. These trails provide connection to area parks and other important destinations such as UNI and Downtown. One of the big ideas in the Park Master Plan is to connect parks to each other and other vital community destinations. These connections should be considerations in the design of our parks.

The planning and programming of the City's recreational facilities are overseen by the Department of Community Development's Recreation and Community Programs Manager. All trail and park maintenance is overseen by the Department of Public Works' Operations and Maintenance Division Manager. The City also has a Parks and Recreation Commission that works with both departments. Guidance is needed to make sure our parks accommodate all individuals and that we maximize the public utility of our park space within budget constraints. Lastly, we want our recreational amenities to keep up with current best practices.

The City is seeking qualifications from firms that have experience and knowledge in parks and recreation planning, project management, landscape architecture and design, and effective public involvement processes. Qualified firms will work closely with City staff to conduct public outreach, gather input, and create park plans tailored to their respective neighborhood while satisfying the goals of the Park Master Plan and staying within budget constraints outlined in the City's Capital Improvements Plan (CIP).

ANTICIPATED SCOPE OF WORK FOR PARK DESIGN PROJECTS:

The best practices for the park design process involve most or all of the below steps or considerations.

1. Project Initiation & Goal Setting
2. Site Analysis
3. Community Engagement
4. Program Development
5. Conceptual Design
6. Design Refinement & Final Master Plan
7. Construction Documents

SUBMITTAL SUMMARY

Submit 5 identical hard copies and one electronic copy of your firm's qualifications, including the items below, and any other materials to demonstrate the firm's expertise and capability:

1. Provide a letter of interest that introduces the team and describes your firm's general approach to park planning and design, including your firm's typical timeline to complete a park design scope of work based on the steps listed above. This letter should include primary contact information.
2. A statement of the expertise of each team member that is likely to carry out design and planning work and their specific role in a park design project.
3. A brief narrative of the availability and workload capacity of key personnel of the firm to complete a park planning project when contracted. (Note initial goals: Beginning in 2026, one park renovation project, a specialty park design assessment for the skate/action park, splash pad, and dog park; and a plan for decommissioning of certain playgrounds​.)
4. A written description of the firm's step-by-step approach to park design projects, including an estimated timetable based on anticipated scope of work noted above.
5. A list (table) of park and recreation design projects undertaken in the last 5 years. This should include: park name, city and state, park type or primary feature (dog park, playground, skate park, active recreation, natural preserve, riverside, etc.), park size, number of respondents or commentors in public outreach efforts, overall budget, design cost, and construction cost. Please indicate the estimated construction cost before bidding and the actual costs upon bidding or completing the project.
6. Provide a more detailed summary of at least three (3) of the listed parks and recreation projects that demonstrate the firm's ability to accomplish a design project. For each project, include the community, agency, project description, date completed, special elements, community engagement approaches, team members involved and references for each project listed (agency's contact information). Please include some graphics of the plans and renderings. The summary should also detail measures of success of the park noted in post-evaluation (increased visitors, use rates, general community feedback, environmental preservation, etc.), and what the firm might do differently as a result of feedback or lessons learned otherwise.
7. Written summary of the subcontractors your firm has employed (and anticipates employing) for design of specialty amenities including (but not limited to) splash pads, skate parks, etc. which may be best suited for a specialty firm. Please include their qualifications and experience with the specialty amenity(ies) they are likely to design on your behalf.
8. Acknowledgement that the firm has reviewed and can meet the City of Cedar Falls insurance requirements. Please see paragraph below and attachment of the requirements.
9. If design costs in the table of your design projects are not indicative of the current cost range we may expect for a project, please provide an explanation and provide an expected range. Note that this is not a bid, nor will your firm be held to the range indicated, as factors such as acreage, context, and scope of expected work may differ significantly from one park to another. Our intent is to understand your current typical cost for the scope of work noted above. It may be helpful to break these costs down into various stages of a project, e.g. site analysis, community engagement, final design, preparation of construction drawings, etc.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The City of Cedar Falls will evaluate all submittals to determine which firms have the experience and qualifications that are most suited for park projects the City has in the pipeline. The evaluation will be based on qualifications, demonstrated experience in executing the anticipated scope of projects as outlined above, firm capacity to complete the work, and review of similar projects with references checked. As a secondary criteria, the expected cost range will be considered in light of expected budget ranges for the design work. However, review of submittals will prioritize demonstrated experience and quality of work. Firms selected through this process will be on a short list of preferred design firms. Actual costs for specific projects will be negotiated separately as those projects are scheduled and budgeted.

The City may request interviews with the highest-ranked firms or may request one or more prospective firms to submit additional information, as needed, to make a selection.

RFQ ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE

• Week of January 19th: The Steering Committee will review qualifications to determine which firms will be interviewed.
• Week of January 26th: Firms will be contacted to schedule an interview.
• Week of February 9th: Interviews
• Note: Interviews will be scheduled between 1:00pm and 5:00pm on Thursday, February 12th and Friday, February 13th.
• Week of February 16th: Select firms for preferred list
• March 2026: Develop scope of work for first projects
• March 2026: Contracts for first projects provided for signature & secure insurance.
• April 2026: Submit contracts for Council approval.

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

All qualifications and proposals must be received by 4:00 PM on January 19, 2026, to the address listed below. Any proposals received after that time will not be considered.

The City of Cedar Falls reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to negotiate the terms and conditions of all and/or any part of the proposals, and in general, to request for proposals and qualifications in the manner as determined to be in the City's best interest and sole discretion.

Send five (5) original hard copies of the submittal materials as described above and the insurance acknowledgement to:

City of Cedar Falls
RFQ for Parks Planning and Design Assessment
Attn: Chris Sevy, Planner II
220 Clay Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50613

And one electronic version of the resume and materials must be submitted by email to Chris.Sevy@cedarfalls.com. After initial review, consultants may be asked to submit additional information or to make a presentation to the Review Committee.

Please direct any inquiries regarding this RFQ to Chris Sevy at the email address above.

FORM OF CONTRACT & INSURANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT REQUIREMENT

The City's standard Goods & Services Contract will be used. A copy can be provided upon request.

The City of Cedar Falls insurance requirements for Goods and Services must also be met and will be included in the contract. A copy of the City's insurance requirements is provided at the bottom of the full published RFQ document (link below). Any concerns with insurance requirements must be indicated in writing at the time of the consultant's submittal. For any contract, a certificate of insurance meeting all insurance requirements must be provided in a timely manner and approved by City Staff prior to the contract being placed on the City Council Agenda for consideration. (If it is later determined insurance cannot be met, City will work with next qualified proposer toward a contract.)

For full RFP and insurance requirements go to: https://www.cedarfalls.com/parksplanrfp