Request for Qualifications: North County Workforce and Business District, University of Missouri – St. Louis South Campus Development

April 15, 2022

 

RE:      Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

North County Workforce and Business District

            University of Missouri – St. Louis South Campus Development

 

The University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) is requesting the qualifications of firms to provide planning and development consulting services related to the redevelopment of a 35-acre parcel located on the UMSL South Campus. 

 

Overview

 

UMSL seeks an experienced planning and development consulting team to work closely with UMSL’s economic development team in developing a master plan framework to guide redevelopment of a 35-acre parcel located on UMSL’s South Campus into a mixed-use North County Workforce and Business District (the “Project”). 

 

UMSL intends for the Project to be a catalyst for improving the quality of life in North St. Louis County, increasing access to quality jobs, enhancing workforce training and development opportunities, expanding access to physical and mental health care, and to attract private investment in the community. The Project offers an opportunity for UMSL to further its mission in educating the areas’ workforce, enhancing economic development in its community, supporting broad-based service delivery, and fostering inclusive prosperity, all while helping to build the urban campus of the future.

 

Key deliverables will include a master redevelopment plan, market study, financial feasibility and development financing analysis, and analysis of public-private partnership structures to ensure high-quality design and development standards and equitable economic development opportunities.

 

The University intends to select a planning and development team with demonstrated experience and expertise in mixed-use district planning and development, particularly with respect to university-related developments, community development, transit-oriented development (TOD), and equitable development. UMSL embraces its role as an Anchor Institution in North St. Louis County with a commitment to leverage institutional opportunities and assets to support community well-being and wealth building by engaging local firms. Therefore, the University seeks significant participation from minority (MBE), Women, Veteran and Disadvantaged (WBE, Veteran, DBE), and Service Disabled Veteran (SDVE) as a goal for this Project.

 

Form of Submission

 

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) should include at least the following information:

 

1.         Cover letter with statement of interest and signature of duly authorized principal.

 

2.         Firm profile, including age, brief history, team size , and workload projected over the next year, WBE/MBE designation, and history of working with minority designated sub-contractors.

 

3.         Proposed team, including organization chart with names and titles of team members, resumes of key personnel for the Project and their proposed roles, relevant experience and availability, and any in place or anticipated commitments of key personnel over the next year.

 

4.         Descriptions of no more than five (5) projects that best illustrate the team’s experience and capabilities with respect to the Project, particularly those projects involving mixed-use developments on or adjacent to a university campus.  For each project, please provide the following information in a consistent format across projects:

 

a.         Project name, client name, location;

b.         Description of scope of engagement and work performed;

c.         Identification of personnel involved and roles in the project;

d.         Targeted project duration and actual project duration (in months);

e.         Client reference and contact information; and

f.          Overview of project, description of project targeted outcomes, and how your firm enabled achievement of project targeted outcomes.

 

5.         Narrative describing the firm’s approach and theory of the Project, including, but not limited to:

 

a.         Ability to maximize design opportunities;

b.         Sensitivity to site and community characteristics;

c.         Understanding and translation of UMSL needs and objections;

d.         Potential for a compelling vision to attract developers, private investment and additional project partners;

e.         Incorporation and synthesis of planning to date with respect to the Project.

f.          Coordination of input from various disciplines (e.g. planning, financing, engineering, architectural, etc.); and

g.         Overall strategy for producing an exceptional development planning effort.

 

6.         Description of how the firm (or firms) meets the Minority (MBE), Women, Veteran and Disadvantaged (WBE, Veteran, DBE), and Service Disabled Veteran (SDVE) participation goal for this Project.

 

7.         Preliminary anticipated project schedule outlining key milestones and delivery dates for key deliverables.

 

8.         Proposed fee structure and cost proposal.

 

Submissions should be limited to no more than fifty (50) pages, 8-1/2” x 11” formatted electronic pages, submitted in a PPT or PDF format.  A mandatory pre-selection meeting will be held May 3 at 11:00AM CST via Zoom.  SOQs will not be accepted from firms who do not have a representative attending the pre-selection meeting.  Details for the Zoom call are as follows:

Join Zoom Meeting
Passcode:	566984
Phone one-tap：	US: +16468769923,,93615524371# or +13017158592,,93615524371#
Meeting URL:	https://umsystem.zoom.us/j/93615524371?pwd=TW95TjhUVXQzZ3g5enlVL0lFc0YrZz09
Join by Telephone
For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.
Dial:	US : +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 408 638 0968 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782
Meeting ID:	936 1552 4371
Meeting ID:	936 1552 4371
Passcode:	566984
SIP:	93615524371@zoomcrc.com
Passcode:	566984

 

 

SOQs must be received no later than 2:00 pm CST, May 20, 2022, by delivery to the following email address:  ecd@umsl.edu.  Late submissions will not be accepted.

 

UMSL intends to notify firms selected as finalists by email during the week of June 1st, 2022.  Finalists will be required to interview with the UMSL project team, including conducting a one-hour presentation on the UMSL campus during the week of June 13, 2022.  UMSL intends to select a firm from the finalists during the week of June 20, 2022.

 

UMSL intends to negotiate and issue a General Consultant Agreement to the successful firm. Any such agreement shall be subject to and incorporate all applicable requirements of the University of Missouri’s Consultant Procedures and Design Guidelines Manual, which is available for review at https://www.umsystem.edu/ums/fa/facilities/guidelines/ .

 

Notwithstanding anything herein, this RFQ does not in any way obligate UMSL to enter into any agreement.  UMSL reserves the right to cancel this RFQ at any time, reject any or all submitted SOQs, and to select the planning and development consultant which UMSL, in its sole and absolute discretion, deems most qualified.  No obligation, responsibility or liability, either expressed or implied, exists on the part of UMSL to make a selection or to pay any cost incurred, or claimed to have been incurred, in the preparation or submission of any SOQ, which costs shall be borne by the respondent to this RFQ.

 

SOQs submitted in response to this RFQ will become a public record subject to public disclosure in accordance with Chapter 610, RSMo.

 

Please review the enclosed information regarding the Project.  Please address questions related to the RFQ to me in writing at ecd@umsl.edu.  Questions regarding the RFQ may be submitted at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. on May 19, 2022.

 

Thanks for your participation in the process. I look forward to your response.

 

Sincerely,

 

Christopher D. Spilling, PhD

 

Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic and Community Development

University of Missouri – St. Louis

341 Woods Hall

One University Boulevard

St. Louis, Missouri 63121

 

Enclosure

cc:        Katie Jochens, UMSL

North County Workforce and Business District

UMSL South Campus Development

University of Missouri – St. Louis                                                                            

 

UMSL Background

 

The University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) is a premier, public research university providing access to quality and affordable education and research opportunities to a diverse student body. Founded in 1963, UMSL serves almost 16,000 students from 49 states and 70 countries. A degree from UMSL has a great deal of currency in the marketplace, with over 94% of recent graduates employed or enrolled in graduate or professional school. UMSL occupies a unique role among public research institutions. Of the 108,244 alumni, over 75% live and work in Missouri, making the institution a vital and trusted workforce development partner. Over 76% of undergraduate students come to UMSL as transfer students from regional community colleges, among the highest of all U.S. institutions.

 

Designated by the Carnegie classification system of higher education as a doctoral university with high research activity, in 2019, UMSL had more than $27 million in grant funded expenditures. Whether through the discovery of a noninvasive glucose monitor to provide a pain-free way for people with diabetes to check blood glucose levels or the development of innovative models to reduce the number of deaths from opioid addiction or gun violence, UMSL’s world-class researchers actively collaborate across disciplines to generate new knowledge and translate research into practice to improve people’s lives in real and tangible ways.

 

As a metropolitan land-grant institution, UMSL serves a critical role in preparing the workforce of the future, enhancing economic development, strengthening communities, fostering inclusion, and extending the reach of the university to citizens in all corners of the state and beyond. This impact is consistently recognized by UMSL’s designation as a community-engaged institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching – one of only 119 such institutions in the U.S to receive this prestigious designation in the most recent cycle. UMSL has been involved in the national movement around anchor institution practices that broaden community wealth building and well-being and has supported the formation and staffing of the St. Louis Anchor Learning Network which looks to expand those practices locally. 

 

UMSL is driven by its powerful mission to transform student lives. UMSL leadership, faculty, and staff demonstrate an unwavering commitment to helping underrepresented students, particularly veterans and active military, first generation, students of color, low income, adult students, student parents, and students with disabilities, persist and complete college. And it shows in the success students experience in our degree programs. UMSL was recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 100 colleges and universities in the U.S. for improving social mobility for its success in graduating low-income students, and was also ranked 5th nationally by Great Value Colleges as a best college for adult education. At No. 52 globally, UMSL is one of only 12 U.S. universities to be named among the top 100 best universities for reducing inequalities based on Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

 

For a more complete history, philosophy, vision and mission statement for the University of Missouri-St. Louis, please refer to the campus web site at: https://www.umsl.edu/proud/about/history.html

 

Proposed UMSL South Campus Redevelopment Project and Other Plans

The North St. Louis County Business and Workforce District will transform UMSL’s South Campus into a hub of academic and business activity – where we will leverage our academic and research expertise in partnership with industry and community – along Natural Bridge Road including vibrant public gathering spaces that are well-lighted and pedestrian friendly. Easily accessible by a Metro Transit Center and within walking proximity to UMSL’s academic core, the district will become a prime location for mixed-use development that aligns with the university’s academic, research and workforce mission.

The Business and Workforce District may include:

• Workforce, business and research incubators
• Entrepreneurship facilities and business accelerators
• Mixed-use commercial and residential spaces including apartments, condominiums, restaurants, health services, grocery and office spaces

With ample research, educational and land assets, the University of Missouri–St. Louis is well positioned to work with state and local leaders to anchor a variety of projects with the North St. Louis County Business and Workforce District to train, create and grow Missouri’s workforce while strengthening the state’s economy.

UMSL generated $429 million in economic impact for the state of Missouri in FY21, a $66 million increase since FY17, while supporting 5,485 jobs and generating more than $24 million in state and local taxes (Economic and Community Impact Report, 2022).

 

Figure 1: 2021 Campus Master Plan Zoning. Business and Workforce Development District highlighted in brown.

The proposed development plan for UMSL’s South Campus into a mixed-use North County Workforce and Business District will interface with a number of ongoing studies and recently completed strategic planning efforts, including

 

 

• 2021 UMSL Campus Master Plan
• North County Workforce and Business District Conceptual Plan
• 24:1 Master Land Use Plan
• Campus Strategic Plan:  University of Missouri-St. Louis Strategic Plan 2018-2023
• St. Louis Anchor Action Network – Action Plan

 

It is anticipated that the UMSL South Campus development plan will address the strategic initiatives identified in these plans, especially in the North County Workforce and Business District Conceptual Plan, and in feedback from both the campus and the community. Conceptual renderings of the District are below:  

Figure 2: UMSL South Reimagined (Conceptual Rendering)

 

Figure 3: Town Plaza along Natural Bridge (Conceptual Rendering)