The Municipality of Mt. Lebanon desires to engage a professional consultant to conduct a Parks Master Plan and Recreation Center Feasibility Study. Mt. Lebanon owns and operates a comprehensive 200+ acre, 17-site urban parks system with multiple playgrounds, multi-purpose ball fields, tennis center, golf course, ice rink, outdoor pool, along with walking and nature trails. See Appendix A for a full listing of current Municipal Parks and Recreation facilities and Appendix B for a map. This complex urban park system requires a long-term master plan to guide its development and to ensure needs of the community are being met. Mt. Lebanon's last Parks Master Plan was completed in 2004 and nearly all the goals and objectives in this Plan have been successfully addressed. The Municipality intends to update the Parks Master Plan to guide investment, funding, and project prioritization in our Parks for the next decade by studying existing uses and considering potential changes to enhance current usage and better support community needs. The municipality desires a wholistic view of the true cost of maintaining existing parks and recreation assets, including passive items such as park trails, fencing, etc.

Included in the Master Plan update is an investigation into the feasibility of a new or expanded community recreation center. Mt Lebanon's current Recreation Center was built in 1977 and has had periodic updates, but currently lacks an indoor multi-purpose space to support activities (gymnasium, indoor track/field, fitness center, community/childcare/preschool rooms, etc.) for which there is strong community demand. In 2019 the Mt. Lebanon Sports Advisory Board issued a preliminary report on the feasibility of a community recreation center. This document is included as Appendix C to this RFP.

PROJECT SCOPE/DUTIES OF CONSULTANT

The selected consultant will develop an updated Parks Master Plan to guide the Municipality in the funding and prioritizations of parks and recreation projects for the next decade. Incorporated into this is a needs assessment and feasibility analysis to determine whether to proceed with planning, funding and creating an indoor community recreation center. Mt. Lebanon has approximately 33,000 residents with 24% under the age of 18 and 20% over the age of 65. The consultant will also evaluate the Municipality's current recreational offerings in parks and recreation facilities to determine the highest and best use for these facilities. If community recreational needs are not currently being met by existing facilities (e.g., dog park, trails, bike paths, picnic areas, pickleball, skate park, outdoor amphitheater, etc.), an analysis of the best location for new facilities should be included.

We encourage creative concepts that could integrate the flow between and increase accessibility to, both indoor and outdoor recreation spaces. The proposer is encouraged to add to, modify or clarify any of the scope of work items it deems appropriate to obtain a high-quality plan. All changes should be listed and explained. However, the scope of work proposed, at minimum, must accomplish the goals and work outlined below.

The work of the consultant shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

1. An analysis of existing municipal parks and recreation facilities and their utilization. For purposes of this study both passive and active uses should be considered.
2. Public input and participation, potentially including focus groups, interviews, public meetings, and/or a community survey about the recreational needs of our citizens. Input should be solicited from the public at large as well as school-aged children at our schools, our seniors, several Commission Advisory Boards, and municipal staff (including recreation, public works, and police departments) who are in familiar with what outdoor spaces are most popular. Applicants should detail which types of public input they will utilize when conducting the Master Plan and Study and how they intend to obtain public input.
3. How to best utilize the available spaces in the municipal parks and recreation facilities with consideration for the ecology of the parks and the needs of the community for both passive and active recreation offerings. Projected costs for installation of new or replacement recreation infrastructure should be included in the final report. Both short-term and long-term maintenance of current recreation assets as well as ongoing maintenance costs of any newly recommended items should be included in the final report.
4. Identify locations that currently have poor wayfinding and make recommendations for how to improve their identity, signage, access, and interconectivity of these spaces with other parks, trail networks, business districts, schools, and residential neighborhoods.

Community and stakeholder input on a Community Recreation Center.

1. Market analysis of the need for a Community Recreation Center in Mt. Lebanon and the success of other facilities in the region. The consultant should give consideration to the "Facility Components and Amenities" section of the Sports Advisory Board's preliminary report (see Appendix C).
2. Potential programming and offerings at a Community Recreation Center. An assessment of public-private partnership opportunities may also be included.
3. Site analysis, including the potential costs and benefits of developing different sites for a Community Recreation Center. The Sports Advisory Board preliminary site analysis offered initial suggestions that should be considered, in addition to other locations the consultant may identify.
4. Operations analysis for a Community Recreation Center including attendance projections by facility component, fee schedule, personnel staffing requirements and costs and revenue sources.
5. Community Recreation Center cost analysis including a projected cost estimate for construction as well as revenue and expenditure projections once the facility opens. These cost estimates should be provided for the top three site recommendations for a community recreation center.
6. Periodic attendance of Municipal Commission, Sports Advisory Board, and/or Parks Advisory Board meetings to provide progress updates and discuss the planning process.
7. Submission and presentation of a final written report.

Note: Detailed architectural renderings are not required as part of the scope of work at this point in time. However, engineering and architectural work should be considered as part of the cost analysis for a community recreation facility. An applicant may choose to include conceptual renderings as an add-alternate to their proposal.

PROPOSAL TO BE SUBMITTED

The proposal shall be organized and submitted with the following elements:

1. Executive Summary
   Provide a brief summary describing the proposer's ability to perform the work requested, a history of the proposer's background and experience providing services, the qualifications of the proposer's personnel to be assigned to this project, and any other information called for by this scope of services which the proposer deems relevant, including restating any exceptions to this request for proposal. This summary should be brief and concise to apprise the reader of the basic services offered, experience and qualifications of the proposer, staff, subcontractors, and/or suppliers.
2. Response to Project Scope and Duties
   Proposer shall provide an analysis of how they intend to complete each of the items listed in the Project Scope. Additionally, provide a general timeline for each step in the process and an estimated project completion date. Ideally, an initial draft of the final report should be prepared by early November when the Commission begins budget hearings and a final draft by the end of 2021.
3. Cost Estimate
   Proposer shall provide an itemized breakdown of costs associated with the general contract for services and any potential additions during the process.
   
   The municipality has applied for a Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Grant funding through the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program to offset a portion of the project costs. Applicants should detail their familiarity with grant-funded projects and their ability to meet the documentation requirements for grant-funded projects.
4. Attachments
   Proposer shall provide a list of three (3) references of providing services similar to those requested as part of this proposal. Special consideration may be given to those who have performed this work for public-sector or local government entities.
   
   Proposer shall provide the names, resumes, and description of project roles of all of the firm's employees expected to work on this project.

Any questions regarding this Request for Proposals and Qualifications should be submitted to Assistant Manager/Planner Ian McMeans at imcmeans@mtlebanon.org or 412-343-3620.

Please submit one original and ten (10) copies of the requested information no later than 11:00am, April 21, 2021. Proposals shall be submitted in sealed envelopes and delivered to:

Keith McGill
Municipal Manager
Mt. Lebanon Municipality
710 Washington Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15228

Digital copies will not be accepted.

EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

While the successful firm must submit a competitive fee, price alone will not be the sole criteria in selection. The Project Consultant will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Team personnel's experience and qualifications on similar projects
• Understanding and prior experience with municipal projects and requirements
• Understanding of Project scope/intent
• Approach/Methods/Project Plan
• Fee and Staffing Cost

Interviews may be scheduled with selected prospective consultants as soon as possible after the scoring and ranking, to permit further evaluation and to allow the municipality to inquire further into the consultant's experience on similar projects, thorough understanding of the various aspects of the services to be provided, scheduling, budget and other pertinent matters.

Proposals must remain open as an irrevocable offer to provide service as described in the RFP for a period of 90 days after April 21, 2021.

The final decision regarding this proposal rests with the Mt. Lebanon Commission.

The award decision is expected to be made on or before May 25, 2021.

The Municipality may add to, modify or change the process or any requirements set forth herein at any time in its discretion.

Nothing contained in this RFP will be deemed to (i) create any right (whether property or other) in any party to have a contract awarded or (ii) create or require any standard for award other than what the Municipality deems to be in its best interest. The award of a contract will be made in the discretion of the Municipality and may be made on factors other than cost and on factors that may not appear in this RFP.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no bidder, whether successful or not, will acquire any legally binding rights against any party including the Municipality unless and until the bidder and the Municipality formally execute an agreement that is satisfactory to the Municipality, in its discretion. The submission of a bid, including the execution of the agreement that is part of this package, will not guarantee a contract award, nor will it guarantee that the Municipality will not request modifications or deletion of terms before entering into the contract. The Municipality reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, and the right at its discretion to accept the proposal the Municipality deems to be most favorable to its interests.