Site work and paving for a sidewalk / parking lot in Saint Joseph, Michigan. Conceptual plans call for site work for a sidewalk / parking lot; and for paving for a sidewalk / parking lot.

This Request for Proposal ("RFP") is to provide interested firms with sufficient information to submit proposals for consideration by the City of St. Joseph ("City") and Downtown Development Authority ("DDA") in connection with its needs for Parking Consulting for Downtown St. Joseph. Favorable pricing will be one element of the selection process, but the experience of the firm, qualifications, direct experience and ability of assigned staff, completeness of the level of service proposed and timeliness of service proposed by the bidder will be significant factors in the award of this contract. The final decision on the selection of the bidder for this project will be determined by the City Commission. The City reserves the right to reject any proposals or parts of proposals. The City also reserves the right to waive any irregularities, inconsistencies, or take whatever action is appropriate as determined by the City to be in the best interest of the City. The City of St. Joseph, with a population of approximately 8,000, is located on the west coast of Michigan. We are part of a "small town" chain stretching from the state line along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan. St. Joseph's location along the beaches of Lake Michigan and the St. Joseph River, as well as its close proximity to major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Detroit, makes it a premier tourist destination for visitors throughout the Midwest. St. Joseph's small-town charm, high quality of life, excellent schools, and site as the headquarters for major employers, i.e., Whirlpool Corporation, make it a wonderful place to live year-round. The City's Downtown Vision Master Plan describes St. Joseph as follows: Situated atop the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, Downtown St. Joseph is a charming, attractive, and active mixed-use district at the core of the City of St. Joseph, functioning as the cultural and social heart of the community. Located where the St. Joseph and Paw Paw Rivers converge and flow into Lake Michigan, Downtown St. Joseph is a major regional destination in Southwest Michigan for recreation and tourism. This includes major attractions like Silver Beach, the St. Joseph Lighthouse, the Silver Beach Carousel, Whirlpool Compass Fountain, Krasl Art Center, and Curious Kids' Museum. These attractions are further complimented by a variety of retail, dining, and entertainment options in a beautiful, pedestrian-friendly environment, primarily along State Street. Together, these and other attractions and amenities make Downtown St. Joseph a popular destination. Although busiest during the summer months, St. Joseph's Downtown remains active yearround as an employment center, cultural center, the county seat for Berrien County, and the center of civic activity within the community. Further, Downtown hosts numerous events and festivals throughout the year, offering residents and visitors unique experiences in a social setting. This makes Downtown more than just a seasonal tourist destination, but also a community gathering space providing a variety of year-round recreation, dining, shopping, entertainment, cultural, and civic experiences for the entire community and beyond. Downtown St. Joseph is an attractive, lively, and successful urban center, serving as the cultural, civic, and entertainment hub of the City. Maintaining and further enhancing the quality of this area requires a continuous dedication to preserving and enhancing what makes Downtown St. Joseph great. The Downtown Vision Master Plan included a survey of downtown parking. The study identified 3,593 total parking spaces in the study area, 611 on-street, 1,473 off-street public, and 1,509 off-street private spaces. Parking is free year-round with two-hour, three hour and all day lots; 30-minute parking was recently added in a few on-street locations. Parking observations made in May, June, July and August 2019 showed that parking was frequently at or near capacity, with parking east of Main Street less crowded than parking west of Main Street. This project will focus on the majority of downtown, including: o The DDA's boundaries o Beyond the DDA's boundaries on Lake Boulevard from Market to Park Street o Beyond the DDA's boundaries on Broad and Pleasant Streets to Court Street, incorporating Lot 12 There are a number of related efforts in development or upcoming that the consultant should be aware of, including: o Plans to rehab State Street, possibly as early as Fall 2024 or as late as Fall 2025. o Main Street - which is an MDOT thoroughfare - is expected to be reconstructed in 2027. o The City recently began a Wayfinding and Signage program with Corbin Design that will happen in parallel with this effort. o The City recently released an RFP for a Streetscape Consultant for the downtown area. o The City is in the process of rehabbing a parking lot located just outside of the DDA. The design concept for this lot is expected to be reused for the other public lots in the downtown. o The Downtown Vision Master Plan calls for development on the sites of some of the existing surface lots. This could result in a reduction of parking supply in downtown St. Joseph. Questions regarding the scope of work to be accomplished may be directed to Emily Hackworth, Assistant City Manager at (269) 983-5541 or by email at ehackworth@sjcity.com by 4:00 pm Wednesday, March 22, 2023. In the event it becomes necessary to modify any part of this Request for Proposal, addenda will be issued to all parties who received the original RFP. Interested parties are encouraged to send an email to ehackworth@sjcity.com to register their intent to respond to this RFP. All firms expressing interest will be added to the email distribution list and will be notified if additional information related to the RFP is issued. The contents of this RFP and the bidder's proposal, as submitted and/or modified, shall become contractual obligations to be executed by the authorized contracting agents of both parties. The successful bidder must procure and maintain the following insurance with carriers acceptable to the City and admitted to do business in the State of Michigan, and provide proof of the same to the City.