This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in North Port, Florida. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

The proposed project is to develop a comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan that emphasizes sustainability, accessibility, community cohesion, and placemaking taking into consideration the growing needs of North Port as the largest city in Sarasota County in both land mass and population. The plan will also focus on economic development opportunities through eco-tourism by exploring new opportunities to leverage North Port's unique natural features, in addition to enhancing the city's existing parks and recreation offerings. The plan will account for North Port's demographic trends, particularly its large population of families and youth, ensuring that parks and recreational facilities can support the increasing demands for both passive and active recreation, competitive sports, and tourism initiatives. It will position the city to support equitable park access within a half-mile radius of all residents, aligning with the city's mission to preserve the natural environment and promote healthy living. The Scope of Service ensures that North Port's Parks & Recreation Master Plan is not only forward-thinking and inclusive to all neighborhoods but also tailored to the city's growth in youth sports and eco-tourism, enhancing the quality of life for current and future generations. 1. STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY INPUT o Provide Triangulated Input: This method ensures that feedback is gathered from various perspectives, allowing for a well-rounded understanding of community needs, desires, and priorities. The triangulated approach will involve three primary components. o Public Engagement Sessions o The Consultant will host multiple public meetings and workshops to allow residents, stakeholders, and park users to provide direct input. These sessions will include interactive discussions, feedback stations, and visioning exercises aimed at capturing the community's vision for future park development and recreation services. Participants will be encouraged to share their preferences for park amenities, programming, and facility improvements. o Surveys and Questionnaires o A combination of digital and physical surveys will be distributed across the community to collect quantitative data on park usage, satisfaction levels, and specific needs. This method will ensure representation from those who may not be able to attend public meetings, including a cross-section of demographics such as age, family structure, and geographic location. Surveys will be designed to assess community priorities, preferences for future park development, and recreational trends. o Focus Groups and Stakeholder Interviews o To complement the broader community input, targeted focus groups and stakeholder interviews will be conducted. These will include local organizations, sports leagues, schools, and special interest groups who have a vested interest in park and recreation services. This qualitative data will provide deeper insights into the specific needs of user groups and key stakeholders, offering a more nuanced understanding of programmatic and facility requirements. By triangulating input from these three sources, the Parks & Recreation Master Plan will be grounded in the diverse perspectives and needs of the entire community, ensuring that future investments and developments reflect the shared vision and aspirations of North Port residents. 2. PARK INVENTORY AND FUTURE PARK DEVELOPMENT o Existing Parks and Recreation Offerings: o Analysis of underserved areas and potential land acquisitions. o Analysis of future demands for facilities based upon projected population trends. o Exploring New Eco-Tourism Opportunities: o Identify new opportunities for eco-tourism development, especially around natural attractions like Warm Mineral Springs, MCEP and the conservation easement with access to the Legacy Trail. o Italy Avenue Park: o Develop a master site plan for the new 40-acre park on Italy Avenue, including connections to Atwater Park, incorporating a dog park, nature trails, and recreational sports fields. o Include facilities that cater to both youth leagues and passive recreation, offering outdoor recreation, educational signage, and natural resource conservation. 3. NEIGHBORHOOD PARK ACCESSIBILITY o Service Area Mapping: o Create a map of current park service areas and identify where residents, especially families and youth, lack access to parks within a half-mile radius. o Ensure that future developments address these gaps, prioritizing areas of high youth population density and providing youth-friendly recreational spaces. o Park Design Standards: o Establish design guidelines for neighborhood parks, ensuring that they cater to multi-generational use with an emphasis on passive and active recreation, universal design, and sustainable features. o Review ADA-transition report and implementation plan and provide recommendations that promote inclusivity, reflecting the needs of the surrounding community. 4. YOUTH SPORTS DEMAND ANALYSIS o Demographic Study: o Conduct a detailed analysis of North Port's age demographics, focusing on the city's younger population and identifying specific recreational needs. o Use this data to project future demands for youth leagues and incorporate spaces for sports fields, courts, and multi-use recreational facilities in the master plan. o Growth Forecasting: o Utilize population growth projections to plan for the increasing demand for youth sports programs, ensuring that park facilities can expand and evolve as the city grows. o Utilize population growth projections to meet the recreational needs of families, offering a range of sports fields, courts, play areas, and community gathering spaces. 5. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND GRANT FUNDING o Identify opportunities for securing grants to help finance the development and maintenance of parks, particularly in relation to youth leagues and eco-tourism infrastructure. o Explore impact fees or developer contributions to support the long-term sustainability and growth of the city's parks and recreational spaces. Acquisitions o Recommendations for an overall acquisition strategy, guidelines for what types of property would make ideal acquisitions, measurable goals to weigh potential acquisitions, and potential areas of focus for future acquisitions. o The document will include standards for park size, amenities, and accessibility, with an emphasis on sustainable practices and eco-friendly design. Community Profile o Research and identify unique qualities, geography, demographics, and trends specific to the North Port community that will affect Master Plan considerations for the future. o Relevant goals and policies of local planning studies should be considered where Master Plan recommendations will be affected. Access and Equity Analysis Report o Evaluate community access to parks, facilities and services; establish local planning guidelines and standards for adequate access to recreation facilities and parks (consider pertinent park types i.e. neighborhood, community, regional as well as greenways, open space, and parkland corridors); prepare analysis of existing and future neighborhood areas and activity centers, projected service populations, and parkland allocation recommendations within the City limits based on growth, transportation, and safety; identify and discuss current and anticipated access issues including barriers to participation; make specific recommendations addressing access solutions and future needs including parkland acquisition and development. o Identify, inventory, and rank unique natural and other open space resources for potential park system acquisition and/or parks development opportunity within the community. o Conduct a trends analysis to project future participation and the needs, and issues of "equitable distribution of service and opportunity" for all ages and income levels. Community Involvement: o Involve as many North Port residents in the development of the Master Plan as possible. To encourage community wide involvement and provide triangulated results as defined above. Comparative Analysis: o Based on results from input and community profile, identify and address major issues, concerns, and challenges specific to North Port that will affect parks, open space, and recreation service decisions now and in the future. o Propose parks, recreation, and open space recommendations that are progressive while remaining prudent for communities with like resources. THE MASTER PLAN DOCUMENT: A well-defined long-range plan for an integrated network of parks, community facilities, bikeways, open space, and recreational corridors for the future: community parks and facilities resource maps that geographically identify the existing and proposed components of this system (this should include identification of park types, future acquisition, and development plans and, solutions addressing neighborhood and community access issues). Shall provide well organized and directed activities, techniques and formats that will ensure an equitable, inclusive, open, and proactive public participation process is achieved. Provide written records and summaries of the results of the triangulated data from the various strategies used to obtain data. The consultant shall ensure the local adoption of the North Port Parks & Recreation Master Plan prior to December 31, 2025 Project Budget: the City Has Appropriated $250,000 for Services. The Budget Has Been Identified in the City's Capital Improvement Plan (Cip) and Will Be Funded Using Park Impact Fees. All Prospective Respondents Are Hereby Cautioned Not to Contact Any Member of the City of North Port Staff or Officials Other Than the Specified Contact Person. Minority-Owned, Woman-Owned, and Small Business Enterprises are encouraged to respond to this solicitation. The method of Contractor Selection has not been Determined at this time.