1240232 Scope of Work.pdf

RFP/PS/DCP/2401-1240232/RiverLands Corridor and Chattahoochee Brick Co. Planning and Design

EXHIBIT A: Scope of Work for Planning and Conceptual Design for the City of Atlanta’s Chattahoochee RiverLands Trail Corridor and the Chattahoochee Brick Company Memorial, Greenspace, and Park

General The 8 required tasks listed below make up the scope of services for two interrelated project components: a scoping study for the ‘Atlanta Reach’ of the Chattahoochee RiverLands and the visioning, planning, and conceptual design of the Chattahoochee Brick Company (CBC) Memorial, Greenspace, and Park. Tasks 1 through 3 apply to both project components, tasks 4 through 6 apply only to the Atlanta Reach, and tasks 7 and 8 apply only to the CBC site. A potential 9th task is included for informational purposes only and does not need to be addressed in responses to this RFP.

Schedule All planning work related to the Atlanta Reach Scoping Study (a portion of tasks 1-3 and all of tasks 4-6) is funded through a grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission and must be completed by May 31st, 2026.

The City has a goal of opening at least the first phase of the Chattahoochee Brick Memorial, Greenspace, and Park by the beginning of 2029. In order to meet this goal, the Consultant must complete the planning and conceptual design within a timeframe that allows for the final design and construction phases to be completed by the 2029 goal.

Task 1: Project Management (Atlanta Reach and CBC)

• The City of Atlanta will establish a Project Management Team (PMT) that will include, at a minimum, the City project manager, the Consultant, and a representative from the Atlanta Regional Commission. The PMT will meet via conference call monthly, at a minimum; special-call meetings may be necessary on occasion, as may in-person meetings, as determined by the PMT.

Additional representatives, partners, and City staff will be included in the meetings as needed.

• The consultant will develop a Project Management Plan (PMP). The PMP will guide project goals, workflow, deliverables, and the schedule for each project task.

• The consultant will also develop a Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (CSEP) to align with the PMP. It will establish an engagement strategy, including outreach methods, schedule, and identification of community members and stakeholders critical to the planning and design process.

Task 1 Deliverables

• Project Management Plan (PMP)

• Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (CSEP)

• Meeting summaries for all PMT meetings

Task 2: Community & Stakeholder Engagement (Atlanta Reach and CBC)

• Consultant implements the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Plan, as established in Task 1, focusing on key stakeholders and agency partners, as well as broad public participation.

• A minimum of four (4) large, well-publicized events shall be held. Format and schedule of these events and all other involvement activities will be determined while preparing the CSEP.

• A variety of tools and approaches should be used to maximize engagement and input from community and stakeholders. Special consideration should be given involving people and groups typically underrepresented in planning and design processes. A demonstrable effort shall be made to include individuals and organizations who are, or represent, low-income, minority, people with disabilities, or other disadvantaged groups.

• The Consultant will be responsible for engagement and outreach materials such as posters, graphics, and design materials with an emphasis on easy-to-read visual presentations.

• Project information will be uploaded to a project website, which will also serve as a means for the public to submit comments. Project information will be geographically linked through interactive maps where appropriate.

• The City and the Consultant will establish a Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) consisting of representatives of key City departments, stakeholder organizations, and community members.

The Project Management Team shall approve the SAC members in advance of notification. The SAC will be convened at least four (4) times throughout the process, at the beginning and at critical points, and will assist the PMT with methodologies, background, outreach strategy, implementation plans, and provide other relevant guidance as needed.

• Atlanta Reach engagement will build on the community engaged during the initial RiverLands planning work, and well as new participants from the study area: business owners, residents, churches, schools, etc. The Consultant will be expected to provide periodic updates to the Chattahoochee Working Group, the advisory committee that was established during the initial Chattahoochee RiverLands study.

• For CBC engagement, the non-profits and community groups who have been advocating for the reuse of the site and memorialization of the victims of convict leasing will greatly influence many aspects of the planning and design, especially around the interpretation of the site’s history and memorialization. The CBC Board will provide advice throughout the planning process. The Consultant will be expected to present periodic updates to the CBC Board, especially at key decision points.

• Early Activation: The Consultant should be prepared to assist the City develop early site activation ideas, which could include a variety of activities such as music or dance performances, nature walks along the Chattahoochee River, temporary art installations, and in-person or virtual guided tours.

Task 2 Deliverables

• Community and stakeholder engagement activities and public events as established in the CSEP

• Identification of and meeting with the Stakeholder Advisory Committee

• Engagement with the Chattahoochee Working Group and CBC Board

• Summaries of all community and stakeholder outreach activities and public comments received and responses provided

• Project website and outreach materials

• An overview and summary of all public engagement activities. This summary will need to be included in the Atlanta Reach Scoping Study Final Report (Task 6 deliverable) and the Chattahoochee Brick Company Vision and Program document (Task 8 deliverable)

Task 3: Existing Conditions Analysis and Historical Research (Atlanta Reach and CBC) The Atlanta Reach

• The 2020 Chattahoochee RiverLands study combined a wealth of research and planning into one study, but at a regional scale. The Consultant will conduct an existing conditions analysis to further investigate the Atlanta Reach portion of the Chattahoochee RiverLands, which will include the following:

o Review of existing conditions, data, maps, and data analysis from plans and studies recently completed or underway in/near the study area, including, but not limited to, the original Chattahoochee RiverLands Vision Study, the Chattahoochee RiverLands Design Guidelines, the Park Pride Vision Plan for Paul Ave Park, the Northwest Atlanta Industrial Area Freight Study, the Fulton Industrial Boulevard Freight Cluster Plan, the recently completed Master Plan updates for Atlanta BeltLine Subareas 9 and 10.

o Further investigation of geography, geology, hydrology system, ecology, conservation patterns, land use and development patterns, regulatory boundaries and frameworks, political boundaries, urban infrastructure within the Atlanta Reach study area, and an equity analysis to understand patterns of social and racial inequity in the Atlanta Reach study area to be addressed in the planning and design process. The analysis should include data visualizations, maps, sections, diagrams, and illustrations as appropriate to illustrate findings and concepts.

o Review of, and site visits to, existing and future transit, pedestrian, bike and other transportation infrastructure and park, recreation and cultural facilities in the study area, and a review of the adjacent trails and greenway facilities (existing and planned) for potential connections.

o Inventory and prioritization of potential user destination along the trail and research into the potential users and needs.

o Preliminary environmental screening along the trail alignments. The survey shall include identification of wetlands, floodplains, wildlife, potential endangered species, Metropolitan River Protection Act (MRPA) requirements, and need for stream buffer permits, as well as impacts to potentially historic properties. If wetlands appear to be present along the preferred trail alignment, a wetland field delineation may be needed to establish the final trail alignment.

o Evaluation of traffic operations and safety. Identification of potential conflict points in the trail corridors and recommended safety countermeasures based on various policies, such as Atlanta DOT Vision Zero program, GDOT and ARC’s Complete Street policies and programs, and GDOT’s Railroad Safety program.

o Identification of existing utilities that could be impacted by any of the alternative concepts and corresponding contact information of the utility owners.

o Research property ownership along trail alignment and right-of-way (where relevant) to determine number of parcels, driveways, easements, property owners, potential relocations and other impacts, and estimated costs for acquisitions including easements.

• The Consultant will summarize the challenges and opportunities of the project based on the existing conditions. This summary should provide an understanding of the needs for the improvements, challenges to feasibility, and constructability, etc.

Chattahoochee Brick Company (CBC) The existing condition assessment for the CBC site will build on the existing conditions assessment of the Atlanta Reach described above but will include gathering additional, site-specific information described below.

• Site survey: The Consultant will conduct a boundary, easement, and buffer survey of the CBC parcel assemblage shown in Exhibit 6a and the Parrott Commerce parcel assembly shown in Exhibit 6b. The survey should also capture all existing utility and other easements on the property, as well as 100 and 500-year floodplain boundaries and stream buffers (city, state, and MRPA related boundaries). Wetlands should be identified with approximate extents; precise delineation will only be needed if potential impacts are identified during the site planning. The survey shall be produced in the Georgia West State Plane Coordinate System NAD 83 datum and be provided in hardcopy and digital format.

• Environmental Assessment: Using existing data (topography, hydrology, access, etc.), an understanding of the regulatory constraints and requirements, and a field assessment of the ecological conditions, the Consultant will develop an environmental assessment to inform the planning and design of the site.

o Brownfield assessment is not a part of this RFP, though development constraints, as determined by the City’s brownfield consultant, should be reflected in the environmental assessment.

• Development of historic narrative: A primary goal for the redevelopment of the CBC site is to memorialize the forced laborers who suffered and died at the site. Critical to achieving this goal during the planning and design process is to thoroughly document and tell the story of the era of convict leasing in a way that will facilitate and foster greater dialogue and understanding over a difficult chapter in Atlanta’s history.

o The Consultant will conduct research and consult with scholars and other experts to develop a deep knowledge of the site and prepare a narrative of the site’s history and legacy that will inform public discussion on the design of the site’s memorialization and interpretive program.

o The historic narrative shall include a basic history of the Chattahoochee Brick Company and its successor, General Shale; the historic context in which the CBC was founded and operated (including the system of convict leasing in Georgia and other Southern states and the industrialization of Atlanta’s Chattahoochee riverfront); and the role that the CBC and its founder, James English, played in the growth of Atlanta in the decades after the Civil War.

o Responding to stakeholder and community input, including the CBC Board, the Consultant may identify certain threads of the site’s history and legacy for additional investigation to further dialogue and understanding over the memorialization effort and presentation of the site’s history in the final design. This could include, but is not limited to, a broader look at the role of convict leasing in rebuilding the economy of Atlanta and the South after the Civil War; the ways in which states and industries outside the South benefitted from convict leasing; and, how laws, including the 13th Amendment, were used to create the convict leasing system to provide forced labor and ushered in the Jim Crow era, which ultimately paved the way for the mass incarceration of Black men and the school-to-prison pipeline that impacts Black youth.

o The history (and prehistory) of the site prior to the establishment of the CBC should also be part of the narrative. The pre-history of the site should be based on the current anthropological understanding of the indigenous inhabitants of the Chattahoochee River corridor any relevant archaeological findings on the site (see explanation of archaeological needs below).

• CBC Site History and Archaeological Investigations: A central goal for the redevelopment of the site is the recognition and explanation of convict leasing on the CBC site and throughout the South, and the memorialization of the victims of convict leasing.

o The Consultant will research the history of the physical changes to the site over time and conduct archaeological investigations as described below.

o Review the past archaeological investigations of the site performed by a previous owner (Exhibits 7a-7c) o Research the multiple phases of development on the site, conduct site investigations to fill in any gaps in initial Phase 1 cultural resources survey (Exhibit 7a), and determine what architectural and other cultural features remain on the site, such as building foundations, tunnels, rail tracks, etc.

o Fully delineate the surface and subsurface architectural and other features remaining on site and, where warranted, conduct partial excavation to determine the integrity of the subsurface features. The goal of this work is to allow the City to understand and tell the story of the site’s past, especially the convict leasing era, using the architectural and other cultural artifacts to root the story in the physical reality of both the past and present.

• Search for human burials on the site: It is known that convict laborers died at the CBC during the convict leasing era (1885-1909). There is a strong possibility, and widely held public belief, that some who died were buried on site, though no burials have been confirmed. A search for human burials will be an important component of the planning process for the site.

Consideration should be given to the multiple phases of site disturbance and industrial development over more than a century, with significant amounts of fill material deposited on portions of the site.

o The Consultant will conduct historical research to understand the likelihood and possible locations of human burials on the site and conduct field investigations as warranted by the historical research. Should burials be found on the site, the Consultant will provide guidance to the City and the CBC Board on in situ preservation, off-site reinterment, and other possible options.

• Brownfield Worker Safety Plan: The CBC site is enrolled in the State of Georgia Brownfields program and certain areas of the site have soil contaminated with lead and other industrial pollutants. Though the City will remediate the site contamination, the archaeological work will need to occur well before the site remediation. The City is providing an Environmental Precautions document (Exhibit 5b) which describes the known soil contamination and provides the information needed for the Consultant to develop a Worker Safety Plan to protect the workers during any archaeological or other investigations on the contaminated portions of the site. The Phase 1 and Phase 2 Environmental Assessments are also provided as Exhibits 5c & 5d.

Task 3 Deliverables

• Report(s) assessing the existing conditions for the Atlanta Reach and the CBC site, including environmental assessment

• Historic narrative for the CBC site

• Summary presentation(s) on task findings

• Worker Safety Plan for fieldwork for archeological or other on-site investigations conducted prior to brownfield remediation

• Boundary, easement, and buffer survey of the CBC Site

• Project Management Team updates and public presentations on the archaeological investigations

• Guidance on, and assistance with, treatment of human burials, if determined to be present on site

Task 4: Alternative Alignments Analysis and Corridor Planning for the Atlanta Reach (Atlanta Reach only) The 2020 Chattahoochee RiverLands study established a preferred alignment and practical alternatives for the “main stem” RiverLands trail paralleling the Chattahoochee, as well as proposed alignments for connecting local trails. While the level of resolution of the study is acceptable to present a regional vision, the study’s current alignments within the Atlanta Reach project area must be studied more closely and be based on a better, more intimate understanding of local conditions as provided for in Tasks 2 and 3. Stream and river buffer regulations, geography, railroad corridors, interstate highways, tributary creeks, and land use and development patterns make this a particularly challenging section of the river.

• Using the 2020 Chattahoochee RiverLands Study as the starting point and having developed a more intimate understanding of the local conditions through tasks 2 and 3, the Consultant will engage the community and stakeholders to refine the vision for this section of the City’s river corridor and make recommendations not just for the RiverLands trail alignment, but a broader vision that identifies other opportunities to enhance the corridor. These could include new trails, parks, environmental restoration projects, river access points, and more.

• The Consultant will also prepare a series of alternate alignments for the Riverlands Trail and typical cross sections for each. All alternatives shall comply with Atlanta DOT, ARC, GDOT and USDOT complete streets and related policies. The analysis of alternate trail alignments will include:

o An evaluation of the overall benefits and challenges of each alignment o The relative feasibility and constructability of each alternative, including cost estimates o An evaluation of the impacts on rights-of-way, utilities, and environment o An evaluation of potential tie-in points with proposed connector trails (such as Proctor

Creek Greenway) and access to corridor destinations o Environmental and other mitigation options to address potential impacts (including adverse impacts to ecology, archeology, natural resources, historic resources, EJ communities, etc.), and safety countermeasures.

• The study will identify the preferred trail concept or combine the alternatives into one composite preferred concept to be further advanced in Task 5. The Consultant will provide a justification for the preferred alignment and description of the decision-making process for selecting the preferred concept in the study documentation.

Task 4 Deliverables

• Technical memorandum illustrating and evaluating alternative alignments for the “main stem”

RiverLands trail, “tributary trail” connections, and recommendation of preferred alignment that addresses GDOT requirements for the concept report (Task 5)

• Summary presentation on task findings

Task 5: Draft GDOT Concept Report for the Atlanta Reach RiverLands Trail (Atlanta Reach only)

• The Consultant will develop detailed typical sections and concept layout of the preferred alignment of the “main stem” RiverLands trail and prepare a draft Concept Report following GDOT guidelines.

The draft Concept Report will include preliminary environmental screening, parcel count, identification of potential utilities, itemized cost estimates, potential schedule, and concept layout and typical sections for the preferred alignment, equivalent to approximately 15% design.

• Note: The Concept Report will be considered a Draft as it will not be reviewed or submitted to GDOT for approval. GDOT will not review the Concept Report until future federal or state transportation funds are awarded for further design and construction.

Task 5 Deliverables

• Draft GDOT Concept Report

Task 6: Atlanta Reach Scoping Study Final Report and Implementation Strategy (Atlanta Reach only)

• The Consultant will draft a Final Report that clearly illustrates the proposed project to a broad range of audiences. The report should include the study vision and goals, methodology, engagement process, existing conditions and technical analysis, and program and project recommendations beyond the RiverLands trail. These recommendations may refine existing or propose new trail connections, identify key property acquisitions, new park locations, river access points, regulatory framework compliance, complementary development and land use strategies, and ecological rehabilitation/restoration projects.

o The Atlanta Reach Scoping Study Final Report (working title only) should be graphically compelling and written in plain, approachable language. It should present a clear story and plan for how Atlanta will reconnect with the Chattahoochee River.

• The Consultant will develop an Implementation Strategy that lays out logical phases for the implementation of the Atlanta Reach. The Implementation Strategy should identify discrete trail segments and other specific projects and other plan elements for implementation in logical phases, providing cost estimates and potential sources of funding, timelines from preliminary engineering to construction, and potential implementation partners and responsibilities.

o The Implementation Strategy should be a stand-alone document, with a summary or main components included in the Atlanta Reach Scoping Study Final Report. This Implementation Strategy should be particularly compelling as it will be a crucial document to grow further support for the RiverLands section in Atlanta and raise capital for future construction.

Task 6 Deliverables

• Atlanta Reach Scoping Study Final Report

• Atlanta Reach Implementation Strategy

• Presentation on the Study Final Report and Implementation Strategy

The Atlanta Reach Scoping Study Final Report shall include the relevant deliverables listed throughout the Scope of Services (and summarized here), either as an appendix or integrated into the Final Report:

• Project Management Plan (*Note: this will be the PMP for both the Atlanta Reach and CBC)

• Community & Stakeholder Engagement Plan (*Note: this will be the CSEP for both the Atlanta

Reach and CBC)

• Community & Stakeholder engagement report summarizing all community and stakeholder outreach meetings, events, surveys, survey responses, community feedback, public comments received, and responses provided (*Note: this may be an engagement summary for both the Atlanta Reach and CBC)

• Existing conditions and analysis report

• Alternative alignments and preferred alternative technical memorandum

• Draft GDOT Concept Report

• Implementation Strategy, including detailed cost estimates

• Project website and communication materials

Format of Task 6 deliverables:

• Single combined PDF file of the final report document which includes the summary report, concept layout, typical sections and the remaining full documentation as appendices (as described above).

• PDF file of Atlanta Reach Implementation Strategy

• In addition to the final reports, please provide individual files of each of the following:

o Preferred and alternative concept plan layout and typical sections (PDF) o Environmental/historic resource screening memo (PDF) o Cost Estimate (PDF & Excel) o A USB thumb drive containing electronic files in their original formats with supporting graphics and GIS or other data files (Word, Excel, InDesign, CAD, etc.)

Task 7: Chattahoochee Brick Company Site Vision and Program (CBC only)

• The Consultant, building on the context of the Atlanta Reach and a deep understanding of the history and current site conditions of the CBC, will work with the public, the CBC Board, and the City to develop an overall vision and program for the site that considers, at a minimum o Its physical and programmatic relationship to the Atlanta Reach o The site history and public interpretation of that history and its context o Memorialization of people who labored and suffered at the CBC o Access to Proctor Creek and the Chattahoochee River o Active and passive recreation o Ecological rehabilitation/restoration o Environmental education o Connectivity to and within the site

Task 7 Deliverables

• Chattahoochee Brick Company Vision and Program Document

• Presentation on Vision and Program

Task 8: Chattahoochee Brick Company Conceptual Site Plan and Redevelopment Strategy (CBC only)

• Building on the existing conditions assessment (Task 3) and the vision and program for the site (Task 7), The Consultant will develop a detailed site plan and redevelopment strategy for the memorial, greenspace, and park. Multiple site plan concepts should be developed and refined into a final plan through community and City feedback and guidance from the Advisory Board.

o The site plan will be the depiction of the physical elements of the future memorial, greenspace, and park o The redevelopment strategy will provide a description and specifics on:

• The interpretation and presentation of the site’s history to visitors

• Memorialization of the victims of convict leasing,

• Passive and active recreation facilities and programming

• Environmental rehabilitation/restoration projects

• Water access o The redevelopment strategy will also provide high level cost estimates, proposed project implementation phasing, proposed educational or other programs, and maintenance and management considerations.

• CBC Parcel Consolidation and Replat: Upon completion of the conceptual site plan, the Consultant will prepare a replatting plan for the site parcels that reflects the division of purview over the site between the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the Department of Watershed Management (DWM). The conceptual site plan and consultation with DPR and DWM will determine the boundaries of the replatted parcels. No active recreation may be programmed for the DWM portion of the site.

o The Parrott Commerce parcels (Exhibit 6b) will not be replatted.

Task 8 Deliverables:

• Chattahoochee Brick Company Site Plan (concepts and final plan)

• Chattahoochee Brick Company Redevelopment Strategy document

• Summary presentation of Site Plan and Redevelopment Strategy

• Replat of CBC property reflecting DPR and DWM parcels, ready for recording by the City

Format of Task 8 deliverables:

• PDF files of the Site Plan and Redevelopment Strategy documents

• Printed presentation board(s) of Site Plan and other static visuals (renderings, models, etc.)

• PDF of new CBC plat ready for recording

• Cost Estimate (PDF & Excel)

• A USB thumb drive containing electronic files in their original formats with supporting graphics and GIS or other data files (Word, Excel, InDesign, CAD, etc.)

Potential Task 9: Chattahoochee Brick Design Development and Preparation of Construction Documents (CBC only) While not included as a task in this RFP, the City anticipates adding an additional task to take the conceptual site plan through design development and preparation of construction documents.

Near the end of Task 8, the City may choose to negotiate a contract amendment for further design development of the conceptual site plan and the creation of construction documents and cost estimates for one or more phases of the memorial, park, and greenspace. This design work will require additional survey information (topo, trees, utilities, etc.) and will require the design team to have the necessary Georgia licensure to certify construction plans. The City may also need construction observation or administration services.

Additional Exhibits

Exhibit No. Document Name

Exhibit 1 Study Area Map

Exhibit 2 Conceptual Schedule

Exhibit 3 Standing Peachtree Kayak Launch, Partial Plans

Exhibit 4 Chattahoochee RiverLands Trail, Seg. 1 Alignment

Exhibit 5a CBC Brownfield Prospective Purchaser Corrective Action Plan

Exhibit 5b Environmental Precautions for Workers at CBC Brownfield Site

Exhibit 5c Phase 1 Environmental Assessment, CBC Site

Exhibit 5d Phase 2 Environmental Assessment, CBC Site

Exhibit 6a Parcel assemblage Survey, CBC Site

Exhibit 6b Parcel assemblage, Parrott Commerce

Exhibit 7a Phase 1 Cultural Resources Survey & Cemetery Delineation, CBC Site

Exhibit 7b CBC Tunnels Letter

Exhibit 7c CBC Cemetery Investigation Report

Exhibit 8 Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards