6-RFP 25-53, TJC Activation Partnerships.docx

Montgomery County RFP 25-53 Planning Commission Trail Junction Center Activation Partnerships

PROJECT SUMMARY

Montgomery County is seeking proposals from for-profit, non-profit, and public entities (including various county departments) for short-term business and programming activities to support the activation of the Trail Junction Center (TJC). When fully renovated, the TJC and its site will provide amenities and services for trail users, flexible community space, and potentially additional uses, activities, and programming resulting from this Request for Proposal (RFP). The county will start renovating the building and upgrading the site in fall 2025. This construction work is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. The project site is located at the regionally-significant intersection of the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) and the Chester Valley Trail (CVT) and the intersection of Lafayette and DeKalb Streets at 100 East Lafayette Street, Norristown PA, 19401.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Montgomery County purchased the TJC property in 2007 with plans to connect the CVT with the SRT at this location and to renovate the building (a former railroad freight station) for adaptive reuse as a public facility with trail services and community space. Since its purchase, several studies, reports, and plans including public outreach have been completed. In 2019, extensive site work was completed on the property in conjunction with the Lafayette Street Extension Project. In 2022, the county hired an architectural firm to develop renovation plans for the TJC building, a process that concurrently included additional community and stakeholder engagement. During this effort, it became clear that additional upgrades to the site, beyond the work completed in 2019 were needed to better connect the building with the site, address site issues/deficiencies, and make the site itself a more desirable destination for the community. The county subsequently hired a landscape architect to complete this additional site design work which commenced in June 2023. In March 2023, the connection between the SRT and CVT at the TJC site was officially opened to the public, making nearly 20 miles of the CVT accessible from Norristown to Exton in Chester County.

Through the community and stakeholder engagement conducted since spring 2022 (focused interviews, in-person and online surveys, and three open houses), a set of seven project goals were developed (see attached Summary Graphic of Project Goals and Stakeholder Feedback):

1. TRAIL SERVICES - provide amenities for trail users.

2. GATEWAY - create bi-directional connection between trails and town.

3. DESTINATION - serve as a draw for both the trail and town communities.

4. COMMUNITY BENEFIT - provide social and economic benefits.

5. FLEXIBILITY - design to allow for creative evolution of uses and functions.

6. GUIDING DESIGN PRINCIPLES - create a sustainable, universally-accessible, historically-sensitive, and safe place.

7. PLACE MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE - establish an operational structure for long-term success.

While the first six goals are self-explanatory, the last goal warrants further explanation:

Place Management and Governance encompasses proactively planning for day-to-day operations and maintenance and potentially pursuing a hybrid structure between the county and non-governmental collaborators through Activation Partnerships potentially resulting from this RFP. A key part of this component includes marketing and communications efforts that will support and assist in achieving the above-stated goals.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Besides the design and implementation of physical improvements to the TJC building and site, the county recognizes that the management and governance of the facility is a key component of the project and will play a critical role in its long-term success. Furthermore, the county recognizes that partnering with for-profit, non-profit, and/or public entities in this effort holds great potential. By means of this RFP, the county is seeking potential partners interested in contributing towards making the TJC a vibrant and thriving community facility that provides needed services along with inclusive programming for both trail users and the community-at-large. The county seeks to encourage uses, programming, and activities at the TJC that will be quick-to-start and responsive to the seven project goals outlined above.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

It is anticipated that the building and site improvements will be complete by the end of 2026, if not sooner. The County hopes to establish Activation Partnership agreements in advance of 3Q 2026 in anticipation of the facility’s opening in 4Q 2026 or 1Q 2027. The Activation Partnerships would commence upon the facility’s opening to the public.

PROJECT SCOPE

This RFP invites proposals for potential partnerships and uses for the TJC. Ultimately, through Activation Partnership agreement(s) resulting from this RFP, selected for-profit/non-profit/public partner(s) may occupy a portion of the TJC building and/or site for services and programming that support and achieve the project goals for a defined period of time. For example, some partnerships could be for full-time use of a dedicated indoor and/or outdoor portion of the site — or it is possible that some partners may only be interested in periodic use of a particular portion of the property on a weekly, monthly, or seasonal basis for programming and/or events. Periodic reviews and assessments will be established in the Activation Partnership agreement(s) to monitor progress toward achieving project goals and to mutually evaluate how the partnerships are working over time and modify the agreements if necessary.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. Activation Ideas and Focus Areas:

A wide array of ideas for programming and activation of the TJC have been suggested through the engagement process, ranging from a bike share and repair shop to an artist-in-residence program to pop-up arts and wellness programs to a café and/or food trucks to programming and services provided by various county departments (e.g., annual Montco Trail Challenge events). The following themes were frequently mentioned during stakeholder engagement and represent high-priority focus areas (in no particular order):

a) Health and Wellness: Uses, programming, and activities that relate to physical and mental health potentially involving bicycles, walking, or other types of exercise; these efforts could connect with the adjacent trails.

b) Music and Arts: Uses, programming, and activities that connect the TJC with local music and arts activities such as those already occurring in the vicinity on Norristown Arts Hill in the two theaters there or through the community’s nonprofit organizations.

c) History and Culture: Uses, programming, and activities that highlight the rich local history including the railroad history at the project site and the community’s diverse cultures.

d) Family and Kid-Friendly: Provide families and children with a range of free or low-cost activities ideally through hands-on experiences. Partnering with local institutions such as the Elmwood Park Zoo has been mentioned.

e) Food and Beverage: A desire for food and beverage concessions has been consistently expressed. It could start small just on weekends through food trucks or carts and may later evolve into a permanent café located in the annex space at the western end of the building. The site has been designed to accommodate on-site parking for food trucks with water and electrical outlets located nearby. These services could benefit Norristown residents and businesses as well as the more than a million people who use the SRT and CVT each year.

Please note that the county, and many of the stakeholders engaged, have expressed it will be important to have uses, programming, and activities that span all four seasons in order for the site to thrive as a community and trail hub.

2. Vehicular Access and Parking:

The project site does not have on-site parking and has limited vehicular access. Public parking is currently available at the nearby SEPTA garage located across DeKalb Street and a short walk down the SRT. Additional parking arrangements with nearby property owners have been explored and may become available in the future. Activation Partnership agreements may allow for controlled vehicular access onto the site from Lafayette Street for temporary loading and unloading purposes. An Activation Partnership agreement could accommodate this periodic vehicular access as required with a focus on keeping trail users safe from vehicular conflict. Proposers should mention whether vehicular access onto the site would be desired or required; if applicable, please specify for what purpose and how frequently vehicular access would be needed.

3. Storage:

The TJC facility will have a few storage areas that could potentially be utilized and incorporated as part of the Activation Partnership agreements as needed:

· The large multi-purpose flex space will have a storage area located in its northeast corner that could be used for things like folding chairs and tables, exercise equipment, or outdoor umbrellas. The multi-purpose flex space will also have a small janitorial closet with a utility sink in its southwest corner and some limited space for storage (e.g., electrical cords, cleaning supplies).

· A ships ladder staircase will lead from the lobby up to the attic above the restrooms and annex space. The attic could accommodate some storage space for items that are light and infrequently accessed.

· Stairs along the western wall of the annex space will lead to a basement area. This basement area could provide some storage for users of the annex space.

Proposers should indicate whether any of these storage spaces would be desired or required; if applicable, please specify which storage space would be desired and approximately how much space would be needed for what types of items.

4. Maintenance:

Activation Partnership agreement(s) will clearly delineate maintenance responsibilities. It is expected that the county Division of Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites will continue to care for the CVT and SRT while other county Assets and Infrastructure staff will maintain the four (4) public restrooms and public entry lobby. Maintenance and other custodial needs within the building’s interiors may also be the responsibility of county Assets and Infrastructure staff or potentially the partner(s) using particular spaces depending on the nature and number of the Activation Partnerships established. For example, if one entity were to fully occupy one dedicated area, in that case the Activation Partner would be expected to cover their own custodial needs.

5. Financial:

The county will be financially responsible for the general upkeep and maintenance of the TJC structure and site. Partner(s) will be responsible for all expenses related directly to their business operations, programming, and activities. Expenses related to county sponsored programming and activities will be the responsibility of the county. Details regarding the assumption of utility costs are yet to be determined and will be based on the particular Activation Partnerships established and dependent on their frequency and duration. The imposition of any rental fees will be dependent upon the type of partner (e.g., for-profit, non-profit, or public entities) and the type of use/activity (e.g., interior events that charge a fee versus exterior public events and programming that are free to the public). Specifics regarding financial responsibilities will be addressed in each Activation Partnership Agreement that may result from this RFP solicitation.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Parties interested in responding to this RFP, should submit a proposal, which includes the following information:

1. Name of interested entity or organization.

2. Name of primary contact and contact information (street address, phone number, and email address).

3. Narrative description of proposed business/program/activity plan, including a concise summary of how the proposed idea/activity would respond to the TJC project goals. Please also describe how the proposed idea/activity would produce positive social, economic, environmental, and/or cultural impacts on the TJC and its community resulting in a positive experience for all users.

4. A description of space and utility needs for the proposed idea/activity in narrative form. Proposers are encouraged to include a simple sketch plan, other graphics/images of the concept, and/or site photos of areas of intended use. The attached site and floor plans are available for this purpose if desired. The written and/or graphic proposal should address the following:

a. Specify area of use and describe how much space is required.

b. List any physical needs (e.g., power, water, Wi-Fi, other).

c. Describe any storage needs.

d. Specify vehicular loading/unloading requirements including proposed time of day and frequency of occurrence.

e. Specify desired time periods of use: days of week, times of day, seasons, continuous use, once a year event, periodic participation at any scheduled events, periodic exhibitions or programs, etc.

f. Specify desired duration of Activation Partnership Agreement (e.g., 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years).

The proposal shall be no more than six (6) pages in length. Any graphic materials submitted will not count against the six-page limit.

SITE MEETING

While all interested parties are encouraged and welcome to visit the project site at any time, an on-site meeting with the opportunity to tour the building’s existing interior spaces will be held at 100 East Lafayette Street, Norristown PA, 19401. Date and time will be posted on Bonfire.

BONFIRE

All questions must be submitted through Bonfire by the date listed in the events section for Vendor Discussion Due Date for this solicitation.

All proposals for this solicitation must be submitted through Bonfire by the Close Date listed in the events section of this solicitation.

ATTACHMENTS

· Project Location and Context Map

· Site Photos

· Summary Graphic of Project Goals and Stakeholder Feedback

· Proposed Site Plan

· Existing and Proposed Floor Plans

Trail Junction Center and site following site improvements in 2019.

East end of building.

South side of building.

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