RFEI Valles Caldera 09-20-2023.pdf

Request for Expressions of Interest for

Potential Leasing Opportunity Valles Caldera National Preserve

Notice ID: RFEI-VALL-2023

Notice Date: September 20, 2023

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Request for Expressions of Interest Leasing Opportunity Valles Caldera NP

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

RFEI PURPOSE AND NPS INTENT FOR FACILITY ACTIVITIES

SUPPORTING THE NPS/VALL PURPOSE AND MISSION

LEASING AUTHORITY

FAIR MARKET VALUE RENT

PROHIBITED USES

PREMISES

QUARTERS (A, E, & F) QUADPLEXES

CONFERENCE COMPLEX

MAINTAINED LANDSCAPE

CHAPEL OFFICE

CHAPEL FOURPLEX

RFEI PROCESS AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

QUESTION SUBMISSION

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

SUBMISSION FORMAT

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

NEXT STEPS

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Summary The National Park Service (NPS) invites individuals and/or organizations to express their interest in leasing, rehabilitating, preserving and maintaining one or more properties the NPS may acquire to become part of Valles Caldera National Preserve.

This is a Request For Expressions of Interest (RFEI) only. This RFEI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue a RFP in the future. Further, the National Park Service (NPS) is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals.

Opportunity The NPS has a variety of facilites included in a potential acqusition that may be appropriate for leasing.

Location Jemenz Springs, Sandoval County, New Mexico

Properties Eight facilities total; leasing may apply to some or all of the facilites

Financial Requirements

Will vary, depending upon the legal instrument under which the lease is authorized and level of capital investment; rent will be based on fair market value and adjustment of rates for rehabilitation costs may offset the rent.

Term Varying term lengths may be considered, but in any case not less than 10 years nor more than 60 years.

Site Tour October 11, 2023. Registration required by September 29, 2023

Questions Due October 25, 2023

Responses Due November 15, 2023

NPS Contact imr_leasing@nps.gov

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Introduction The National Park Service (NPS) announces a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) seeking responses from individuals, educational institutions, government agencies or entities, and non-profit or for-profit organizations, interested in the preservation and re-use of one or more facilities currently proposed for NPS acquisition for Valles Caldera National Preserve (VALL, or the Preserve) through a lease with the National Park Service.

The NPS is working to acquire real property within the Via Coeli Monastery from the Servants of the Paraclete - Generala. Surrounding properties are occupied by the Preserve to the north, private property to the south, vacant land to the west (under purchase contract by the U.S. Forest Service), and the Jemez National Historic Landmark to the east. The facilities intended to be offered for potential leasing as described in this RFEI are more thoroughly described in the Premises section below.

Interested Respondents should focus on contributing to the Preserve’s mission as described below.

RFEI Purpose and NPS Intent for Facility Activities The purpose of this RFEI is to identify and engage, through a non-binding process, entities with the interest and capacity to rehabilitate, occupy and maintain all or some of the facilities included in the Premises, should the NPS acquire these facilities for VALL.

The purpose of NPS/VALL acquiring these facilities and developing a potential outside leasing partner is to (1) provide residential housing to NPS seasonal and permanent employees of the Preserve, along with visiting scientists, students, volunteers and collaborators, (2) provide support services for meetings, trainings, conferences, educational classes and other NPS-related groups, and (3) fulfill the logistical requirements of an NPS Research Learning Center (RLC) that was created in 2020 and is now operational on the Preserve and Bandelier National Monument. The NPS recognizes the facilities included in the potential acquisition may be more than the NPS requires, so is seeking entities interested in this potential leasing opportunity.

Details about the RFEI process, deadlines and submission requirements are provided in the RFEI Process and Submission Requirements sections at the end of this document.

Supporting the NPS/VALL Purpose and Mission Valles Caldera National Preserve was first established by Congress in 2000 and was managed under the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the creation of the Valles Caldera Trust. On December 19, 2014, Valles Caldera National Preserve was designated as a unit of the national park system, with the National Park Service assuming management on October 1, 2015. Valles Caldera is in the Jemez Mountains in north-central New Mexico. The 88,900-acre preserve encompasses almost all the volcanic caldera within a single almost square area mostly surrounded by the Santa Fe National Forest. The Pueblo of Santa Clara shares a boundary with the Preserve along the northeast rim of the caldera. Bandelier National Monument is an adjacent neighbor to the southeast, and one of the three Manhattan Project National Historical Park sites is nearby in Los Alamos.

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Valles Caldera National Preserve’s primary mission is the protection, preservation, and restoration of ecosystems and cultural landscapes within an outstanding example of a volcanic caldera for the purpose of education, scientific research, public enjoyment and use, and cultural continuity. The following bullets detail the Preserve’s significance statements. More information on the Preserve can be found at www.nps.gov/VALL.

• Valles Caldera possesses exceptional value in illustrating and interpreting massive explosive volcanic eruptions, caldera formation, and the functioning of active geothermal systems. Valles Caldera is one of the world’s best examples of an intact volcanic caldera and is considered the worldwide “type locality” for caldera resurgence.

• Valles Caldera is a place where one can directly experience pre-agricultural heritage and reflect on inconspicuous cultural landscapes where hunting and gathering were practiced successfully for more than 10,000 years. Past peoples across the continent were drawn to Valles Caldera to utilize its rich geologic deposits of high-quality obsidian for tools and weapons, making this location one of the most significant cultural obsidian sources in North America. To this day, the caldera is used by local pueblo and tribal peoples and is cherished by more than two dozen American Indian groups.

• The land use history of Valles Caldera encapsulates the story of early Spanish and Mexican settlement across the present-day American Southwest and the socio-political shifts that occurred when the territory was annexed by the United States at the end of the Mexican American War in 1848. Previously known as Baca Location No. 1, Valles Caldera exemplifies the legacy of how the establishment, utilization, and changing ownership of Spanish and Mexican land grants transformed the Southwest.

• Valles Caldera’s unusual setting—high elevation, caldera topography, unfragmented habitats, and key hydrologic role at the top of the watershed—presents a dynamic learning landscape for the scientific study and restoration of ecosystem processes that are recovering from three centuries of human disturbances and challenged by contemporary and future climate change.

• Valles Caldera’s distinct topographic mosaic of expansive valley meadows, lush forested volcanic domes, meandering valley streams, and old growth Ponderosa pine groves are in striking contrast to the arid New Mexico landscapes at lower elevations. With caldera vistas from rim to rim, elk and other wildlife viewing, dark night skies, winter skiing, excellent hunting and fishing opportunities, and backcountry solitude, the landscape provides extraordinary year-round recreational opportunities and visitor experiences.

• Valles Caldera National Preserve was first established in 2000 as an unprecedented national experiment in public land management through which the U.S. Congress sought to evaluate the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of decentralized public land management. The 15-year experiment continues to contribute to the national dialogue on the role of protected areas for long-term economic and environmental sustainability and innovative approaches to place-based and science-based adaptive management.

Leasing Authority NPS regulation 36 CFR Part 18 gives NPS the authority to lease park area real property to third parties. The use must be consistent with the purposes established by law for the park area (36 CFR 18.4(c)) and the lease must also be compatible with the programs of the National Park https://doimspp-my.sharepoint.com/personal/ericaharris_nps_gov/Documents/Shared%20with%20Others/www.nps.gov/VALL

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Service (36 CFR 18.4(d)).

1. The properties will be offered for lease through a public bid process announced by public notice, with the following exception:

a. The park may enter directly into leases with non-profits (501(c)(3) status) or units of government without a bid process if the associated use would “contribute to the purposes and programs of the park.”

2. Lessees would be required to pay at least “fair market value rent” (36 CFR 18.5). As required by NPS policy, the rent amount would be reassessed periodically to ensure payment of at least fair market value as the value of the property changes with structural rehabilitation, utility improvements, and other factors. The cost of rehabilitation for occupancy may be used to offset the rent. (See subsection, “Fair Market Value Rent,” below.)

3. Lessees would be responsible for repairs, rehabilitation, utility improvements, and ongoing and cyclic maintenance needs. Under each lease agreement, a preservation/maintenance plan may be developed in consultation with Preserve staff.

Fair Market Value Rent Part 18 requires “payment of rent to the government equal to or higher than the property’s fair market value rent.” The determination of fair market value rent will consider (a) any restriction on the use of the property; and (b) requirements for the lessee to restore, rehabilitate or otherwise improve the leased property. The actual rehabilitation costs associated with the work described in the Premises section may be used to offset the rent. The fair market value rent will be included in a future Request for Proposals.

Prohibited Uses Prohibited uses of any of the facilities offered for lease include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Gambling

• Adult entertainment

• Livestock

• Other uses that do not adequately support the NPS/VALL mission as determined by the

NPS.

Premises The Premises consists of eight facilities within the Via Coeli Monastery, the parcel of land the NPS is in the process of acquiring. The NPS intends to retain responsibility of parking areas, access roads, and underground utilities associated with the facilities, and there are certain facilities that will not be eligible for leasing, such as the chapel.

The following chart summarizes the facilities available for potential leasing opportunities. The NPS will consider various lease configurations and will consider issuing leases to multiple entities depending on the interest received. For example, the NPS may issue one lease for all

Page | 7 facilities, a lease for a single facility, or a combination of facilities. Each facility is described in detail below the chart with corresponding maps.

Map Label Description SF Unit Age

NPS Estimate of Required

Improvements*

A Quadplex 1,694 SF 1980 $574,917 E Quadplex 1,694 SF 1980 $574,917 F Quadplex 1,694 SF 1980 $574,917 H Conference Center 9,000 SF 1970s $1,123,408 G Conference Annex 2,608 SF 1970s $351,672 N Conference Frontage 2,528 SF 1970s $347,019

Not depicted Maintained Landscape 8.4 Acre $376,678

R Chapel Office 1,000 SF 1950s $368,374 T Chapel Fourplex 1,000 SF 1950s $377,950

*The NPS provides estimates to assist interested parties in developing the response to this RFEI. The Service does not guarantee that these estimates and assumes no liability for their accuracy. Respondents are expected to compile and present their own estimates.

Overview Map (not-to-scale)* Satellite Map of Overview Map

*Facilities shown on the map that are not listed in the chart above are excluded from this RFEI opportunity.

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Quarters (A, E, & F) Quadplexes The Quarters are modular quadplex housing units. The total footprint of each quad is 1,694 square feet, with each unit measuring 300 square feet, containing one bedroom and one bathroom, and no kitchen. None of the quads are Americans with Disabilities/Architectural Barriers Act (ADA/ABA) accessible.

Each quad has its own mechanical room that contains the electrical breaker box, water heater, ceiling access panel, and crawlspace access. Heating is provided through electric baseboard and wall thermostats, and while the electrical wiring is in good condition, it does not meet current codes for sleeping quarters. The underfloor plumbing is in good shape, though the water lines into the building are galvanized steel.

The exterior is stucco on wood framed walls with an asphalt sheet roof with impregnated gravel, gabled with low pitch and minimal overhangs of 9 inches. The windows are aluminum framed single-hung or sliders with double pane glazing and exterior doors are steel jacketed with standard locksets and round handles. All interior doors are painted hollow core with a standard round doorknob.

NPS Estimated Improvements. The NPS has identified the following maintenance items and capital improvements that need to be cured.

Respondents are expected to make their own determination of the improvements needed for their defined use.

• Deferred maintenance items:

o Replace roofing membrane on all quads. Repair decking on each quad if needed.

Replace drip edge throughout.

o Repair/replace fascia on all units. Paint fascia. Option: trim with factory painted metal fascia.

o Replace unsupported concrete aprons between units. One is verifiable, the other twelve need to be checked for settling.

o Replace aluminum windows with vinyl insulated low-emissivity glass.

o Repair and re-stucco all walls on all quads.

o Patch and paint interior.

Quad interior

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• NPS potential improvements for use:

o Add kitchenettes to each unit, including all associated plumbing and electrical.

o Upgrade electrical to arc-faulty wiring and breakers in each bedroom unit.

o Add electrical service disconnects to each building.

o Install hardwired smoke detectors. Add pull stations and horn-strobe fire alarms.

o Install fire suppression system.

o Separate electrical panel box from water heater by code.

o Add electrical service disconnect to each quad and separate electrical meters for each unit.

o Add insulation to underside of floor joists.

o Apply termite treatment to perimeter wood areas of the crawlspace.

o Install security system.

Conference Complex The conference complex consists of several interconnected structures. The larger two-story structure consists of an upper level that is accessible from the upper parking lot and portico. There is a very large conference room, a waiting room, office, and several restrooms on this level. There are three stairwells that go to the lower level. One goes from the large commercial kitchen down to the pantry area in the lower level and the other two go from the office to the large conference room. The east upper wing is connected in parallel with the covered portico and has been opened to create two larger rooms with bathrooms. The west wing has the commercial kitchen and dining hall with an enclosed breezeway, connected to smaller building that contains a restroom with shower, laundry room and smaller residential type kitchen with central dining area. The North porch is enclosed and is a heated space and has an accessible ramp on the exterior. The lower level has storage areas, a smaller meeting hall, and offices. There is a loading dock that has a metal shed roof over most of the dock areas. Under the shed roof is a recycling storage area that consists of a four-wall structure with chicken wire on the ceiling and double door. The exterior is stucco finished.

The electrical power runs from a pole mounted transformer to a distribution panel that feeds the Conference center and four south buildings. The building heating is liquified petroleum (LP) gas as are the commercial kitchen stoves and ovens. There are five rooftop evaporative coolers and side wall mounted evaporative coolers in addition to hot water heat exchangers in the closets

Page | 10 next to the large conference room.

NPS Estimated Improvements. The NPS has identified the following maintenance items and capital improvements to be cured. Respondents are expected to make their own determination of the improvements needed for their defined use.

• Deferred maintenance items:

o Remove and replace roof membranes. Remove down to decking and install new polyisocyanurate thermal insulation (ISO) board insulation and tapered insulation board, new cover board and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane. Replace decking if needed.

o Remove and replace roll-roofing with a fully adhered PVC membrane system.

Replace roof decking if needed.

o Repair Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems (EIFS) along building perimeter of Building G and Building H.

o Install smoke/fire alarms/strobes.

• NPS potential improvements for use:

o Install security system.

o Install fire suppression system.

o Provide ramps and parking for ADA/ABA accessibility to lower conference rooms and offices.

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Maintained Landscape The grounds around the conference center and quadplexes have been maintained well, although there are several areas of garden remains and several large stumps throughout the complex that need to be removed. Shrubs and trees need to be trimmed or pruned. The site walls are generally in decent condition, though some sections have been hit by cars and the site walls by the old pool are in disrepair.

NPS Estimated Improvements. The NPS has identified the following maintenance items and capital improvements that need to be cured. Respondents are expected to make their own determination of the improvements needed for their defined use.

• Deferred maintenance items:

o Repair site walls.

o Repair and repoint stone site walls.

o Replace and widen failing sidewalks.

• NPS potential improvements for use:

o Remove invasive tree species along creek and into property.

o Add concrete ramps and landings for improved accessibility to all buildings.

Chapel Office The chapel office is a single-story wood framed building with stucco finish. The house is a rectangle of four rooms with one full-bath and one half-bath and has a covered porch on the front and back.

The back porch is several feet off the ground and has steps/handrail that lead off one side. The front porch has railing on all sides with one step down toward the Chapel portico. The windows are aluminum-framed with insulating glass. The yard is fenced in with five feet high chain-link.

NPS Estimated Improvements. The NPS has identified the following maintenance items and capital improvements that need to be cured. Respondents are expected to make their own determination of the improvements needed for their defined use.

• Deferred maintenance items:

o Asbestos-containing materials (ACM) testing and abatement.

o Replace corrugated metal roof.

o Replace windows.

o Patch and re-stucco exterior walls.

o Replace floor finishes.

o Patch and paint interior walls.

• NPS potential improvements for use:

o Install fire suppression system.

o Install active smoke/fire alarm and security.

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Chapel Fourplex The fourplex is part of the chapel complex and shares a block wall and two gates forming a courtyard on the west side of the chapel. The units consist of only one room with a separate 3/4 restroom and a small closet in the bathroom next to the shower. There are not any provisions for kitchen or dining area. Due to the layout of the restrooms (back-to-back) the floor plan does not lend itself to remodeling two units into one without completely removing one full bathroom. The block walls are six feet high, and the gates are metal and three feet wide. Both gates are lockable, and the walls are stucco. There is a sidewalk in front of the gates with steps up into each of the four units. They are all on the same level. The building is framed stucco. The entrance doors face the East. Due to the interior, exterior door sizes, and size of the bathrooms, the NPS does not believe these units would not be good candidates for ADA/ABAAS retrofit.

The heat is electrical baseboard and there is no air conditioning or evaporative cooling. There are two electric water heaters that serve two units each.

NPS Estimated Improvements. The NPS has identified the following maintenance items and capital improvements that need to be cured. Respondents are expected to make their own determination of the improvements needed for their defined use.

• Deferred maintenance items:

o ACM Testing and abatement.

o Replace windows.

o Patch and re-stucco exterior walls.

o Replace floor finishes.

o Patch and paint interior walls after windows are replaced.

• NPS potential improvements for use:

o Install fire protection.

o Install active smoke/fire alarm and security.

o Structural repairs if needed.

RFEI Process and Submission Requirements This RFEI is NOT intended as a formal offering for the award of any legal authorization.

Respondents should not assume that they will receive any preference in connection with any future solicitation should they choose to submit materials in response to this RFEI.

NPS expects to review responses to this RFEI and use the information in the finalization of the acquisition and to potentially generate specific considerations for a formal Request for Proposals.

The NPS reserves the right at its sole discretion to withdraw or discontinue the RFEI in whole or in part and to use the ideas or materials submitted in responses to this RFEI in any manner deemed to be in the best interests of the NPS, including, but not limited to, the undertaking of the prescribed work in a manner other than that which is set forth herein. The NPS likewise reserves the right, at any time, to change any components, concepts, or approaches of the RFEI. All costs associated with responding to the RFEI are the sole responsibility of the respondent and any such costs shall not be reimbursed by the NPS. Materials submitted to NPS in connection with this RFEI will not be returned.

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Site Tour A site tour will be held to allow interested parties to observe existing conditions at each of the properties, including building interiors. The site tour will be held on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon Mountain Daylight Time. Additional information regarding the site tour will be sent to interested parties who register for the site visit.

Registration is required to attend the site visit. To register, contact Bob Parmenter, Valles Caldera National Preserve, at (505) 699-6203 or Robert_Parmenter@nps.gov no later than 4:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time on September 29, 2023.

Question Submission Please email questions regarding this RFEI or related issues to imr_leasing@nps.gov by 4:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time, October 25, 2023.

Submission Deadline Please email your Expression of Interest response by 4:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, November 15, 2023, to Jennifer Parker, Commercial Services Program Lead, National Park Service Interior Regions 6, 7 & 8, at imr_leasing@nps.gov.

Submission Format Provide all information in a letter-size (8-1/2x11 inch) format using either 10-, 11- or 12-point font for all text, with page margins of one inch on all sides. Expressions of Interest must be submitted electronically. The electronic copy must be in a Microsoft Office program or an Adobe PDF electronic version that allows for copying and pasting of text. Please limit responses to a maximum of ten pages, including cover letter.

Any page with proprietary or confidential information must be noted with a disclaimer.

However, respondents should be aware that proposals are broadly subject to public disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552).

Submission Criteria Please provide the following in your expression of interest:

1. Cover Letter, expressing your interest and including your name, company, or organization (if applicable), and contact information (phone, address, email address).

2. Concept

○ Facility or Facilities in which you are interested.

○ The type of use proposed.

○ Explain how this use supports the purpose and mission of the Preserve.

○ A statement acknowledging these facilities have deferred maintenance or other deficiencies that must be addressed prior to occupancy, in addition to any other improvements you elect to make for your intended use.

○ Any additional information or considerations relevant to the respondent’s concept or experience.

mailto:imr_leasing@nps.gov mailto:imr_leasing@nps.gov

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3. Business and Financial Considerations o Briefly describe your financial capacity to perform the rehabilitation, construction and improvements required for each facility you propose to lease.

Next Steps The National Park Service will review responses to the RFEI to help inform the acquisition process. Should the NPS acquire these facilities, it may issue, based on the results of the RFEI, a formal Request for Proposals. At that later date, proposals will be evaluated with the intent to select a lessee or lessees for one or more of the facilities being offered for lease. Eventual selection of the lessee(s) will not be solely based on financial factors such as the ability to generate income for the Preserve. Because of the required commitment by the lessee to rehabilitate any facility being leased, NPS intends to ultimately award a lease or leases to the entity or entities who can best demonstrate their ability to meet the other purposes of the leasing program by preserving these historic resources and further contributing to the purposes of the Preserve.

- END RFEI-