RFP 2024_01 Development of 6_34 Acres _ FINAL.pdf

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 1 of 10

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP# 2024-01 | Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton

ADVERTISEMENT:

The City of Tifton is seeking proposals from developers or interested partners for the development of 6.34 acres of land in the City of Tifton. The proposed development site is located at the corner of South Park

Avenue and Old Omega Road in Tifton, Georgia. The City intends for the property to be used for the development of single-family housing and a small grocery store. Prospective developers are encouraged to prepare proposals detailing their development experience, proposed site development details, and conceptual site plan. Proposals will be received at the Office of the City Manager located at Tifton City

Hal1, Second Floor, 130 E. 1st Street until 2:00 PM on April 11, 2024. Proposals received after this time will not be opened or considered. Submittals shall be in a sealed envelope and be clearly marked

RFP #2024-01 Development of 6.34 Acres.

RFP specification packages can be obtained by visiting www.tifton.net. There will be a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting held on February 22, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Tift City Hall to review and answer questions on the RFP requirements.

The City of Tifton, Georgia reserves the right to reject any or all proposals including without limitation, the right to reject any or all nonconforming, nonresponsive, unbalanced, or conditional proposals. It further reserves the right to waive any technicalities and informalities in the proposal process and to make an award in the best interest of the City of Tifton. The City of Tifton provides equal opportunities for all businesses and does not discriminate against any person or business because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, or veteran status.

It is imperative to carefully review and adhere to all requested items contained in the Request for Proposals ("RFP") packet. Respondents are required to submit proposals in strict accordance with the requirements outlined in the RFP documents. The Developer must ensure that all necessary information is submitted for proper analysis. The city will only consider complete proposal packets for review, and incomplete packets will not be reviewed.

Pre-Proposal Meeting February 22, 2024, at 11:00 AM*

Question Submission Deadline March 14, 2024, at 5:00 PM

Proposal Due Date & Opening April 11, 2024, at 2:00 PM*

*Meetings will be held at 130 E First Street, Tifton, GA 31794 http://www.tifton.net/

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 2 of 10

PURPOSE

The City of Tifton is offering a vacant site for development. The City seeks development to the site which will complement the existing neighborhood, provide affordable housing for homeownership, and incorporate space for a small grocery store.

The property consists of 6.34 acres of cleared land located in a residential area and in close proximity to a public school. The property (hereafter called “site”) is located in the South Tifton Redevelopment Area and is currently zoned Multi-Residential (MR).

BACKGROUND ON SOUTH TIFTON GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

In 2018, the City of Tifton completed a South Tifton Redevelopment Strategy and Plan to address issues raised by the neighborhood residents and the Tift County School Board regarding overall declining property values and the need to address vacant and dilapidated properties. This was an area that in the early days provided a place for residents to either rent a mobile home or to park their own mobile home on a leased lot. Over fifty years, the area had declined steadily and had become a major concern for the surrounding neighborhood. Various owners had attempted to manage the property but had not succeeded in revitalizing it. At its heyday, there were over seventy-five mobile homes located on the approximate twelve acres. The City of Tifton purchased the entire 12 acres in two parcels in late 2018 and early 2019.

The city had begun discussions of creating an RFP for the redevelopment of the first phase of the 12 acres and set about in late 2019 to advertise and move forward. By January of 2020, before the outbreak of the

COVID-19 Pandemic, progress had been made on interviewing seven potential firms for the redevelopment of the area. In the RFP process, the City had placed a significant interest on the development of attainable housing with an open mind about home ownership or rental on the first 6.0 acres of the original 12.

Following the release of the RFP in fall of 2019, the firm of Integrity Development Partners was selected in early 2020 and they along with the City applied for a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) grant from the Georgia DCA and subsequently received notice of the award of approximately $12 million in late

2020 to build attainable housing (multi-family apartments) on the land formerly occupied by the Captain’s

Point Mobile Home Park. Finally, the South Tifton Redevelopment Strategy and Plan, which addresses increased residential density, standards for new commercial spaces, a coordinated parking strategy, examination of circulation patterns, and creation of a plan for public investment was beginning to manifest.

The Plan details the city’s desire to invigorate the place where people can shop, work, meet, and gather and to stimulate economic vitality in a way that supports existing businesses as well as adds new businesses that meet resident’s and visitor’s needs. The vision for South Tifton is a district that boasts an active, pedestrian scene and festive atmosphere that attracts both tourists and locals; and provides a destination

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 3 of 10 and gathering place for the community; and offers a diversity of workforce housing opportunities; and preserves existing viable businesses as an integral part of the South Tifton, and provides a compact and pedestrian friendly streetscape.

The City of Tifton’s Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA) has identified the second 6.34 undeveloped acres as a target second phase of residential and potential mixed-use development.

Please refer to the Plan for a more complete description of the city goals and objectives:

https://www.tifton.net/DocumentCenter/View/117/South-Tifton-Redevelopment-Plan-PDF

PROPOSAL DETAILS

Due to the rising costs of residential homes and inflation, many residents within the City of Tifton are unable to purchase a home. Additionally, there is a limited supply of affordable houses. For many developments, the significant costs for infrastructure, such as the installation of water, sewer, stormwater, and roads are among the factors that contribute to a higher sales price. Most of the infrastructure for the

6.34 acres is in place, but some needs updating. The city is willing to work with developers on an incentive package to undertake development of the site. Developing this land will help increase the much-needed housing inventory in the city, specifically in south Tifton.

The City of Tifton is looking for a partner whose proposal has a site plan that includes dense single-family housing ranging from 850-1100 square feet, with small lots, while also including the best use of lighting, buffers, landscaping, fencing, roads, etc. Additionally, we would like to incorporate a small grocery store and any other potential business opportunities that may be feasible. We prefer that the home price range between $150,000 - $200,000. Please do not submit any hand-drawn site plans.

The URA will be tasked with evaluating all proposals and selecting the best proposal for the use of space and community. City staff will present the proposal to the City Council for review and final approval.

https://www.tifton.net/DocumentCenter/View/117/South-Tifton-Redevelopment-Plan-PDF

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 4 of 10

SITE DETAILS

The development site consists of 6.34 acres located at 310 Old Omega Road, Tifton, Georgia.

Map & Parcel T032 122

Site Is Currently Vacant

All Mobile Homes Have Been

Removed.

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 5 of 10

RFP EVALUATION CRITERIA

Submittals will be evaluated by a stakeholder panel utilizing the listed criteria to ensure the proposal selected will result in a quality development. The proposals will be evaluated based on the following weighted criteria:

Evaluation Criteria Maximum

Points

A – Use of Space/Overall Design 40

B – Integration & Compatibility of Proposed Project into the South Tifton Redevelopment Plan

C – Financial Ability 10

D – Proposed Timeline 10

E - Demonstrated Experience & References 10

A – Conceptual Site Plan - The city is not requiring engineered plans. The city will evaluate proposals based on the use of the space, and the overall design. We are looking for the best site plan that includes green space, landscaping, fencing, lot sizes, buffers, roads, etc. The homes are to range between 850-1100 square feet and a price range between $150,000 - $200,000. Below, see subsection B for more details.

B – It is an expectation of the city and the URA that the proposer will be familiar with the South Tifton Redevelopment Plan (STRP) and include references to and integration of the basic development concepts for the revitalized area. Compatibility with the overall design and use elements expressed within the STRP including the aspects of sustainable materials and functionality of the built environment will be an expectation of the review committee and will count significantly in the scoring process. Greenspace and livability details as presented within the proposer’s plan will also be critically considered.

C - Provide the proposed financing mechanisms for the project, to include housing programs, grants, or tax credits. If development will be financed by a bank, please include bank letter of interest and commitment of financing.

D- The proposer shall include a timeline of the proposed development.

E- Please provide two references with contact information. Acceptable references include local government contacts from previous developments, previous partners from developments, homeowners, etc. Additionally, the proposer must provide a summary including two previous project details and examples of the proposer's work product.

Selection is contingent upon the final negotiation of a mutually acceptable contract.

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 6 of 10

QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS RFP:

All questions shall be submitted via email to Dr. Tonja Tift at ttift@tifton.net by March 14, 2024, at

5:00 PM.

Any addendums to this RFP will be posted at: https://www.tifton.net/140/Bid-Opportunities

RFP DEADLINE:

Proposals shall be delivered to the City of Tifton at the below address by 2:00 PM on

April 11, 2024, at which time they will be publicly opened. Proposals shall be submitted in a sealed envelope and be clearly marked with the following information on the outside of the envelope, “RFP# 2024-01 Development of 6.34 Acres.”. Proposal Opening April 11, 2024.

Mail or Hand Deliver RFP Submittals to:

Tifton City Hall

Office of the City Manager

130 E. 1st Street

Tifton, Georgia 31794 mailto:ttift@tifton.net https://www.tifton.net/140/Bid-Opportunities

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 7 of 10

RFP/Bid Sheet

RFP # 2024-01

Development of 6.34 Acres

Name Business/Developer: _________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

Contact Person: __________________________________ Phone: _________________________

Email: __________________________________________________________________________

Required Attachments: Please attach the following items with the submission:

⃝ Summary of Proposed Development and Outcomes (See Evaluation Criteria A.)

⃝ Site Plan – Showing the Number of Houses, Square Footage of Houses, Lot Sizes, Sidewalks, Amenities, etc.

⃝ Conceptual Renderings/Front Elevations for All Housing Types within the Development.

⃝ Estimated Cost for the Development (including rough estimate of the infrastructure cost)

⃝ Financial Information (See Evaluation Criteria C)

⃝ Project Timeline

⃝ Previous Project Details & Examples (minimum of two)

⃝ Two References with Contact Information.

Please refrain from binding submissions as they lose quality when being scanned.

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 8 of 10

Development Site Plat

Tract 2

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 9 of 10

Current Photos of Development Site

Center of Site, Facing South

Northeast Corner of Property (Park Avenue)

Development of 6.34 Acres in South Tifton Page 10 of 10

Southeast Corner of Property