BAR Planning - Revitalization Along the Mad River – Winsted, CT

The Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG) on behalf of the Town of Winsted, Connecticut, is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for comprehensive planning services related to the Brownfield Area Revitalization (BAR) program funded through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). The procurement seeks qualified consulting teams to develop a comprehensive redevelopment strategy for a designated planning area along the Mad River in Winsted, as delineated in the BAR Program Planning Area Map. Required service categories include Urban Planning and Design, Civil and/or Structural Engineering, Environmental Assessment (Licensed Environmental Professionals), Market and Economic Analysis, and Architecture and/or Landscape Architecture, with one unit of each discipline required. Key project deliverables include environmental and structural reviews focusing primarily on 10A Bridge Street and 35 Willow Street, with desktop and street-level reviews for additional properties contingent upon property owner responsiveness and access availability; leadership of comprehensive public outreach efforts including community meetings and stakeholder discussions; and development of feasibility analyses for future uses and developments. The project timeline is anticipated at 12 months, though proposers may suggest alternative durations. The vendor question and answer period runs from December 5, 2025 through January 9, 2026 at 8:00 A.M. EST, with proposals due on January 23, 2026 at 11:00 A.M. EST. Consultants must submit cost proposals on a lump-sum-by-task basis and should note that environmental site assessments and on-site assessments are subject to a 25% budget cap as regulated by DECD. The primary contact for inquiries is Rista Malanca at the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, 355 Goshen Road, PO Box 832, Litchfield, Connecticut 06759, telephone 860-491-9884 extension 102.

This RFP is open to all vendors without stated restrictions or set-asides, though the Town of Winsted, as an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, actively encourages applications from Minority and Women's Business Enterprises. No specific award value or budget range is provided in the solicitation documents; however, the scope flexibility and lump-sum-by-task cost structure suggest cost proposals will be evaluated as part of the selection process. One existing environmental report—the "Pin Factory Lofts Progress Report" for 10A Bridge Street—is currently available from NHCOG and has been provided to bidders as background information, demonstrating the Town's commitment to an ongoing residential revitalization initiative within the project area. No surveys, site plans, area-wide plans, or preliminary conceptual development ideas are currently on file with NHCOG or the Town, and no private or municipal development projects are currently planned for the site area, allowing the consultant significant latitude in developing the redevelopment strategy. The NHCOG will manage all property access agreements on behalf of the consultant, and limited on-site environmental and structural testing may be conducted if necessary to determine feasibility of future uses, though no testing is currently specified.