Central District Black Legacy Plan

The City of Seattle is requesting qualifications for the Central District Black Legacy Plan, a community-driven strategic planning initiative for three to five culturally significant parks in the Central District, with qualifications due August 21, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. and questions due August 14, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

The scope requires a consultant or consultant team to lead comprehensive community engagement to identify and commemorate parks celebrating the legacy of pivotal Black activists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and property owners, potentially including William Grose Park, Powell Barnett Park, and Judge Charles M. Stokes Overlook in partnership with the Northwest African American Museum. Deliverables include a community engagement plan, site analysis reports, cultural and historical research, feasibility assessments, high-level cost estimates, and a final strategic plan in editable digital formats.

Minimum qualifications require the lead consultant to hold a minimum of five years' continuous planning experience; the team must include an individual or entity with at least five years' continuous, active experience in public works project planning and a minimum of three years' experience working with frontline community groups, preferably in Seattle's Central District. The consultant must obtain or already possess valid Washington State and City of Seattle business licenses and register with the Washington Secretary of State Corporations prior to contract execution.

The project is expected to span 12 to 18 months from early fall 2026 contract execution through summer 2027 completion, with interviews estimated for September 8–10, 2026. The initiative is funded through the Park CommUNITY Fund, established to advance park equity through participatory budgeting focused on frontline communities. Evaluation criteria emphasize frontline community engagement experience (28.6%), with feasibility assessment capability, outreach methods development, service delivery approach, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion weighted at 14.3% each. The City reserves the right to issue multiple or partial awards or solicit supplemental contracts. No guaranteed utilization amount is specified. Responses are submitted electronically through https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/seattle.