Land Development Code Update

The City of Fort Myers, Florida is requesting proposals for a comprehensive rewrite of its Land Development Code under RFP 26-107, with proposals due November 6, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EST via the OpenGov portal. A local-vendor preference and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program (businesses certified by the State of Florida Office of Supplier Diversity with principal places of business in Lee County) apply to this solicitation.

The scope encompasses nine primary tasks: project initiation and management, existing conditions and code assessment, redevelopment and nonconformity assessment, community and stakeholder engagement, code framework and policy direction, comprehensive LDC drafting, review comment resolution and revision, representative parcel and scenario testing, and adoption and implementation support. Proposals must address mandatory topics including nonconforming use classifications, compliance triggers, proportionality standards, changes and expansions, continuance and discontinuance rules, casualty and reconstruction provisions, site improvements, relief mechanisms, and transition provisions. The rewrite must implement the City's updated Comprehensive Plan, reflect contemporary planning and development practices, improve code predictability and administrative ease, and prioritize redevelopment feasibility as a central organizing principle. All submittals must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA standards.

Key deliverables include a project management plan within two weeks of kickoff, an engagement plan within 30 days, an existing conditions assessment before major code drafting, a preliminary draft within six months, a final draft within nine months, and adoption-ready documents within one year of project start. Cost proposals must be submitted separately and include all fees, labor, expenses, and charges; the cost evaluation applies eight points to the lowest-cost responsive proposer.

Evaluation uses a nine-criterion points-based scoring method: approach to the LDC rewrite (22 points), firm experience and personnel qualifications (19 points), understanding of Fort Myers and technical issues (16 points), project management and quality control (13 points), community and stakeholder engagement (10 points), cost proposal (8 points), deliverables implementation and training (7 points), and past performance and references (5 points). A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for October 16, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. Questions are due October 23, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. The selection committee meeting is scheduled for November 11, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., with presentations potentially occurring November 16 at 8:00 a.m. Required insurance includes commercial general liability ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), professional liability/errors and omissions ($1 million per claim and aggregate with a $100,000 maximum deductible), and workers' compensation at statutory limits with employers' liability minimums of $100,000 per accident and $500,000 policy limit.