Master preservation plan for three greenbelt historic cemeteries

The City of Greenbelt is seeking proposals from qualified historic preservation and cultural planning professionals to develop a Master Preservation Plan for three historic cemeteries (Walker, Turner, and Hamilton) located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The comprehensive project requires extensive documentation, research, and strategic planning for cemetery preservation, maintenance, and potential heritage tourism integration. Specific deliverables include archaeological evaluations, site assessments, architectural documentation, treatment recommendations, maintenance guidelines, and a detailed preservation master plan. Evaluation criteria will assess the responding firms across five key areas: overall firm/team experience (10%), project team qualifications (25%), project approach and schedule (35%), project cost (20%), and references (10%). The solicitation timeline requires potential proposers to submit questions by January 29, 2025, with answers posted by January 31, 2025, and final proposals due by February 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM. The selected consultant will be expected to conduct multiple presentations to city staff, stakeholders, and City Council, with project completion anticipated by March 30, 2026.

The contract has specific requirements that proposing firms must meet, including registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and compliance with Living Wage regulations mandated by the State of Maryland. The project is funded through a combination of City of Greenbelt resources and a Maryland Heritage Areas Authority Program Capital Grant administered by the Maryland Historical Trust, with a total project budget of $70,000. The project will require collaboration with the Prince George's County Planning Department and will incorporate existing Maryland Inventory of Historic Property Forms. Proposers must submit both electronic and hard copy proposals, with the final deliverables including a minimum of five bound printed copies and digital versions of the master plan. The scope includes detailed work such as locating cemetery boundaries, mapping grave markers, conducting archaeological evaluations, assessing ADA accessibility, developing maintenance guidelines, and creating a comprehensive tree inventory. The project also involves evaluating both in-situ grave markers and approximately six markers currently stored at the Greenbelt Public Works Department, with specific recommendations needed for their preservation and potential display.