P24CA024 Sonoma SHP Historic Style Event Space and Lodging RFP

The California Department of Parks and Recreation is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a 50-year concession contract to develop, equip, operate, and maintain the Blue Wing Inn, a historic two-story adobe structure located at Sonoma State Historic Park in Sonoma County. The facility will operate as a nonexclusive historic-style event space and lodging operation accommodating up to five guest rooms (three with kitchens) and event space for up to 150 guests, with required 24-hour daily lodging service throughout the contract term. The concessionaire must complete comprehensive facility improvements with a minimum capital expenditure of $5,000,000 across five phases within twelve months of contract commencement, with the facility's interpretive period focused on 1849 to 1856 when James C. Cooper operated a hotel and saloon at the site. Proposers must demonstrate at least five years of relevant business experience and possess documented financial capacity to access the required $5,000,000 in development funding through personal finances, loans, or other sources. The evaluation criteria include proposer experience (25 points), operation plan (25 points), facility plan (25 points), rental offer (10 points), interpretive plan (10 points), and small business preference (5 points) for a maximum of 100 points. Critical deadlines include a mandatory pre-proposal meeting and site tour on May 18, 2026, at 4:00 PM; letters of intent to bid and written questions due by 5:00 PM on June 16, 2026; and proposals due by 2:00 PM on September 15, 2026, with evaluation occurring between September and November 2026, a notice of intent to award expected in December 2026, and contract award in January 2027.

The RFP includes a small business preference designation offering up to five evaluation points, though no specific disadvantaged enterprise set-asides are detailed in the provided documentation. There is no incumbent currently operating at the Blue Wing Inn location. The concessionaire will be responsible for all construction permits, environmental compliance costs, and prevailing wage obligations, with the State reimbursing only specified permit-related costs. Minimum annual rent is the greater of $24,000 or eight percent of Gross Receipts, with rent waived for the first four contract years to support construction and renovation, commencing in Year Five with Consumer Price Index adjustments thereafter. The concessionaire must establish a Facility Maintenance and Improvement Account requiring monthly deposits of four percent of Gross Receipts, maintain proposal and performance bonds of $5,000 and $24,000 respectively, and obtain comprehensive insurance coverage including general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate and property insurance on the $9,500,000 facility replacement cost. All facility improvements become State property upon completion with no compensation to the concessionaire at contract termination.