Request for Qualifications Consultant Services

Village Center Master Plan
Village of Wilmette, Illinois
Submittal Deadline: May 30, 2008

Community Background

The Village of Wilmette is seeking a qualified consultant to assist in the development of a Master Plan for Village's Village Center and West Village Center (collectively the "VC").

The Village of Wilmette is located approximately 16 miles north of downtown Chicago. Wilmette is an affluent and progressive community known for its beautiful lakefront, diverse architecture, tree lined streets, well maintained parks and excellent public and private schools.

The Village extends approximately five miles west from Lake Michigan and is approximately one mile wide. Its municipal neighbors include Evanston and Skokie to the south, Glenview to the west and Kenilworth and Northfield to the north.

Demographics € 2000 Census

• Population € 27,651
• Average Household Size - 2.73
• Median Age - 42.2
• Households - 10,039
• Median Family Income - $122,515
• Median Home Value - $441,600

Project Background
For several years, the leaders of the Village of Wilmette have wrestled with determining the best way to plan for redevelopment of its VC. Despite numerous scattered conversations, proposals and studies, the Village has never developed a truly comprehensive and integrated plan to redevelop this area.

Given the Village's history in regards to the VC it is clear that any redevelopment in the VC needs to be undertaken as part of a cohesive Master Plan. Because there have been a variety of studies and plans already completed for the VC, the Village is not looking for the Master Plan to start from scratch. Rather the Master Plan should build on the existing research, and define a direction that would guide the Village in all of its VC redevelopment efforts moving forward.
Because of the timing associated with large-scale development, the Village is seeking a Master Plan that will perpetuate beyond current Village elected officials term limits. The Master Plan would necessarily incorporate the feedback of residents, offer financing strategies and involve revisions to the Village Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance.

While the purview of the Master Plan will include the entire VC, the Village will be seeking multiple concept plans for at least four key sites that theoretically have fewer obstacles to redevelopment. The Village believes that encouraging redevelopment at these four key sites would catalyze surrounding business, create natural market dynamics and encourage future redevelopment in the rest of the VC. Additional sites requiring concept plan treatment may be identified during the Master Plan process.

The Master Plan must also provide clear design and contextual guidelines to VC property owners so that they would have a better understanding of what type of development is desired by the Village if these property owners did decide to pursue redevelopment. These guidelines should be developed with sensitivity to existing design characteristics prevalent in the VC. The recommended guidelines in the Master Plan should be provided in both an illustrated and narrative form ready for adoption into the Village's land use regulations. And, the Master Plan should include other traditional elements including an overall pedestrian and vehicular circulation plan for the VC.

Because more traditional planning approaches have not been successful in bringing about the desired change in the VC, the Village is looking for a consultant with a track record of being innovative and has used non-cookie cutter approaches in completing similar projects.

Submission Requirements

Interested firms or teams shall submit nine (9) original copies and one electronic copy of materials that demonstrate their experience in performing projects of this scale and complexity.

All responses to the RFQ must contain the following information:

• A general description of the firm and its resources, including number of personnel, location of office(s), approximate annual volume of consulting work performed, and number of years in business.
• Names and resumes of proposed key staff members who will be assigned to this project.
• A narrative or other statement by the firm of its qualifications for the proposed Master Plan project. This should include any additional considerations that make the firm well qualified for the Master Plan project as outlined.
• A brief statement of the availability of key personnel of the firm to undertake the proposed project.
• List of similar projects completed by the firm within the past five years including the level of implementation that has taken place on the listed projects, the level of public participation, the project completion time and the project cost. Where possible copies of the completed plans should also be submitted.
• Names and telephone numbers of persons whom the agency can call for references regarding the projects presented in the above "project list".
• A current rate schedule.

Point of Contact
Responses and all other communications concerning this RFQ shall be directed to:

John Adler, Director of Community Development
1200 Wilmette Ave.
Wilmette, IL 60091
Office: 847-853-7528
Fax: 847-853-7701
adlerj@wilmette.com

Responses must be received no later than 4:30 pm on May 30, 2008.

Evaluation Criteria

Responses will be evaluated by the responder's overall experience and qualifications related to the described Master Plan project and the responder's references.

Selection Process

A committee made up of staff and elected/appointed officials will review the responses to the RFQ and develop a short list of qualified firms. At the Village's discretion, interviews may be conducted with each of the firms to discuss the firm's qualifications, resources and availability to provide the services requested.

Based upon the interviews, and/or the response to the RFQ, the selection committee will ask the recommended firms to respond to a Master Plan services request for proposals.

It is expected that the selection committee will meet in early June and that any interviews will be scheduled in mid to late June.

The full RFQ document and the various studies and plans already completed for the VC may be accessed www.wilmette.com/rfq/.