Market and Feasibility Study

TACOMA VENUES & EVENTS
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
MARKET AND FEASIBILITY STUDY
SPECIFICATION NO. PF26-0018F

City of Tacoma
Tacoma Venues and Events
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS PF26-0018F
Market and Feasibility Study
Submittal Deadline: 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time, Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Submittals must be received by the City's Procurement and Payables Division by 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
For electronic submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by our email server, as
the official time of receipt. This clock will be used as the official time of receipt of all parts of electronic bid
submittals. Include the specification number in the subject line of your email. Your submittal must be sent as
an attachment, links to your electronic submittal will not be accepted.
For in person submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by the timestamp
located at the lobby security desk, as the official time of receipt. Include the specification number on the
outside of the sealed envelope. Late submittals will be returned unopened and rejected as non-responsive.
Submittal Delivery: Sealed submittals will be received as follows:
By Email: In Person:
sendbid@tacoma.gov Tacoma Public Utilities Administration Building North,
Maximum email size including attachments: 35 MB. Main Floor, Lobby Security Desk
Multiple emails may be sent for each submittal. 3628 South 35th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409
Note: Email may pass through multiple servers before arriving Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
at its destination. Please allow sufficient time for email delivery
of submittals. Timely electronic delivery is at the risk of the
supplier.
Bid Opening: Submittals must be received by the City's Procurement and Payables Division prior to 11:00
a.m. Pacific Time. Sealed submittals in response to a RFB will be opened Tuesday's at 11:15 a.m. by a
purchasing representative and read aloud during a public bid opening held at the Tacoma Public Utilities
Administrative Building North, 3628 S. 35th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409, conference room M-1, located on the
main floor. They will also be held virtually Tuesday's at 11:15 a.m. Attend a Zoom meeting via this link or call 1
(253) 215 8782, using meeting ID # 884 0268 0573, passcode # 070737.
Submittals in response to an RFP, RFQ or RFI will be recorded as received, but not read at bid opening. As
soon as possible, after 1:00 PM, on the day of submittal deadline, preliminary results will be posted to
www.TacomaPurchasing.org.
If you believe your submittal was sent timely and was not read at bid opening, please contact
sendbid@tacoma.gov immediately.
Solicitation Documents: An electronic copy of the complete solicitation documents may be viewed and
obtained by accessing the City of Tacoma Purchasing website at www.TacomaPurchasing.org.
* Register for the Bid Holders List to receive notices of addenda, questions and answers and related updates.
* Click here to see a list of vendors registered for this solicitation.
Pre-Proposal Meeting: A mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held on Zoom on Wednesday May 13,
2026, at 10 a.m.
The Zoom room is: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71514931386?pwd=qVGUagBxP2dzIubTENScDGOh7SR7aI.1
Meeting ID: 715 1493 1386
Passcode: 4GryRi
Pre-Proposal Site Tour: A mandatory pre-proposal site tour will be conducted on Thursday May 21, 2026, at
10 a.m. PT. The tour will meet at the Security Office of the Tacoma Dome (2727 E D St. Tacoma, WA 98421).
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Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 06/03/2024

Project Scope: The City intends to select a provider(s) to analyze the public assembly venues it owns,
including the Tacoma City Theaters (Pantages Theater, Rialto Theater, Theater on the Square), Tacoma
Dome, and Cheney Stadium (collectively, the "Facilities" or "Venues"). The goal of the analysis is to assess
market opportunities and regional venue trends to inform strategic improvements, whether through renovation,
expansion, or new facility development, aligning with the City's mission, vision, values, and community service
objectives for the Facilities.
The following issues are of particular concern:
* Lost business and/or revenue due to a lack of contemporary amenities and services.
* The type and size of spaces needed to capture additional bookings and retain existing events.
* Ability of the venues to meet the expectations of contemporary clients and guests to be viewed as first-
class venues in a tier-1 market.
* Analysis of a recently completed Facility Condition Assessment and the potential impact of its results on
long-term viability of the venues.
Estimate: $150,000
Paid Sick Leave: The City of Tacoma requires all employers to provide paid sick leave in accordance with
State of Washington law.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Information: The City of Tacoma, in accordance with Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to
nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. Specification materials can be
made available in an alternate format by emailing the contact listed below in the Additional Information section.
Title VI Information:
"The City of Tacoma" in accordance with provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (78 Stat. 252, 42
U.S.C. sections 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively
ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises
will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated
against on the grounds of race, color, national origin in consideration of award.
Additional Information: Requests for information regarding the specifications may be obtained by contacting
Sara Bird by email to sbird@tacoma.gov
Protest Policy: City of Tacoma protest policy, located at www.tacomapurchasing.org, specifies procedures for
protests submitted prior to and after submittal deadline.
Meeting sites are accessible to persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations for persons with
disabilities can be arranged with 48 hours advance notice by calling 253-502-8468.
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Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 06/03/2024

Table of Contents
SUBMITTAL CHECK LIST ......................................................................................................... 5
1. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................. 6
2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................. 6
3. SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES................................................................... 7
4. CONTRACT TERM ............................................................................................................. 7
5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS ................................................................................................... 7
6. INQUIRIES ......................................................................................................................... 8
7. INTENT TO PROPOSE AND PRE-PROPOSAL MEETINGS .............................................. 8
8. DISCLAIMER ...................................................................................................................... 9
9. EVALUATION CRITERIA .................................................................................................... 9
10. CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED - This section represents 100% of the possible scoring
criteria. ......................................................................................................................................10
11. INTERVIEWS / ORAL PRESENTATIONS .....................................................................13
12. RESPONSIVENESS .....................................................................................................13
13. ACCEPTANCE / REJECTION OF SUBMITTALS ..........................................................14
14. CONTRACT OBLIGATION ............................................................................................14
15. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS / GENERAL PROVISIONS ...........................14
16. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................................14
17. PARTNERSHIPS ..........................................................................................................14
18. COMMITMENT OF FIRM KEY PERSONNEL ...............................................................15
19. AWARD .........................................................................................................................15
20. ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PROCUREMENT ..............................................15
21. PROPRIETARY OR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ..................................................15
22. ADDENDUMS ...............................................................................................................16
23. LEAP REQUIREMENTS................................................................................................16
24. EQUITY IN CONTRACTING .........................................................................................16
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................17
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................18
APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................19
Request for Proposal Specification No. PF26-0018F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025
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SUBMITTAL CHECK LIST
This checklist identifies items to be included with your submittal. Any submittal received without
these required items may be deemed non-responsive and not be considered for award.
Submittals must be received by the City of Tacoma Purchasing Division by the date and time
specified in the Request for Proposal page.
The following items make up your submittal package:
One electronic copy of your complete submittal package
Signature Page (Appendix B)
Non-Collusion Affidavit (Appendix B)
Price Proposal Form (Appendix B)
Information in Section 10 (Content to be Submitted)
After award, the following documents will be executed:
Services Contract
Certificate of Insurance and related endorsements (Appendix C)
Request for Proposal Specification No. PF26-0018F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025
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1. BACKGROUND
Tacoma Venues and Events (TVE) has begun the process of a master plan project for a
selection of its venues, and this Request for Proposal (RFP) is the first step. The market and
feasibility study is the first of two consecutive studies that will allow TVE to better position itself
for the coming decades. After acquiring the data and information through this RFP, we will issue
a second RFP for architectural services so that information related to events, attendance,
amenities, and space programming can be applied to potential physical changes and upgrades
to TVE facilities. Both studies will involve significant community engagement and feedback. We
expect the master plan exercise to be fully complete by early 2027.
TVE has enlisted the services of advisory firm Venue Solutions Group to assist in the entire
RFP process, although they will not take part in the scoring of submittals.
Tacoma Venues & Events manages the City of Tacoma's venues with renowned service and
supports a vibrant and thriving cultural sector, community, and region. The venues include the
Tacoma Dome; Cheney Stadium; Tacoma City Theaters (the historic Pantages and Rialto
Theaters, and Theater on the Square) and the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. The
Convention Center is not included in this study. The department also includes City of Tacoma's
Special Events Office.
To learn more about the City of Tacoma, visit www.cityoftacoma.org.
Firms may submit proposals for either the Tacoma Dome and Cheney Stadium or Tacoma City
Theaters, or all of the City's venue sets (Dome, Cheney, Theaters). Firms may only submit a
single proposal for the buildings they wish to work with. Firms may not submit multiple proposals
or a single combined proposal inclusive of different potential combinations of award.
The City anticipates awarding either one or two contracts and is open to awarding multiple
contracts based on individual proposers' venue expertise and experience if it is viewed to be in
the best interest of the City.
The agreement's expected duration is twenty-four (24) weeks. The
Submittals submitted and/or the selected Consultant(s) may be used for projects of similar type
and scope at the sole discretion of the City for up to one year.
2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
1. Minimum 10 years' experience providing the services sought in this RFP.
2. Minimum of 20 clients, a) where you provided the same or similar services, and b) that
are in the public assembly facility industry (theater, cultural center, arena, stadium, civic
center, etc.)
3. Firm should be able to demonstrate experience in each proposed venue type.
Request for Proposal Specification No. PF26-0018F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025
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3. SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES
The City intends to select a provider(s) to analyze the public assembly venues it owns, including
the Tacoma City Theaters (Pantages Theater, Rialto Theater, Theater on the Square), Tacoma
Dome, and Cheney Stadium (collectively, the "Facilities" or "Venues"). The goal of the analysis
is to assess market opportunities and regional venue trends to inform strategic improvements,
whether through renovation, expansion, or new facility development, aligning with the City's
mission, vision, values, and community service objectives for the Facilities.
The following issues are of particular concern:
* Lost business and/or revenue due to a lack of contemporary amenities and services.
* The type and size of spaces needed to capture additional bookings and retain existing
events.
* Ability of the venues to meet the expectations of contemporary clients and guests to be
viewed as first-class venues in a tier-1 market.
* Analysis of a recently completed Facility Condition Assessment and the potential impact of
its results on long-term viability of the venues.
It is the City's intent to select one or more consultants to manage and deliver the services noted
in this RFP based on qualifications and abilities of the firm and key project individuals. City will
consider proposals for Tacoma Dome and Cheney Stadium or Tacoma City Theaters (Pantages
Theater, Theater on the Square, and Rialto Theater) or all venues.
A complete scope of work is available in Appendix A of this RFP.
4. CONTRACT TERM
The contract will be for a 6-month period with the option to renew the contract for 2 additional 6-
month periods. The City reserves the right to cancel the contract for any reason, by written
notice, as stipulated in the contract.
5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This is a tentative schedule only and may be altered at the sole discretion of the City.
The anticipated schedule of events concerning this RFP is as follows:
Publish and issue RFP: 5/6/2026
Intent to Propose 5/12/2026
Mandatory Virtual Pre-Proposal Meeting 5/13/2026
Mandatory Site Tour 5/21/2026
Pre-Submittal Questions: 5/29/2026
Response to Questions: 6/3/2026
Submittal Due Date: 6/16/2026
Submittal Evaluated: June/July 2026
Interviews/presentations, on or about: July 2026
Award Recommendation: July 2026
Request for Proposal Specification No. PF26-0018F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025
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Contract Negotiation: August 2026
6. INQUIRIES
6.1 Questions should be submitted to Sara Bird via email to Sbird@tacoma.gov. Subject line
to read:
PF26-0018F - Market and Feasibility Study- VENDOR NAME
6.1 Questions are due by 3 pm on the date included in the Calendar of Events section.
6.2 Questions marked confidential will not be answered or included.
6.3 The City reserves the discretion to group similar questions to provide a single answer or
not to respond when the requested information is confidential.
6.4 The answers are not typically considered an addendum.
6.5 The City will not be responsible for unsuccessful submittal of questions.
6.6 Contact to any City employee or party in this RFP other than Sara Bird will not be
accepted and will not be responded to.
6.7 Written answers to questions will be posted alongside the specifications at
www.tacomapurchasing.org
7. INTENT TO PROPOSE AND PRE-PROPOSAL MEETINGS
7.1 Intent to Propose, potential firms are required to respond by 4 p.m. PT, Tuesday May 12,
2026, to Sara Bird via email to sbird@tacoma.gov with an intent to propose notice on your
firm's letterhead with the following:
* Acknowledge receipt of this RFP.
* Your intention to attend the mandatory virtual Pre-Proposal Meeting at the date and
time specified in the schedule
* Your intention to attend the mandatory Site Tour at the date and time specified in the
schedule
* Identify the Point of Contact(s) of your company by name, title, address, phone
number, and e-mail address.
7.2 A mandatory virtual pre-proposal meeting will be held on Zoom on Wednesday May 13,
2026, at 10 a.m. PT
The Zoom room is:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71514931386?pwd=qVGUagBxP2dzIubTENScDGOh7SR7aI.1
Meeting ID: 715 1493 1386 Passcode: 4GryRi
Request for Proposal Specification No. PF26-0018F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025
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7.3 A mandatory site tour will be conducted on Thursday May 21, 2026, at 10 a.m. PT. The
tour will meet at the Security Office of the Tacoma Dome (2727 E D St. Tacoma, WA
98421). The Security office is off of 27th Street. All participants can park in the lot across
the street and check in at Security Office. The tour's estimated length shall be 4 hours,
exact times TBD.
* To allow for proper coordination, Firms wishing to participate in the site tour are
required to respond by 4 p.m. PT, Monday May 18, 2026, to Sara Bird via email at
sbird@tacoma.gov of their intent to participate in the site tour.
* To allow for all firms to capably participate in the site tour, each firm shall be permitted
to have no more than three (3) people participate in the site tour.
8. DISCLAIMER
The City is not liable for any costs incurred by the Respondent for the preparation of materials,
or a submittal submitted in response to this RFP, for conducting any presentations to the City, or
any other activities related to responding to this RFP, or to any subsequent requirements of the
contract negotiation process.
9. EVALUATION CRITERIA
A Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) will review and evaluate submittals. The relative weight
of each scoring criteria is indicated in the table below.
Criteria Max Points
Cover Documents 0
Qualifications of Firm 15
Relevant Experience of Firm 20
Reporting Capabilities 10
Client References & Case Studies 10
Financial Terms 15
Ability to Meet Preferred Deadline 5
Qualifications / Experience of Key Personnel 10
Sustainability 5
Equity in Contracting 5
Contract Exceptions 5
Total 100
After the evaluation, the SAC may conduct interviews of the most qualified Respondents before
final selection.
9.1 The SAC may select one or more respondent to provide the services required.
9.2 The SAC may use references to clarify information in the submittals and interviews, if
conducted, which may affect the rating. The City reserves the right to contact references
other than those included in the submittal.
Request for Proposal Specification No. PF26-0018F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025
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9.3 A significant deficiency in any one criteria is grounds for rejection of the submittal as a
whole.
10. CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED - This section represents 100% of the possible
scoring criteria.
One (1) electronic (PDF) file of the firm's proposal shall be submitted by the date and time
indicated in the Schedule of Activities.
All submitted materials will become the property of The City.
A full and complete response to each of the "CONTENT TO BE SUBMITTED" items is expected
in a single location; do not cross reference to another section in your submittal.
Information that is confidential must be clearly marked and provide an index identifying the
affected page number(s) and locations(s) of such identified materials. See Section 1 of the
Standard Terms and Conditions - Solicitation 1.06 for Public Disclosure: Proprietary or
Confidential Information.
Respondents are to provide complete and detailed responses to all items below. Submittals that
are incomplete or conditioned in any way that contain alternatives or items not called for in this
RFP, or not in conformity with law, may be rejected as being non-responsive. The City will not
accept any submittal containing a substantial deviation from the requirements outlined in this
RFP.
Submittals should present information in a straightforward and concise manner, while ensuring
complete and detailed descriptions of the respondent's/team's abilities to meet the requirement
of this RFP. Emphasis will be on completeness of content. The written submittals should be
prepared in the sequential order as outlined below.
The City reserves the right to request clarification of any aspect of a firm's submittal or request
additional information that might be required to properly evaluate the submittal. A firm's failure to
respond to such a request may result in rejection of the firm's submittal. Firms are required to
provide responses to any request clarification within two (2) business days.
Requests for clarification or additional information shall be made at the sole discretion of the
City. The City's retention of this right shall no way diminish a Proposer's responsibility to submit
a submittal that is current, clear, complete and accurate.
10.1 Cover Documents - 0 points
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Transmittal Letter
Signature Page
Price Proposal Form
Non-Collusion Affidavit
Request for Proposal Specification No. PF26-0018F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025
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