RECREATIONAL USE PROJECT – HIGHLAND AVENUE

TOWN OF CHESHIRE - REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS#2526-23
REQUEST FOR RECREATIONAL USE PROJECT - HIGHLAND AVENUE
April 2026
The Town of Cheshire is competitively procuring proposals from interested parties for the
development of ten (10) acres of undeveloped land along Highland Avenue (CT Route 10) across
from Cheshire park and adjacent to the Manson Youth State facility for a recreational use
project. The property was received from the State of Connecticut via public act 98-255 for use
by the Town of Cheshire, or to lease the property to a third party for recreational purposes only
(subject property).
The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals from qualified individuals or organizations to
operate, maintain, and/or develop the land for recreational activities that will serve the public,
enhance community well-being, and promote recreation. This an exciting opportunity to
contribute to the community's health, wellness, and recreational needs while ensuring that the
land is utilized in a sustainable and responsible manner.
Respondents are invited to submit proposals for the development and long term lease of the
subject property with One (1) original and seven (7) copies and an electronic copy (copied to a
flash drive) to the Cheshire Town Hall, Town Manager's Office c/o Sean Kimball - Town
Manager, Room 221, 84 South Main Street, Cheshire, CT 06410 by Friday, May 15th 2026 at
2:00pm. The Town of Cheshire (the "Town") will not accept submissions by e-mail or fax. The
Town will reject proposals received after the date and time noted above.
The documents comprising this Request for Proposals (RFP) may be obtained on the Town's
website, www.cheshirect.org, under "Bids and Requests for Proposals." Each proposer is
responsible for checking the Town's website to determine if the Town has issued any addenda
and, if so, to complete its proposal in accordance with the RFP as modified by the addenda.
Proposals must be held firm and cannot be withdrawn for ninety (90) calendar days after the
opening date. The Town reserves the rights to amend or terminate this Request for Proposals,
accept all or any part of a proposal, reject all proposals, waive any informalities or non-material
deficiencies in a proposal, and select the proposal and proposer that, in the Town's sole
discretion, will be in the Town's best interests.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RECREATIONAL USE PROJECT - HIGHLAND AVENUE
Sealed proposals are being requested for the development and long-term lease of land
formerly owned by the State of Connecticut, owned by the Town of Cheshire, in accordance
with all terms and specifications contained herein, and will be received by the Town until the
following deadline:
Friday, May 15, 2026 at 2:00pm
Seven (7) paper copy submittals and one original plus an electronic copy on a flash drive must
be delivered by mail or hand-delivered in sealed envelopes addressed to the Town of Cheshire,
Office of Town Manager, c/o Sean Kimball, 84 South Main Street Cheshire, Ct 06410. The
submittals should be marked Town of Cheshire RFP# 2526-23
Questions regarding the RFP should be directed to andrew.martelli@cheshirect.org no later
than Monday, May 4th 2026 at 12:00pm with a CC to mglidden@cheshirect.org.
Administrative Point of Contact
Andrew Martelli, Assistant Town Manager
84 South Main Street
Suite 221
Cheshire, CT 06410
(203)-271-6679
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General Conditions and Terms
The Town of Cheshire (the Town) reserves the rights to accept or reject all proposals in whole or in part, to waive
any technical defects, irregularities, and omissions, and to consider past performance of prospective respondents
where the interest of the Town will be best served. The Town reserves the right to directly negotiate with an entity
who submits a proposal in response to this RFP and to accept a proposal based upon those negotiations alone. The
Town reserves the right to request interviews, discuss all project details, and to select and negotiate a preferred
development proposal that is in the best interest of Town prior to final award.
The Town may determine that a proposal is technically and/or substantively non-responsive at any point in the
evaluation process and may remove such proposal form further consideration. Proposals arriving after the
deadline may be returned unopened or may simply be declared non-responsive and not subject to evaluation, at
the sole discretion of the Town. All original documents, drawings, renderings, concepts and other submission
materials shall become the property of the Town once submitted. The Town is not responsible for any costs
related to presentations, preparation of responses, or clarifications pertaining to this RFP. All costs are the
responsibility of the respective respondent.
"Proposal" shall mean quotation, offer, qualification/experience statement, and/or services. Prospective
respondents shall also mean proposers, offerors, or any person or firm responding to an RFP.
All prospective respondents are responsible for ensuring that no addenda have been made to the original RFP
package or that all addenda have been received and addressed. All submitted packages and addenda are located
at the Town of Cheshire Office for the Town Manager or on the Town website.
There is no official public opening of proposals. To best protect the integrity of the procurement process, the Town
requires that respondents refrain from requesting proposal information concerning respondents until an award
has been formally made. Proposal materials will not be disclosed as public information until after a formal award.
The prospective respondent warrants, by submission of a proposal, that he/she is not an employee, agent, or
servant of the Town, and that he/she is fully qualified and capable in all material respects with regard to the
requirements of this RFP and possesses the requisite skill, expertise, experience and resource to fulfill the
obligations of its proposal as submitted. Nothing herein shall be construed as creating any contractual relationship
or obligation between the Town and any prospective or actual respondent. Respondents warrant that he/she has
not paid, and agrees not to pay, any bonus, commission, fee, or gratuity to any employee or official of the Town for
purposes of obtaining any contract or award issued by the Town.
The submission of a proposal shall not bind the Town of Cheshire, nor does it constitute a competitive bid. The
Town reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. If you are awarded
the subject purchase, you will be required to sign and submit, at or prior to closing, a certification certifying that
you, your company, and specified other individuals have given no gifts to town personnel and other individuals set
forth in the certification.
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Table of Contents
1. Project Overview Page 5
2. Municipal Process Page 5
3. Site Information Page 6-7
4. Submittal Requirements Page 8-9
5. Submittal Deadline and Review Schedule Page 9
6. Reserved Rights / Disclaimer Page 10
7. Attachments Page 11
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1. PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Town of Cheshire is soliciting proposals from qualified responders for development of and
a long-term lease of ten (10) acres of land located along Highland Avenue (Route 10) for
recreational uses. The property was conveyed with specific deed restrictions (attached).
The selected proposer will be required to use the land solely for recreational purposes, such
as, but not limited to:
* Outdoor sports and athletic facilities (e.g., soccer fields, tennis courts, basketball
courts)
* Indoor sports and athletics
* Playgrounds and child recreation areas
* Concessions related to recreational activities (e.g., snack stands, rentals)
* Outdoor events and programming
Proposers are encouraged to present creative ideas that align with the town's goals for public
access to safe, sustainable, and accessible recreational opportunities.
2. MUNICIPAL PROCESS
The Town Council, thru its Planning Committee, undertook the process of preparing this RFP to solicit proposals
from qualified parties. Proposals will be reviewed by the Planning Committee and or its designee and ultimately
approved by the Town Council.
Proposed developments will be subject to full compliance with all regulatory requirements, including obtaining
necessary approvals from the Planning and Zoning Commission and, if applicable, the Inland Wetland and
Watercourse Commission (should work encroach into regulated areas or if a permit to conduct regulated activity is
otherwise required) and any other pertinent Town or State reviews.
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3. SITE INFORMATION
The subject property is located on Highland Avenue (Route 10) opposite Cheshire Park. There is not a signalized
intersection or defined curb cut to access the property. The responder must understand the process to petition to
the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation for approval for access onto Route 10. The property is
currently zoned Residential.
Sewer service is available at the intersection of Creamery Road and Route 10, north of the subject parcel, and is
included on the Water Pollution Control Authorities sewer shed area. Respondent is responsible for coordination
with the Towns Water pollution Control Authority to receive approval for sewerage of the parcel.
There are no environmental assessments existing for the parcel (phase I site assessments). The land has been
undeveloped and utilized for agricultural purposes per existing aerial imagery dating back to 1934.
An aerial image from the Towns GIS shows the parcel along State Highway 10, Highland Avenue:
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Site topography is as follows. The Town is not aware of an A2 Survey existing for the site:
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4. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
Below are the submission requirements. The Town of Cheshire is not responsible for errors and/or omissions
within this RFP.
Submission Format: Respondents are required to provide one original and seven (7) copies of their proposal plus
one electronic copy on a flash drive. Each proposal must contain all information as outlined below. Relevant
supplemental information shall be accepted within and in addition to the submission format. Submissions that
omit requested information may be subject to disqualification:
1. Executive Summary
a. General narrative description and site plan/sketch/schematic or conceptual drawing;
b. Long term lease terms including proposed duration and compensation to town;
c. Contact information (names, addresses, email) for the development team plus the identification
of the primary contact person;
d. Resumes of key development team members.
2. Statement of Qualifications
a. Examples of completed comparable projects within the past 5 years (including references);
b. Evidence of financing availability, including names and addresses of financial references and any
other named sources of equity capital;
c. Domestic corporations and other limited liability entities must submit a certificate of good
standing from the State of Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, Collection and
Enforcement Division-Lien Unit Request for a Status Letter, 25 Sigourney Street Hartford Ct
06106;
d. Respondents that are foreign corporations and those corporations not charted in Connecticut
must hold a certificate authorizing said corporation to do business in the State of Connecticut.
These certificates or certified copies are available from the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of
State.
3. Development Description:
a. Proposed use(s) for the property
b. Preliminary site plan, conceptual floorplans, building(s) proposed design (if applicable), heights,
traffic circulation, parking location;
c. Proposed planning phase, design phase, approval, and construction schedule;
d. Identification of key project participants: architect, engineer, general contractor or construction
manager;
e. In order for proposal to be considered a statement certifying that all prospective respondent are
not delinquent on any property tax or fees issued by the Town. Said certification must state that
they nor any business or corporation fully or partially owned by the respondent is not delinquent
on Town property taxes or fees.
4. Proposed Land Lease Arrangement:
a. Parties Involved
b. Lease Term (duration, renewal, termination)
c. Rent and Payment terms (rent amount, rent increase, or any other benefit to the town).
d. Land Use and Purpose (all suggested uses now and future during term of lease)
e. End of lease and return of land - dependent on project proposal and requested duration
5. Operational Plan:
a. Hours of operation
b. Staffing
c. Maintenance and upkeep plan for the land and facilities
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d. Accessibility considerations (ADA compliance, transportation access, etc.)
6. List of submitted information requiring confidentiality
a. Identification of any portion of proposal that must remain confidential in accordance with
Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act.
Please Note: All proposal materials become property of the Town of Cheshire after submittal.
5. SUBMITTAL DEADLINE AND REVIEW TIMELINE
Submissions are due by the date and time specified unless a formal extension has been granted by the Town of
Cheshire. Respondents must ensure that proposals are delivered on time to assure consideration by the Town. The
Town of Cheshire reserves the right to modify the deadline and schedule. The Submission Deadline is final. Late
proposals received beyond the deadline will not be considered.
* RFP Issuances and Distribution: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
* Submittal Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026 at 2:00pm
* Review by Town: TBD
* Interviews with Developer(s): TBD
* Recommendation of Preferred Developer: TBD
* Town Council Review and Approval of Recommendation: TBD
* Contract Award: TBD
The outlined schedule is subject to change depending on the review of proposals, negotiations with potential
developers, and other factors.
The proposal and all supporting documents must be received by the above-referenced deadline at the following
address:
Town of Cheshire
Office of the Town Manager c/o Sean Kimball, Town Manager
84 South Main Street
Room 221
Cheshire, Connecticut 06410
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6. RESERVED RIGHTS/DISCLAIMER
The Town reserves the right to select the proposal that, in the exercise of its sole discretion, the Town believes to
be responsible and most advantageous to the Town. To this extent, the Town reserves the right to accept an initial
offer without further discussion and/or negotiation. The Town also reserves the right to discuss and negotiate
proposal with any prospective respondents it believes may have a reasonable change of being selected for an
award.
The Town shall not be responsible, in any manner, for the costs associated with responses to the solicitation. The
individual responses to this solicitation including all artwork, drawings, plans, photos, models, and narrative
materials shall become sole property of the Town upon their receipt. The Town shall have the right to copy,
reproduce, duplicate, publicize, or otherwise dispose of each response to this solicitation in any manner that the
Town chooses unless otherwise agreed upon, in advance, with the prospective respondent.
The Town reserves the right to waive any informality or irregularity when it is in the best interest of the Town to do
so, to discuss modification to any proposal, to re-advertise for additional proposals if desired or necessary, and to
accept of reject any or all proposals, for any and all reasons.
The Town reserves the right to postpone or reschedule any of the actual proposed dates or deadlines.
There is no official public opening of proposals. To best protect the solicitation and competitive negotiation
process, the Town asks that companies refrain from requesting proposal information concerning other
respondents until an award has been executed. Proposal materials become public information only after the
execution of an award.
The submission of a proposal shall not bind the Town of Cheshire, nor does it constitute a competitive bid. The
Town reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. If you are awarded
the subject purchase which has a value of $50,000.00 or more, you will be required to sign and submit, at the time
of purchase and sale execution, a certification, certifying that you, your company, and specified other individuals
have given no gifts to town personnel and other individuals set forth in the certification.
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