Request for Qualifications Boeckling Building & Pier

Agency:	City of Sanduskey
State:	Ohio
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	236210 - Industrial Building Construction 236220 - Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
Posted Date:	Jan 23, 2026
Due Date:	Mar 27, 2026
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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Request for Qualifications

Redevelopment Opportunity

Historic Boeckling Building and Pier

105 West Shoreline Drive

Sandusky, Ohio 44870

Table of Contents

Part 1:

Context

Introduction

Site Description

Historical Information

Part II:

RFQ Scope

Redevelopment Scenario

Development Requirements

Submission Process

Evaluation Process

Evaluation Criteria

RFQ Schedule

Post Selection Process

Contact Information

Part III:

Resources

Incentive Toolkit

Reports and Assessments

Page

6-7

Historic Boeckling Building and Pier RFQ: Context

Introduction

The City of Sandusky (“City”) is releasing a Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) seeking

professional real estate development project teams (“Project Teams”) to reinvest in

the Historic Boeckling Building and Pier site, 105 West Shoreline Drive, on downtown

Sandusky’s waterfront. Project Teams are invited to submit their qualifications, alongside

brief site-specific redevelopment project visions for consideration by an evaluation team

comprised of representatives of the City. Upon selection, project teams will be invited to

commence due diligence for the selected site. The City reserves the right to accept or

reject any or all submissions, or to discontinue the RFQ process at any time.

Site Information

The approximately 1.00-acre site is located at 105 W. Shoreline Drive in Sandusky, Erie

County, Ohio. The site consists of an approximately 4,430 square foot vacant commercial

building, a boat dock with a ticket booth and storage shed, and associated asphalt and

gravel-paved access drives/parking areas. The vacant structure, known as the Boeckling

Building, is a local landmark and registered as a National Historic Place (registry no.

82,001,380) for its significance to Sandusky history and unique “amusement architecture”

design style. The site is zone DBD – Downtown Business. Based on Erie County Auditor’s

website, the site is comprised of one parcel of land identified as Parcel #56-00174.000 and

is currently owned by Cedar Point Park LLC. The City of Sandusky may accept donation of

the building in January of 2026.

Historical Information

Since at least 1886, the site has been commercially developed waterfront property with a

pier and occupied with a salt fish house and a warehouse/elevator building with a rail spur.

By 1904, the site was redeveloped as the Cedar Point Boat Landing with a passenger shed

and a restaurant and a portion of a store off W. Shoreline Drive. In 1925, the site was

redeveloped as the G.A Boeckling Company, and Cedar Point Boat House from which

passengers were ferried to and from Cedar Point. Since at least the late-1960s, the site has

been occupied by the Sandusky Area Chamber of Commerce (1969-1984); various cable

television stations (1974-2000); Sandusky Visitors & Convention Bureau (1979); Cedar

Point Pier/Bldg. (1984-1989); and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)

Coastal Management Office (2000- 2022).

The building has been vacant since 2022, but the pier has been leased by The Jet Express

since at least 2014 to the present.

Historic Boeckling Building and Pier RFQ: Scope

Redevelopment Scenario

Downtown Sandusky has an incredible collection of assets—a diverse, engaged

community, a historic, walkable downtown, an active, beautiful waterfront, a dedicated,

visionary local government, connection to internationally-known destinations, and more.

The redevelopment scenario for the Historic Boeckling Building and Pier envisions taking

guidance from the concepts, recommendations and focus area opportunities in the City of

Sandusky Downtown Master Plan. The Downtown Master Plan envisions the future of the

site aligned with the following illustration and narrative vision:

The Waterfront Concept shows a signature restaurant, or multiple smaller vendors in a

readapted Boeckling building with large patio spaces along the water’s edge and Shoreline

Drive. In this concept, the Boeckling Building becomes a gateway to the ferry and the

waterfront district. Families and Jet Express passengers can grab a snack or visitors can sit

down to a full meal experience, while taking in the views and people-watching that make

this area so special. Small retail vendors on the ground floor and office spaces above

activate the building and streetscape around it. Water taxis run regularly to and from Cedar

Point. Redevelopment or re-imagining of the Jet Express pavilion could also be a part of a

concept at this location, with small vendor spaces in the existing building or a new mixed

use building with architecture that pays homage to the current pavilion structure.

Development Requirements

The selected Project Team(s) will be responsible for all aspects of the project development,

adhering to all City approval processes. Through project conceptualization, the selected

Project Team(s) will be required to collaborate with City and community partners in the

design, negotiation and execution of the following:

Alignment with City of Sandusky Downtown Master Plan and City of Sandusky

Strategic Plan: Proposals should be aligned with but are not required to be identical to the

redevelopment scenarios, goals, concepts and guiding principles in both plans.

Engagement: Project Team(s) must address community priorities. Project teams will be

responsible for expanding on engagement from the Downtown Master Plan and Strategic

Plan process to develop and deliver community and stakeholder engagement that informs

the final proposed project(s).

Sale or Ground Lease: The Development Site may be offered as a direct sale to a

developer, or ownership will be structured as a Ground Lease, with the City of Sandusky

maintaining ownership of the land while the developer(s) enter into a long-term lease to

construct, manage and own the development. Once developed, building maintenance is

expected to be the responsibility of the leaseholder. Sandusky City Commission must

legislatively approve property sales and ground leases.

Public Amenity Space: Developer(s) will be responsible for designing, constructing and

maintaining a public amenity space that provides opportunities for the public to gather.

Vibrant Pedestrian and Pathway Experience: All blocks and all building and property

entrances should be served by safe, continuous walkways, connected in all possible

directions to the adjacent pedestrian and pathway network. The pedestrian realm should

be active and vibrant.

Waterfront: Public and patron waterfront access should be maintained and enhanced by

the site redevelopment, with continued capacity to serve the Jet Express passenger ferry

and potential for future water taxi or other passenger ferry services.

Historic Preservation: Preservation of the Boeckling Building is paramount to site

redevelopment. Exterior changes to the building must adhere to national and local design

standards for historic preservation. Internal renovations are preferred to restore the historic

layout, open areas, and materials of the original historic design to the extent feasible within

the scope of the project.

This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

Description	Opening Date/Time	Closing Date/Time
Request for Qualifications Boeckling Building & Pier	January 23, 2026 9:30 AM	March 27, 2026 4:30 PM

Request for Qualifications Boeckling Building & Pier

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