Request for Expression of Interest

Transcription

1 Corporation of the City of Rossland Request for Expression of Interest Development Opportunity for Rossland s Midtown Transition Area (MTA)

2 1. Introduction The City of Rossland (BC) is soliciting Expressions of Interest (EOI) from qualified firms and/or institutions outlining their interest in the development of vacant, city-owned parcels within its Midtown Transition Area (MTA). Located on flat terrain and encompassing nearly 2 hectares, these vacant parcels are comprised of: a vacant 7000 sq. metre city block a 2000 sq. metre area stretch of city owned properties on 3 rd Ave. a 1 hectare Arena site - 1 -

3 2. The Community Viewpoint for the Midtown Transition Area As a prerequisite the City of Rossland assessed the community s attitudes toward the site s potential development by conducting the Midtown Transition Area Public Lands Consultation. This process ran from December 2004 March 2006, providing a Community Survey, Public Workshop and Design Charrette, the combination of which led to a general consensus and a document, The Midtown Transition Area Neighbourhood Plan, to guide the eventual development of the site: Increased residential density through a variety of housing Mixed (commercial and residential) Use Civic Plaza Potential staging area for gondola link to Red Mountain Connectivity to Jubilee Park and Arena Integration with nearby schools and neighbourhoods The MTA properties are also distinguished in Rossland s history as the former site of the city s rail station, built during Rossland s gold mining era. Through the Charrette exercise this specific site has been designated as the Uptown Station to honour the site s mining and rail heritage and will serve as the heart of the Midtown Transition Area. Located just above Columbia Ave, Rossland s main thoroughfare, the MTA properties offer outstanding investment potential, featuring views of the city and surrounding countryside along with close proximity to employment, infrastructure, services and amenities

4 Design drawings from the 2006 Midtown Transition Area Charrette - 3 -

5 3. Adjacent Assets Open for Investment The City supports eventual collaboration with the successful proponent to ensure that the Arena site, an amenity asset, is wrapped into one overall development initiative. Therefore, this EOI advances both the potential outcomes of the vacant MTA properties and the Arena itself. While the design concepts for MTA came about through the MTA Public Lands Consultation, the City wishes to advance its own recently formalized sustainability platforms in energy, water, housing and local economic development as articulated in its adopted Strategic Sustainability Plan. The MTA s vacant properties along with the Arena provide the city and interested parties a unique opportunity to collaborate on implementing design concepts that will anchor a balanced development in the heart of Rossland. Some two miles from the nearby ski resort of Red Mountain and within an established and partially preserved downtown core featuring dozens of businesses, the MTA offers significant development potential. In addition to a renowned ski hill with exceptional terrain, the City also features an 18-hole golf course, an extensive recreational trail system (for hiking and biking) and a number of heritage structures from the turn of the century. The city is now witnessing new residential investment and servicing improvements at the base of Red Mountain and at Redstone Golf course. 4. Local Economy and Diversification While Rossland s primary employment generator remains Teck Cominco, it also benefits economically from the regional hospital, both of which are located in the nearby city of Trail. In order to develop an increased degree of economic self-reliance, Rossland has formally adopted a tourism-based approach to diversify its economic base and has recently been designated a resort municipality by the Province of the British Columbia. The MTA s eventual development would help to advance Rossland s goal of economic diversification

6 - 5 - Request for Expressions of Interest

7 5. Proximity to Services The City of Rossland is located in the Kootenay region of south central British Columbia, 6 miles north of the US border, 210 km north of Spokane (WA). There are two nearby local airports, located in Castlegar (20 km) and Trail (10 km) whereas the more distant Spokane airport (210 km) also provides a reliable international connection. To summarize the MTA s ideal location: Adjacent to the Rossland Secondary School, Jubilee and Nickel Plate Parks Within a mixed pattern of commercial and residential zoning Two blocks from the downtown shops on Columbia Ave Two kilometres south from Red Mountain ski resort Two kilometres north from Redstone Golf Club Walking distance to the Rossland Museum 10 km. from Tech Cominco and Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Surrounded by 138 km. of forested trail network 20 km from Castlegar airport, 10 km. from Trail airport

8 6. Land Tenure The City of Rossland owns the MTA development site and is open to negotiating long term lease(s) and/or sales agreements based upon an eventual contract between the City and the successful Proponent. 7. Scheduling Interested parties shall respond to this EOI by March 1, The City of Rossland will then develop an RFP based upon the responses and will target a small number of firms short-listed from the EOI exercise. The City is under no obligation to advance the potential development within any area of the MTA.* Interested parties should provide the City of Rossland: A portfolio highlighting the firm s project experience with similar developments over the past five years Specific experience with and interest in a P3 project A brief narrative explaining the reasons for their interest An expose describing the depth of their resources in order to prove the firm s capacity to carry out all the necessary tasks in the proposed undertaking Qualified firms interested in this opportunity must submit 10 hard copies of their Expression of Interest prior to 4 p.m. PST, March 1, 2009 to the attention of: Mr. Michael Maturo, Manager of Planning and Development Services City of Rossland PO Box Columbia Ave Rossland, BC V0G 1Y0 Tel: mikematuro@rossland.ca This is NOT a Request for Proposals Late Submissions will be Disqualified - 7 -

9 *Each Proponent is solely responsible for the risk and cost of preparing and submitting its proposal in response to this EOI and neither the City nor its officials, employees or consultants (including the City s representative) are liable for the cost of doing so or obliged to remunerate or reimburse any consultant for that cost. By submitting its proposal to the City, each Proponent represents and warrants to the City that the information in its proposal is accurate and complete. This EOI does not impose on the City any duty of fairness or natural justice to any or all respondents with respect to this EOI or the process it creates. Unless the City is expressly permitted or required by this EOI to act reasonably, the City is entitled to act in its sole, absolute and unfettered discretion. All Submissions submitted to the City become the property of the City, and the information in Submissions will be disclosed as necessary to carry out the EOI process or as required by law, including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. That Act creates a right of access to records in the custody or under the control of the City, subject to the specific exceptions in that right set out in the Act. The City will receive all proposals submitted in response to this EOI in confidence, including for the purposes of s.21 of that Act. In light of the right of access to information created by that Act, the City does not guarantee that information contained in any proposals will remain confidential if a request for access in respect of any proposal is made under the Act. Any information the proponent considers personal information because of its proprietary nature should be marked as confidential and will be subject to appropriate consideration as defined by the act. The City accepts no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of this EOI (including any schedules or appendices to it) or of any recorded or oral information communicated or made available for inspection by the City (including through the City s representative or any other individual) and no representation or warranty, either express or implied, is made or given by the City with respect to the accuracy or completeness of any of those things. The sole risk, responsibility and liability connected with reliance by any Proponent or any other person on this EOI or any such information as is described in this paragraph is solely that of each Proponent. Each Proponent acknowledges and agrees that it is solely responsible for obtaining its own independent financial, legal, accounting, and other advice with respect to the contents of this EOI or any such information as is described in this paragraph. Each Proponent who submits a proposal to the City is deemed to have released the City from, and waived, any action, cause of action, claim, liability, demand, loss, damage, cost or expense, of every kind, in any way connected with or arising out of the contents of this EOI or any such information as is described in this paragraph. Each Proponent who submits a proposal is deemed to have agreed that they are solely responsible and liable to ensure that it has obtained and considered all information necessary to enable it to understand the requirements of this EOI, and of the project, and to prepare and submit its proposal. Proponents are required to keep their proposals confidential and must not disclose their proposals, or information contained in them, to anyone else without the prior written consent of the City