The Mansfield Downtown Partnership has initiated a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to identify a qualified consultant to guide and execute a strategic planning process with our Board of Directors, community, and staff to produce a strategic plan for a mixed-use neighborhood known as Downtown Storrs, located in Mansfield, CT adjacent to the University of Connecticut (UConn).
Click here to view the full RFP.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 3:00 PM
NOTICE
Due to the Good Friday holiday, notifications regarding finalist interviews will be postponed until Monday, April 5, 2021.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The following questions from prospective consultants were received between February 22, 2021 and March 3, 2021:
Q1: The Town completed a three-year strategic plan in 2016, with activities through to 2020. This RFP ask for a “strategic planning process” to produce a strategic plan for Downtown Storrs. Is the Town also looking to update/continue the work of the 2016 Strategic Plan as part of this process?
A1: The Mansfield Downtown Partnership completed a three-year strategic plan in 2016. This RFP is put forth by the Partnership, not the Town.
The Consultant shall advise the Partnership on applicable portions of the 2016 plan that are appropriate to carry forward in the new strategic plan.
Q2: Does the Town have an estimated budget for this Strategic Plan assignment?
A2: This Strategic Plan is for the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, not the Town.
Please see 3(b) of Proposal Requirements in the RFP.
Q3: This scope-of-work presents largely as a strategic planning exercise, yet Phase I is also supposed to include an assessment of "current and emerging trends in real estate investment, market leasing rates, retail, restaurant, office, leisure and entertainment concepts, and supporting municipal programs and policies.” Is retail (defined in my mind as including restaurant, leisure and entertainment) prominent enough in your thinking to warrant the attention of a retail specialist who can undertake a nuanced market analysis and devise a fine-grained tenanting strategy, or are you just interested in the general economist's perspective from 35,000 feet?
A3: The Partnership does not own leasable property or manage its tenants. Several private property owners, their respective leasing agents and the Town’s Economic Development Commission will be invited as key stakeholders to the strategic planning process. A high-level economical assessment, along with the tools and metrics requested for future implementation, will suffice for this plan and its budget.
Q4: What is the approximate budget for this engagement?
A4: Please see 3(b) of Proposal Requirements in the RFP.
Q5: The RFP states “Experience with strategic planning for mixed use developments and nonprofit organizations in southern New England is preferred.” What makes southern New England different enough to make strategic planning experience in this geography more valuable than experiences from anywhere else in the country?
A5: The Partnership believes a common understanding of local and regional context will be valuable to the planning process. That said, our preference does not preclude experience in other geographies.
Q6: Typically, strategic plans are geared toward the direction of the organization (i.e. “are we doing the things we should be doing?”) This RFP however, also asks for additional strategies and services beyond strategy development and into communications planning, organizational assessments, and marketing, just to name a few. Is the intent to be more than just a typical organizational strategic plan?
A6: Yes, the strategic plan should focus on the place as much as the organization itself. The Partnership believes Downtown Storrs is in a transitional phase that – in some ways – may not be the same development that was originally envisioned. The Consultant shall guide the Partnership and other stakeholders through a brainstorming process that considers not only what we should be doing to strengthen Downtown Storrs, but also what others outside the organization can do to reimagine it as a vibrant, beloved destination and a sustainable, community asset.
Q7: Was the board/staff satisfied with its previous strategic plan? Is that plan considered successfully completed by the board?
A7: Yes and yes, however the Consultant shall advise the Partnership on applicable portions of the 2016 plan that are appropriate to carry forward in the new strategic plan.
Q8: What outside consulting firms has the Downtown Mansfield Partnership used in the last two years?
A8: The Partnership hired one consultant in the last two years – for landscape architectural planning and design of public spaces within Downtown Storrs.
Q9: The RFP for the Downtown Storrs Strategic Plan is very thorough. One question: Do you have a budget range allocated for this project?
A9: Please see 3(b) of Proposal Requirements in the RFP.
Q10: Since the majority of the Partnership’s revenue comes from the Town of Mansfield and UConn, are there goals for this Strategic Plan to determine and recommend strategies and conditions that would justify changing the amounts of those contributions (higher or lower), adding or diversifying revenue sources (e.g. from State/Federal grants, other public/private funding sources, property management/direct services provided by the Partnership, etc.), and what would the implementation timeframe be (e.g. next five years, since the last plan was delivered in 2016)?
A10: Yes, should those recommendations become necessary as a result of the strategic goals and vision. As noted in the RFP, the plan’s near-term implementation should focus on attainable goals through June 2022 and longer-term viability through 2025.
Q11: Is this new Strategic Plan specific to Downtown Storrs or should it also take into account the Partnership additionally having economic development responsibilities and tasks for other commercially/industrially zoned areas in Mansfield (e.g. the Opportunity Zone)?
A11: This plan is specific to Downtown Storrs however outcomes may be applicable to other areas of Mansfield.
END OF QUESTIONS & ANSWERS