DEPARTMENT: Center City Development & Operations
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Lori Houston
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council District 1
SUBJECT:
Hemisfair P3 RFQ Issuance for Northwest Quadrant
SUMMARY:
An update on the issuance of a Request For Qualifications (RFQ) and one or more Request For Proposals (RFP) on approximately five acres of developable land held by the HemisFair Park Public Facilities Corporation (HP PFC) in the northwest quadrant of HemisFair Park. The proposed project is currently referred to as the NW Quadrant and is adjacent to the schematically designed civic park.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC) was established in 2009 to manage and oversee the redevelopment and management of 14.35 acres of developable property at HemisFair Park. The Hemisfair Master Plan, approved by City Council in February 2012, contemplates the development of P3 mixed-use vertical structures at various sites within Hemisfair. To accomplish this goal, the City Council identified areas of land within Hemisfair that may be developed, and conveyed those properties to the Hemisfair Park Public Facilities Corporation (HP PFC), a corporation governed by City Council. On December 11, 2014, the HP PFC authorized a Master Lease Agreement with HPARC to allow for long-term ground leases of the HP PFC properties.
The NW Quadrant includes two sites that total approximately five acres on which multifamily residential housing units, offices, hotel, ground-floor amenities such as restaurants and local shops, and public parking spaces may be developed. This project will be adjacent to the newly designed civic park, Hemisfair's front porch which is designed to include such amenities as a source plaza, promenade, mural room, gardens, groves, shallows, and a large lawn. The civic park is expected to start construction after the removal of the western portion of the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center (currently estimated for mid-2016). In addition to completed schematic designs for the civic park, an Urban Design Manual (UDM) has been created to aid developers in following existing city design guidelines and respecting the concepts of the civic park design and adjacent downtown areas such as La Villita and the Riverwalk.
Through this process, HPARC and City staff intend to select one or more P3 developers and enter into a long-term lease agreement. All proceeds from lease revenues will be used to fund operations, maintenance, development, administration and activation of the parks at Hemisfair.
The Selection Committee for both the RFQ and RFP process will consist of voting members from HPARC, City staff, and outside experts. The RFQ is expected to be issued in the spring of this year and will be marketed nationally.
This process follows the P3 Guidelines adopted by the HPARC Board, which were modeled after the City's P3 Guidelines. The Economic and Community Development Committee will have the opportunity to review the selected P3 developers prior to entering negotiations, and prior to submittal to City Council for approval of the negotiated lease documents.
ISSUE:
HPARC was created to oversee the redevelopment of Hemisfair, to fundraise for the construction of new park assets, and to activate and maintain the parks. P3 projects will contribute revenue to pay for improvements, programming and asset management of the parks consistent with the approved Master Plan.
ALTERNATIVES:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is for briefing purposes only.