Envision Comprehensive Plan Update

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
INSTRUCTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR:
Village of Oak Park
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Envision Comprehensive Plan Update Revision
Date Issued: July 6, 2026
Proposal Due Date: August 7, 2026, 4:00 p.m. Central Time
The Village of Oak Park ("Village") seeks proposals for an Oak Park Comprehensive Plan
update. This Request for Proposal is to seek qualified planning consultants to prepare a
revised and updated Comprehensive Plan for the Village of Oak Park, Illinois. The revised and
updated Comprehensive Plan will serve as a guide in considering policy changes, land use
planning, budget preparation, and capital improvement planning for the Village of Oak Park's
future.
Proposals can be sent to Planning & Urban Design Manager/Village Planner within the
Development Services Department located at Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park,
Illinois, 60302, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Proposals should be
addressed to Mr. Michael Bruce, Planning & Urban Design Manager/Village Planner.
Proposals will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on Monday, August 7, 2026. The Proposals will be
reviewed by a Village evaluation team in private, interviews conducted of the top candidates,
and the results of the review will be presented to Village of Oak Park elected officials.
I. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - INSTRUCTIONS
The Village anticipates the following general timeline for this Request for Proposals ("RFP").
The following dates are subject to change:
Activity Schedule Timeline
RFP Published July 6, 2026
All Questions Due July 21, 2026 - 4:00 PM Central Time
Email to: planning@oak-park.us
Attention: Mike Bruce, Planning & Urban Design
Manager/Village Planner
Posting of Answers July 28, 2026 - 4:00 PM Central Time
Website: https://www.oak-park.us/bid
Proposals Due August 7, 2026 - 4:00 PM Central Time

Email to: planning@oak-park.us
Attention: Michael Bruce, Planning & Urban Design
Manager/Village Planner
Anticipated Award October 20, 2026, or soon thereafter
Date
All proposals must be received by the specific time set forth above. Proposals received after
the specified time will not be accepted. Proposals must be signed by an officer of the company
who is authorized to enter into agreements on behalf of the company. Proposals over 25MB
in email size may be rejected. The Village reserves the right to accept or reject any and all
proposals and to waive any technicalities.
The documents constituting this request for proposals are listed below. Respondents are
responsible for the completion of Sections V through IX in their entirety and in the order
presented below. Proposals should be limited to 100 pages. Missing information or proposals
that are deemed by the Village to be incomplete will not be considered for award.
V. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS (STATEMENT OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED)
VI. ORGANIZATION OF FIRM
VII. COMPLIANCE AFFIDAVIT
VIII. M/W/DBE STATUS AND EEO REPORT
IX. REFERENCES FORM
X. PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT
The selected contractor will enter into a Professional Services Agreement ("Agreement") in
substantially the form attached hereto in Section X.
II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Village of Oak Park is a full-service home rule municipal corporation located in Cook
County, Illinois. Oak Park is a thriving, transit-oriented community with a population of 54,583
located immediately west of the City of Chicago and known for its great neighborhoods,
architectural heritage and innovative public policy initiatives. Within its 4.5 square miles live
one of the region's most diverse mixes of cultures, races, ethnicities, professions, lifestyles,
religions, ages and incomes. Oak Park shares its eastern border with the City of Chicago and
is adjacent to the Austin neighborhood. Oak Park borders the community of Galewood within
the City of Chicago to the north, the Villages of River Forest and Forest Park to the west and
the City of Berwyn and the Town of Cicero to the south. Both Oak Park and its surrounding
communities and neighborhoods are 100% built-out; yet feature tremendous opportunity for
infill and reinvestment capitalizing on significant existing public infrastructure, including
public transit amenities.
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The Village of Oak Park's current Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2014. The Envision Oak
Park plan was guided by five core values: Diversity, Urban Sustainability, Respect for Oak
Park's History and Legacy, Collaboration and Cooperation, and Thriving Neighborhoods to
guide municipal policies, programs, regulations development, and partnership. Oak Park's
first known plan was published in 1925. It was a relatively simple plan that suggested specific
projects for a simpler time. In the years that followed, long-range planning was largely
piecemeal. It wasn't until 1973 that the Village adopted its first thorough comprehensive plan.
Historically Oak Park developed its basic physical character with little planning, let alone a
comprehensive plan to guide its growth. First settled in 1835, two years before Chicago was
incorporated, Oak Park developed rapidly following the great Chicago fire in 1871.
Establishment of rail service to Chicago helped spur development in Oak Park as its
population grew from 200 in 1870 to over 10,000 by the turn of the century.
By the 1920's, extensive development swelled Oak Park's population to 40,000. By 1930
single-family homes, apartment buildings, and strip commercial development covered most
of the village and the population had risen to 64,000. The Village was virtually completely
developed, and land-use patterns were fully established, generally without the guidance of
long-range or comprehensive planning.
In 1940, Oak Park's population peaked at 66,000, and then declined to 61,100 in 1960,
62,500 in 1970, 54,900 in 1980, and 53,600 in 1990. Currently the population is
approximately 54,583. The decrease in population from beginning in 1970 is almost entirely
the result of the national trend toward smaller household sizes, because the total number of
housing units increased.
Oak Park is now a mature, successfully integrated community. Its proximity to the region's
major metropolis affords Oak Parkers the convenience and amenities of urban living that most
suburbanites lack, while its status as an independent municipality gives its citizens input and
influence over their destiny that residents of most large cities rarely enjoy.
III. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Consultant team shall prepare the Village of Oak Park Comprehensive Plan under the
guidance of a Steering Committee, Village Staff, and the Plan Commission, and shall be
managed by the Village Planner. The Steering Committee will be a committee consisting of
public officials and community representatives to oversee the planning and development
process. The Comprehensive Plan shall represent the community's vision for the Village of
Oak Park.
This agreement will result in an updated comprehensive plan integrating current planning
policies, goals, and objectives where appropriate. This updated Plan will replace the current
2014 Comprehensive Plan. The Plan shall include text, plans, charts, graphs, and other
applicable graphics to illustrate past, current, and future projections. The Plan shall identify a
vision, key trends and issues, desired outcomes (goals and policies) and implementation
strategies for each of the following topics: community development, community design,
transit-orientation, energy and green building (including life-cycles of materials), housing,
transportation, public facilities, historic preservation, land use planning, economy, childcare,
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eldercare, public safety, diversity, education, environmental justice and sustainability, public
health, arts and culture, tourism, parks and recreation, and public participation. Staff will look
to the contractor to recommend any structural changes to the Envision Comprehensive Plan,
relative to chapters and formatting.
The consultant shall provide a rational for which topics would be necessary or preferred for
this plan and the depth of detail warranted for each component given the complexities of the
community. The end product shall be in a format that is easily read and visually pleasing. The
Village estimates that this project will take approximately 12 months to complete once the
final consultant is approved. Each topic can take its own tract with respect to the project
timeline anticipating that public involvement would be well integrated into the project process.
1. Initial Review and Analysis
a. Interviews. The Contractor will interview appropriate stakeholders involved with
the project. These interviews will include groups and individuals which may
include elected officials, appointed officials, nonprofit organization leaders,
property owners, Village commissions, neighborhood representatives, local
business owners, developers, business organizations, and municipal staff. In
addition to stakeholder interviews, it is anticipated that the community may be
divided into subareas as determined by municipal staff for public meetings in
order to ensure effective communication with the community at-large.
b. Site Analysis. The Contractor will become familiar with the physical and
socioeconomic details of the community and its historic patterns of
development, environment, zoning, planning and architecture.
c. Media coverage. The Contractor will participate in conferences with local
officials and draft press releases and/or social media content to inform the
local citizenry about the efforts to be undertaken in coordination with the
communications team.
d. Website. The Contractor will host the project website, and the Village of Oak
Park will provide a link on their website, potentially working with the Village's
communication team and resources on Engage Oak Park. As municipal officials
deem appropriate, the Contractor will provide materials including text,
photographs, maps, renderings, and other images for the website. This material
will describe the Contractor's credentials and help explain the project's process
and schedule.
2. Public Process
a. Generate necessary background information. The Village of Oak Park will
provide all available maps or community-wide information as needed by the
Contractor. These documents will be used to produce the maps, graphs, and
general data that will be used during and for the preparation of the Plan.
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b. Community Meetings. The Contractor will organize and lead, at a minimum,
four (4) workshops and six (6) neighborhood meetings, gather information, and
formulate strategies. The Contractor will tailor the workshops or meetings to
obtain maximum community input to produce the best possible information on
which to base the project. The format will also take into consideration the
findings of the initial site analysis, input from staff, and information obtained at
previous meetings, including 2 x 2 meetings with Village Board, workshops, and
interviews. At the conclusion of the workshops or meetings, the Contractor will
present the work generated to Staff and/or Steering Committee. Ideas that
reflect those articulated in the workshops or meetings will be publicly presented
and further feedback may be solicited from the community.
c. Project Steering Committee Meetings or Plan Commission. The Contractor will
organize and lead at least one monthly meeting. The Committee or Commission
will be created to guide the activities of the Contractor throughout the planning
process for the Comprehensive Plan revision/update. In addition to providing
input to both the Contractor and the Village Board of Trustees, the
Committee/Commission will determine the general form and content of the
public participation events and work products. It is important to understand
that the final decisions of the project lie with the Village Board of Trustees, and
the Committee/Commission is being asked to serve in an advisory role.
At the monthly meetings, the Contractor will provide full project status reports and receive
guidance and direction on the conduct of the public participation events and work products.
Accordingly, staff and/or the Steering Committee will be composed of stakeholders in the
community who have the time and interest to dedicate to this critical work. All community
stakeholders will have several opportunities to participate in the project to make their views
known and influence the final findings and recommendations at the many public involvement
events.
If a Steering Committee is formed, it shall reflect various interest groups within the community,
and the size of the group should be kept to a manageable and functional number. Given the
number of diverse standing committees/commissions already established by the Village that
also may have decision making/recommending responsibilities for aspects of the process or
its implementation, each of these will have representation along with key stakeholders
located within the study area.
Presentations and updates to the Village Board will be scheduled periodically throughout the
update process as determined necessary by Village Staff.
e. Final Presentations. The Contractor will provide presentations to the Plan Commission and
more, if a committee is used, for public review prior to final presentation to the Village Board
of Trustees.
3. Refining the Regulations
a. Presentation of First Draft. The Contractor will present the first draft of the
Comprehensive Plan update for the purpose of gathering comments. Copies of
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the first draft will need to be in hardcopy, digital form and posted on the
website. The presentation may be made to a special audience or may be
presented before a joint gathering of municipal boards and commissions, as
determined by the Village. This may include a separate but complimentary
report with draft recommendations for policies, programs, or revisions to other
parts of the Municipal Code related to this work.
b. Presentation of the Second Draft. After making revisions in response to
comments on the first draft, the Contractor will present the second draft of the
Comprehensive Plan revision/update and reports at another meeting convened
in the Village.
c. Meetings with Stakeholders. The Contractor will attend and participate in
additional meetings with key stakeholders to explain the details of the draft
Comprehensive Plan and draft reports in order to obtain further input and
comments.
4. Approval Process
a. Public Hearing Presentations. The Contractor will make formal presentations
to the Village of Oak Park's Plan Commission, possibly other Commissions and
the Village Board of Trustees. In addition to their participation at these key
decision points, the individual Trustees will also be strongly encouraged to
participate in all of the public participation events to share their thoughts and
insights as well to hear first-hand the thoughts and insights of their
constituents.
b. Additional Revisions. The Contractor will be responsible for at least two rounds
of revisions to the Final Draft that may become necessary between
presentations.
IV: SUBMITTAL SUMMARY
RFP responses should be provided in one electronic copy no more than 100 pages and shall
include the following items, along with other material to demonstrate the Contractor Team's
expertise and capability:
1. A brief written description of the Contractor Team's approach to the project.
2. The expertise of the team assembled by the Contractor to carry out the work.
3. A list of comparable projects undertaken by the Contractor and/or team members.
4. A copy of at least one municipal Comprehensive Plan previously created by the
Consultant/Contractor and adopted into law.
5. Contractor Fee Analysis of the project broken down into phases and/or tasks.
6. A timeline associated with phases and/or tasks (based on Schedule above). Note:
anticipate additional meetings/presentations.
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VI: RECOMMENDED FORMAT FOR SUBMITTALS
1. Description of Approach: Not more than five pages describing the Contractor's typical
approach to projects similar to this one, including the nature of the public process and
intended extent of public involvement.
2. Team Expertise: Brief description of general qualifications, the multi-disciplinary nature of
the team assembled for this project, specific evidence of relevant experience creating
comprehensive plans, and a listing of key personnel that would be available to work on
this project.
3. Comparable Products: Summary of Comprehensive Plan projects in progress or
completed, with the following information for each plan:
a. Reference name, with current contact information
b. Current status of ordinance (drafting in progress; drafting completed; adopted?)
c. Nature of public involvement in formulation of ordinance
d. Client type (clarifying role of private sector client, if any)
e. Size and scale of geographic area
4. Sample Document: Please include one or more sample comprehensive plan document(s)
electronically, if possible, selected from the list of comparable projects as formally adopted
by the municipality and a brief explanation of differences between the two.
5. Fee Structure: A detailed fee analysis of each potential phase and/or task shall be
identified in a separate page or pages apart from any detailed description of the planning
process. The total fee shall include all anticipated reimbursables. A breakout page shall
be devoted to the Performance Measure Matrix and process but shall be identified in the
overall fee.
6. Timeline: A general timeline of the steps intended for the process incorporating public
involvement and presentations. A separate timeline associated with the Performance
Measure process shall be included.
VI. EVALUATION OF SUBMITTALS
Consultants responding to this RFP must demonstrate the following:
1. Experience in preparing municipal comprehensive plans.
2. Experience in building community consensus to support innovative plan structures.
3. Strong graphic skills.
4. Strong skills in written and oral communication.
5. Experience in identifying, evaluating, codifying, and explaining the essential
qualities of community design and character.
6. Experience in writing or implementing municipal plans.
Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by Village staff. The Village reserves the right to
accept or reject any and all proposals, and to waive minor informalities and errors in submitted
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proposals. The Village may also request additional information it deems reasonably necessary
or may choose to interview proposers to further evaluate qualifications to allow the Village to
evaluate and select the most qualified proposer to perform the services described in this RFP.
Respondents who submit proposals do so at their own expense. The Village of Oak Park may
request personal interviews with the highest-ranked Contractors or may request one or more
prospective Contractors to submit more detailed proposals, which may include the following:
1. Detailed description of the methodology being proposed.
2. Work program detailing:
a. Tasks to be performed.
b. When each will be completed (timeline).
c. Tentative allocation of person days by task.
d. Schedule of work products.
3. Methods the Contractor proposes to use to manage the project and communicate with
the Village of Oak Park and the public as to project progress, reviews, and conduct of
public meetings.
4. Identification of key personnel to be assigned to the project and their roles, with resumes
of all key personnel.
5. Hourly rates (inclusive of overhead and profit) for personnel or personnel categories.
6. Data expected to be provided by Village of Oak Park.
VII. AVAILABLE DOCUMENTATION www.oak-park.us/planning
1. Greater Downtown Master Plan [2005]
2. Planning Together (South Oak Park Avenue & Harrison Street Arts District) [2005]
3. Chicago Avenue Neighborhood Plan [2006]
4. Madison Street Corridor Plan [2006]
5. Lake Street Neighborhood Plan [2007]
6. Chicago-Harlem Neighborhood Plan [2008]
7. Oak Park Zoning Ordinance [2017 Amended Through: March 24, 2026]
8. 4 Insights Market Analysis and retail Strategy [2008]
9. Oak Park Historic Preservation Plan [2010]
10. Strategic Vision for Housing Plan [2024]
11. Envision Oak Park Comprehensive Plan [2014]
12. Climate Ready Oak Park [2022]
13. Oak Park Bicycle Plan [2025]
14. Roosevelt Road Corridor Plan Update [2026]
15. Missing Middle Housing Initiative [2026] TBD.
If available, further information from Michael Bruce, Village Planner, can be requested by
telephone at 708/358-5441 or by e-mail at bruce@oak-park.us or by mail at Village Hall, 123
Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. Our village website [www.oak-park.us] contains
additional information relative to health, sustainability, housing, historic preservation,
economic development, public works, safety, finance, parking, signage, building, and policies.
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VIII. ANTICIPATED PROJECT TIMELINE
Submittal Closing Date.........................................................
3-5 Consultants Selected for Presentation........................
Consultants Presentation/Interview....................................
Committee Selection.............................................................
Contract Negotiation Completed..........................................
Contract Approved by BOT/Plan Process Begins................
Comp. Plan Process Completed...........................................
Public Hearings & Adoption..................................................
Contractor Selection:
The Village will award the Agreement to the Contractor whose proposal is most satisfactory to
the Village in its discretion. Final selection is expected as set forth in the above schedule.
IX. AWARD OF CONTRACT
A. Contract Term: The contract period commences on the date the Agreement in substantially
the form attached, is fully executed and will end when the services are completed.
B. Authorization: The contractor will enter into the Agreement in substantially the form
attached as approved and authorized by the Village of Oak Park Board of Trustees and
executed by the Village Manager. The contractor is advised that Village staff, other than the
Village Manager, have no authority to sign agreements or modify existing agreements on
behalf of the Village and that any such agreements are null and void.
C. Subcontracting: The contractor shall not assign or subcontract any portion of the services
provided without the written approval of the Village. The contractor assumes responsibility for
the performance of any services by subcontractors, whether or not authorized. In the event of
a merger of a contractor with another firm, the agreement may only be assigned to the
successor firm only upon the approval of the Village President and Board of Trustees.
D. Insurance Requirements: The selected contractor must purchase and maintain for the
length of the Agreement and coverage as set forth in the Agreement attached hereto.
E. Information Data: All data and records prepared or obtained under this project shall be
made available to the Village without restriction or limitation on their use. The Village shall
have exclusive ownership of all proprietary interest in, and the right to full and exclusive
possession of all data, information, materials and documents obtained, discovered and
produced by the contractor. All reports, data, information, etc., prepared or assembled by the
contractor shall not be made available to any individual or organization other than the Village
of Oak Park.
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SECTION VI
ORGANIZATION OF FIRM
Please fill out the applicable section:
A. Corporation:
The Contractor is a corporation, legally named _________________________________ and is
organized and existing in good standing under the laws of the State of ____________. The full
names of its Officers are:
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Registered Agent Name and Address:
The corporation has a corporate seal. (In the event that this Proposal is executed by a person
other than the President, attach hereto a certified copy of that section of Corporate By-Laws
or other authorization by the Corporation that permits the person to execute the offer for the
corporation.)
B. Sole Proprietor:
The Contractor is a Sole Proprietor. If the Contractor does business under an Assumed
Name, the
Assumed Name is , which is registered with the
Cook County Clerk. The Contractor is otherwise in compliance with the Assumed Business
Name Act, 805 ILCS 405/0.01, et. seq.
C. Partnership:
The Contractor is a Partnership which operates under the name _____
The following are the names, addresses and signatures of all partners:
Signature Signature
(Attach additional sheets if necessary.) If so, check here .
If the partnership does business under an assumed name, the assumed name must be
registered with the Cook County Clerk and the partnership is otherwise in compliance with the
Assumed Business Name Act, 805 ILCS 405/0.01, et. seq.
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