RFP Class III Historic Architectural Survey of the Downtown Area
| Location: | North Dakota |
|---|---|
| Posted: | Oct 20, 2025 |
| Due: | Dec 19, 2025 |
| Agency: | City of Bismarck |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Bid Title: |
RFP Class III Historic Architectural Survey of the Downtown Area
|
| Category: | Community Development |
| Status: | Open |
|
Attachment Preview
Downtown District Survey Request for Proposals
City of Bismarck, North Dakota
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:
A CLASS III INTENSIVE HISTORIC
ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF THE
DOWNTOWN AREA OF
BISMARCK, ND
Issued:
Proposals Due:
October 20, 2025
December 19, 2025, at
5:00 p.m. CST
City of Bismarck
Planning Department
221 North 5th Street
P.O Box 5503
Bismarck, ND 58506
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Downtown District Survey Request for Proposals
City of Bismarck, North Dakota
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP):
A CLASS III INTENSIVE HISTORIC ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF THE
DOWNTOWN AREA OF BISMARCK, ND
Summary RFP Schedule:
RFP Issued
Proposal Deadline
Selection of Proposal by Historic Preservation Commission
Selection of Proposal by City Commission
October 20, 2025
December 19, 2025, at 5:00
p.m. CST
January 21, 2026
February 10, 2026
Any interested individual may request to be on an email list to receive updates on the RFP
process, including addenda to the RFP if any are issued. The City may alter this RFP at any
time.
Submittal Instructions
Proposals must be received by the City of Bismarck no later than 5:00 p.m. CST on December
19, 2025. Proposals received after this deadline will not be accepted.
Send proposals and direct questions regarding the RFP to:
Lauren Oster,
Planner
City of Bismarck
PO Box 5503
Bismarck, ND 58504
701-355-1846
laoster@bismarcknd.gov
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Downtown District Survey Request for Proposals
City of Bismarck, North Dakota
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose for Request .....................................................................................................................4
Scope of Services .........................................................................................................................4
Project Budget ...............................................................................................................................6
Community Profile .........................................................................................................................6
Resources .....................................................................................................................................8
Proposal Request and Selection Process .....................................................................................8
Schedule of Process ..................................................................................................................8
Submittal Instructions ................................................................................................................9
Required Proposal Contents .......................................................................................................10
Evaluation Criteria .......................................................................................................................12
Other Information ........................................................................................................................13
Modifications to the Request ...................................................................................................13
Eligibility ...................................................................................................................................13
Responsibility for Proposal Preparation...................................................................................13
Civil Rights ...............................................................................................................................13
No Conflict of Interest ..............................................................................................................14
Open Records/Proprietary Information ....................................................................................14
Ownership of Project Materials ................................................................................................14
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Downtown District Survey Request for Proposals
City of Bismarck, North Dakota
Purpose for Request
The Bismarck Historic Preservation Commission (BHPC) is looking to complete a Class III
intensive architectural survey of properties surrounding Bismarck’s current Downtown Historic
District and to update the site forms for the Downtown Historic District (see the Proposed
Survey Boundary Map under the Resources section). This will be inclusive of, but not limited to,
conducting thorough background research, establishing a period(s) of significance, and
completing and submitting a draft and final written report and all associated site forms for the
Class III.
Additional buildings have become historic since the original investigation twenty-five years ago.
All the historic buildings in the project area need to be evaluated to see if they still meet
eligibility criteria or contribute to additional time periods of significance or to additional themes to
the current District (e.g., Urban Renewal). It is possible they need to be considered as a
separate Historic District(s). There have been changes in this core area including changes to
building appearances, demolitions, additions, and address changes. Today, the project area is
comprised of commercial, public, office, and multi-family residential uses. The Class III project
will look at structures built on or before 1980 in order to prepare for a possible amendment, or
nomination, as a next step, that may occur after the conclusion of this Class III Inventory.
Scope of Services
The BHPC, through this Request for Proposals (RFP), seeks a qualified consultant to conduct a
Class III intensive architectural survey of the Downtown area.
The scope of services includes the following tasks:
1. Archival Research & Historical Narrative. Conduct thorough literature review of
previous related projects and Class III inventories of the project area using the ND State
Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) system and other available materials. The project
consultant will use all applicable archives, the State Historical Society of North Dakota,
City, County, and other records, as needed, to gather data on the properties in the
project area. This will include reviewing the previous National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) nomination for the Bismarck Downtown Historic District (see the Resources
section).
2. Architectural Intensive Survey. Conduct an intensive level survey of buildings and
structures within the identified survey boundary to collect new field data and complete
new and updated site forms for qualifying properties. The intensive survey will:
a. Document the existing historic character and conditions of each property within
the survey area, completing a North Dakota Cultural Resources Survey (NDCRS)
Architectural Site Form for each property in the survey area. Data collected will
include locational information, property boundaries, current ownership, date of
construction, known architects or contractors, assessment of integrity, evaluation
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Downtown District Survey Request for Proposals
City of Bismarck, North Dakota
of significance under the NRHP Criteria, and site photographs meeting or
exceeding minimum NDCRS Site Form Data requirements.
b. Update existing documentation of any previously recorded cultural resources
within the survey area. Where eligibility has been recommended or determined in
a previous survey, such recommendation will remain unchanged unless the
consultant provides evidence that the statement warrants change.
c. Provide a historic context and architectural themes for the development of the
survey area and make recommendations for future preservation activities,
including evaluation of whether the current NRHP historic district should be
amended and/or if a new nomination should occur.
d. Not include entry onto private property. All work, including photography, will be
conducted from the public right-of-way adjacent to the property.
3. Boundary Recommendation. This would include the creation of a map showing the
boundary for the period of significance. This boundary may be different from the current
NRHP historic district boundary and should be noted if so. This should be updated
based on current conditions identified within the survey area.
4. Establish Period(s) of Significance and Themes. A table identifying historically or
architecturally significant properties, including evaluation of both individually eligible and
contributing sites is required. The evaluation of the significance of historic properties
using established criteria is required. This may include the application of the criteria
within identified historic contexts and architectural themes of the current District or the
consultant may provide revised historic contexts and/or architectural themes with
justification.
5. Formatting. Edit all documents for grammar, punctuation, and clarity prior to submission
to the BHPC or SHPO.
6. Document Submission. Submittal of the written report and NDCRS Architectural site
forms for review and final submission must follow all SHPO site form and report
requirements (see ND SHPO Guidelines Manual for Cultural Resource Inventory
Projects and NDCRS Architectural Site Form Manual under the Resources section).
e. NDCRS architectural site forms will be submitted first to the BHPC for review and
comments. The BHPC will provide comments within 15 days to the consultant.
The consultant will have 15 days to make the corrections and will submit to
SHPO. An initial ten percent of the site forms should be submitted to SHPO for
review early on to ensure compliance with format and data requirements.
Typically, SHPO has 15 days for review of the submitted site forms. The
consultant will be responsible for making any modifications required by SHPO
within 15 days of SHPO providing comments. Submission of revised site forms
should be submitted to SHPO by the end 2026, unless otherwise agreed upon by
all parties.
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