Parking Facilities Management Services

GEO. L. SMITH II GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER AUTHORITY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
For the:
Parking Facilities Management Services
GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER AUTHORITY
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
RFP NO. GWCC92926EC
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Geo. L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP No. GWCC92926EC
Parking Facilities Management Services
Atlanta, Georgia
I. General Information
A. OVERVIEW
Notice is hereby given that the Geo. L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority (hereafter referred to
as "GWCCA" or "the Authority") is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from experienced and qualified
firms interested in providing comprehensive Parking Facilities Management Services for parking assets under
the control of the Authority.
The successful firm shall provide the management, staffing, traffic management, revenue management,
customer service, technology support, marketing, financial reporting, data analytics, and related services
necessary to operate a first-class parking program. Services shall include the day-to-day management and
operation of designated parking facilities, vehicular ingress and egress, pedestrian movement and wayfinding,
event parking and traffic management, parking sales and reservations, revenue collection and financial controls,
parking technology, reporting, and related parking services, as further described herein.
The successful firm shall coordinate parking operations with GWCCA departments and other designated
stakeholders and shall provide oversight and coordination of the GWCC Transportation Terminal in
collaboration with GWCCA Public Safety, as further described in the Scope of Services.
All services shall be provided in accordance with the terms, conditions, performance standards, and
requirements set forth in this Request for Proposals (RFP).
In issuing this RFP, it is the intent of the Authority that one finalist firm whose proposal is determined
through the evaluation process described herein to be especially desirable will be selected to enter into
discussions with the Authority for the services described herein. However, all proposals received that
are fully responsive to this RFP may be eligible for further consideration at the Authority's discretion.
All respondents to this RFP and their team members are subject to instructions communicated in this
document and are cautioned to completely review the entire RFP and follow instructions carefully.
The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all statements, submittals and/or proposals, and to
waive technicalities, irregularities, and informalities. The Authority reserves the right to cancel, stay
or otherwise cease to prosecute this procurement at any time without selecting a respondent to provide
the described services, without any liability to any respondents or any other person or entity. The
Authority is under no obligation to make an award relating to this RFP to any respondent. Any
agreement to be executed for the services contemplated by this procurement must conform to
the terms and conditions of all other agreements to which the Authority is a party and to all other
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antecedent or otherwise paramount legal duties of the Authority. Any agreement to be executed for the
services contemplated by this procurement shall be subject also to applicable law.
B. RESTRICTION OF COMMUNICATION (REMAINS IN EFFECT)
From the time of original advertisement of this RFP solicitation, through this RFP issuance and
proposal evaluation until final award is made to a successful respondent and such award is announced,
interested firms are not allowed or permitted to communicate about this solicitation or scope with any
staff or any official representatives of the Authority or their consultants involved in this procurement,
except for submission of questions as instructed in the RFP, or as provided by any existing work
agreement(s). Finalists and Apparent Awardee(s) are restricted from making public statements or
press releases about their selection as finalists or the apparent award. For violation of this restriction,
the Authority reserves the right to reject the submittal of the offending respondent.
C. PROJECT INFORMATION
1. Authority Information
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority (GWCCA) campus, which includes Georgia World Congress
Center, Centennial Olympic Park, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and Signia by Hilton Atlanta, is the largest
combined convention, sports, and entertainment campus in North America. Since 2014, GWCCA has managed
and operated the Savannah Convention Center (SCC) - marking the industry's first-ever private-to-public
facility management agreement. These facilities exist for the primary benefit of promoting and facilitating
events and activities that generate economic benefits to the citizens of the state of Georgia as well as enhance
the quality of life for every Georgian.
Georgia World Congress Center
Georgia World Congress Center is the largest LEED Gold certified convention center in the world and
continues to be one of the nation's premier destinations for conventions, trade shows, film production, and
much more. GWCC encompasses 3.9 million square feet and is among the largest convention centers in the
nation in terms of exhibit space. GWCC features 13 exhibit halls offering 1.5 million square feet of prime
exhibit space in addition to 98 meeting rooms, 3 auditoriums, 2 grand ballrooms, and various outdoors spaces
and plazas. Georgia International Plaza includes a parking deck and pedestrian plaza on Andrew Young
International Boulevard adjacent to Georgia World Congress Center and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Centennial Olympic Park
Commemorating the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, Centennial Olympic Park (COP) is a 22-acre
urban oasis in the center of Atlanta's dynamic downtown entertainment district and is operated by
Georgia World Congress Center Authority. COP's great lawn provides natural seating for 20,000 and new
features make it the ideal location for a variety of events. Centennial Olympic Park is located adjacent to the
Georgia World Congress Center.
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Mercedes-Benz Stadium/The Home Depot Backyard
The 71,000-seat Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) is home to the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United and annually
hosts the AFLAC Kickoff Game, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, SEC Football Championship Game along with other
special events and concerts that provide fans with an unparalleled experience while contributing to the economic
growth and success of Atlanta and the state of Georgia. Sitting in the former footprint of the Georgia Dome, The
Home Depot Backyard functions as a fan experience zone and parking lot during events at MBS, and as
greenspace open to the public on non-event days.
Savannah Convention Center
In 2014, the Georgia International Maritime and Trade Center Authority (now Savannah-Georgia Convention
Center Authority) approved the selection of GWCCA to manage and operate the Savannah International Trade &
Convention Center - today known as Savannah Convention Center (SCC) - marking the industry's first-ever
private-to-public facility management agreement. The 330,000-square-foot SCC currently features 100,000
square feet of exhibit space, a 367-seat auditorium, 50,000 square feet of prime meeting space consisting of 13
meeting rooms, a 25,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, and four executive board rooms. In fiscal year 2020, the
Georgia General Assembly approved $70M in bonds for an expansion project that will double the exhibit hall
space as well as offer a 40,000 square-foot ballroom, 15 new meetings rooms, and a 900-space parking deck. The
SCC expansion project broke ground in March 2021.
Signia by Hilton Atlanta
Owned by GWCCA and managed by Hilton Management Services, Signia by Hilton Atlanta is the city's largest
downtown ground-up hotel development project in 40 years. The 453-foot-high, 976-room hotel overlooks
Mercedes-Benz Stadium and is connected to Georgia World Congress Center's Building C. Signia by Hilton
Atlanta offers more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, including the largest hotel ballroom in Georgia,
an outdoor event deck and lawn, and three boardrooms. The hotel also features eight signature food and
beverage experiences, including three restaurants and three bars, as well as world-class amenities, including a
spa, beauty bar and fitness center with yoga stations, Peloton bikes and more.
The Authority enjoys a strong service reputation based upon our ability to provide a superior facility and related
services. The following Request for Proposals will be used to select an organization to partner with the Authority
to deliver a service to our customers in a manner that complements our ongoing operations and commitment to
excellence and sustainability.
2. Project Goals
The Authority envisions, for the term of the Agreement, a comprehensive parking management program that
provides safe, efficient, reliable, and customer-focused parking services while maximizing the utilization and
financial performance of Authority parking assets. The parking program shall support efficient vehicular ingress
and egress and pedestrian movement, provide a seamless parking experience before, during, and after events,
maintain strong financial controls and transparency, utilize technology and data to improve operations and
decision-making, and support modern parking transactions and customer access. The successful firm shall serve
as a strategic business partner to GWCCA and shall continuously identify opportunities to improve parking
operations, revenue, efficiency, utilization, and the overall customer experience.
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II. Evaluation and Selection Process
A. OVERVIEW
The Authority has the following appropriate resources for continued assistance in carrying out this
process:
1. Project Procurement Director
This individual shall be assigned by the Authority and will be responsible to the Authority. This
individual shall be the Issuing Officer of the solicitation and shall facilitate this procurement process,
including posting of solicitations and notices, receipt of submittals and questions, coordination of
review, evaluation, ranking recommendation, facilitation of any meetings and interviews, and other
duties up to, and throughout selection, and assistance with negotiation and prospective execution of
the appropriate agreement(s).
2. Selection Committee
This Committee shall be composed of qualified persons approved by the Authority to review and
evaluate respondents' proposals and possibly interview qualified finalist firms. This Committee shall
retain the ability to utilize qualified persons and other resources for advisement as the Committee
deems necessary.
B. METHOD OF COMMUNICATION
Public procurement documents, including attachments, and associated addenda (if issued) will be
publicly posted on the Georgia Procurement Registry ("GPR") at the following web address (and may
be directly downloaded using Adobe Acrobat Reader):
http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp. General communication of relevant, significant
information regarding this solicitation will also be made via the GPR. All prospective respondents are
responsible for checking the GPR on a regular basis for updates, clarifications, and announcements.
The Project Procurement Director named herein shall be the SOLE point of contact for
participating firms for the duration of the procurement. Other specific communications will be
made as indicated in this RFP. In accordance with Section I-B above, the Authority reserves the right
to reject the submittal of any respondent violating this provision.
C. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS AND INTERVIEWS
The Selection Committee will evaluate all submittals upon submittal validation by the Project
Procurement Director, which shall include verification of receipt-on-time and in good order (apparent
responsiveness) and verification of receipt of requested Exhibits (if applicable). Each Selection
Committee member/evaluator will assign points using the criteria identified in Section IV. Under
facilitation and coordination from the Project Procurement Director, the members will thoroughly
review and evaluate Proposals submitted in response to this RFP, using the criteria herein. The
Authority will require a comprehensive presentation and interview of submitting firms, the evaluation
of which shall augment the proposal evaluation. (More information and instructions will be provided
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to finalists for the interviews well prior to interview dates). It is the intent of the Authority that one
finalist firm whose proposal is determined through the evaluation process described herein to be
especially desirable will be selected to enter into discussions with the Authority for the services
described herein. However, one or more proposals received from finalist firms that are fully responsive
to this RFP may be eligible for further consideration by the Authority.
D. APPARENT AWARD AND FINAL AWARD
After evaluation, if a firm is selected as apparent awardee, the names of the firm will be posted on the
Georgia Procurement Registry and all finalists will receive direct notification from the Project
Procurement Director of the firm's selection. The Authority will then schedule and conduct discussions
with the apparent awardee firm in pursuit of a prospective agreement(s) suitable to the Authority and
Contractor, which will require additional submittals by the apparent awardee. Only the full execution
of agreement(s) for the services described herein will constitute final award.
III. RFP Schedule of Events
The following Schedule of Events table represents the Authority's best estimate of the schedule that
will be followed. All times indicated are prevailing times in Atlanta. The Authority reserves the right
to adjust the schedule, with prior notice, as it deems necessary.
a. Project Procurement Director issues RFP- 9/29/26
b. Mandatory Pre-proposal & site visit
Georgia World Congress 11:30 AM 10/13/26
Center
Sales/Event Conference
Room, Building B,
Administration
285 Andrew Young International Boulevard
Atlanta, GA. 30313
c. Deadline for submission of written questions and requests for 10:00 AM 10/15/2026
clarification
d. Project Procurement Director provides answers/clarifications/addenda- 10/16/2026
e. Deadline for submission of Proposals- 10:00 10/23/2026
AM
f. Proposer Presentation/Interviews (More information about interviews TBD
will be issued with clarifications (item "c", above)
DELIVERABLES for Proposals
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Proposals must include certain signed and notarized Exhibits, which are provided herein, as follows:
a. Exhibit I - Proposal Certification Form
b. Exhibit II - Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Affidavit
c. Exhibit III- Non-Discrimination Certification
d. Exhibit IV - Reference Sheet
e. Exhibit V - Qualification Statement
(Exhibits II and III are required again due to probable expansion of proposing teams). The Proposals
must be submitted in accordance with the instructions provided in Section V-B, must be
categorized and numbered as outlined below, and must be responsive to all requested
information below:
A. Financial Stability: The financial strength and stability of the Proposer will be evaluated to
determine its ability to perform its obligations throughout the term of the Agreement and
maintain smooth and uninterrupted parking operations.
B. Qualifications: The qualifications, education, and experience of the key personnel proposed to
perform the services. Demonstrated competence and qualifications in parking facilities
management, including parking operations, event parking and traffic management, revenue
management, customer service, parking technology, financial controls, and related services
identified in the Scope of Services.
C. References: References for the firm and its previous or current parking management accounts.
References should demonstrate the Proposer's ability to successfully provide comparable
parking management services for facilities of similar size, scope, complexity, and event
activity. The Authority reserves the right to consider relevant reference information obtained
from sources other than those identified by the Proposer when the Authority deems such
sources reputable.
D. Demonstrated Experience: Demonstrated experience of the firm in providing parking facilities
management services similar in size, scope, and complexity to the services required by the
Authority, including the experience and qualifications of key personnel. Consideration will also be
given to the firm's demonstrated ability to provide effective management and oversight of parking
operations, staffing, traffic management, revenue management, technology, financial reporting, and
customer service.
E. Suitability of Proposed Services: The suitability of the Proposer's proposed approach to meeting
the objectives and requirements of the Authority. This includes the Proposer's approach to parking
operations, event parking and traffic management, staffing, customer service, technology, revenue
management, financial controls and reporting, and continuous improvement. The Authority will
consider how effectively the proposed approach supports safe, efficient, reliable, customer-focused,
and financially responsible parking operations.
F. Cost: The overall financial proposal, including the proposed management fee, reimbursable
operating expenses, staffing costs, technology costs, transaction and third-party fees, start-up and
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transition costs, and any other proposed fees or charges. The Authority will also consider the
reasonableness, transparency, and overall financial impact of the proposed cost structure.
IV. Evaluation Criteria
A. Criteria for Evaluation of Proposals
The Selection Committee will evaluate Proposals using the following criteria:
Qualifications - 75%
Financial Stability;
Qualifications;
References;
Demonstrated
Experience; Suitability
of Proposed Services
Cost - 25%
V. Submittal Conditions
A. SUBMITTAL OF QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION
Questions about any aspect of the RFP, or the project, shall be submitted prior to the appropriate
deadlines indicated in the Schedule of Events, and shall be submitted in writing to:
Erle Coleman
Director of Supply Chain Management
Georgia World Congress Center Authority
E-mail: ecoleman@gwcc.com
The deadlines for submission of questions relating to the RFP are the times and dates shown in the
(Schedule of Events- Section III). At any time prior to the submission date, the Authority may issue an
RFP addendum to further clarify any part of this RFP, amend this RFP or issue instructions or further
information. Each such addendum will be posted and/or distributed to all respondents. In addition, the
Authority may adjust any timelines related to the project referenced herein or otherwise.
B. SUBMITTAL OF PROPOSALS
One (1) original and five (5) copies of the proposals shall be prepared, for a total of six (6) sets. One
complete copy must be provided via flash drive as a SINGLE .pdf file. Each submittal shall otherwise
be identical and include a transmittal letter. Submittals must be printed on standard (812" x 11") paper.
The pages of the qualification submittals must be numbered. A table of contents with corresponding
tabs must be included to identify each section as instructed in this RFP. Responses are limited to 50
pages (preferably 25 double-sided pages) or less using a minimum of size 11 font. At least one (1) page
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shall be devoted to an Organization Chart. This shall be single-sided and not exceed 11" x 17" in folded
out size. Narrative information should not be added on this page.
Each proposal shall be prepared simply and economically, providing straightforward, concise
information, and a manageable electronic file size. Fancy bindings, irrelevant colored displays and
promotional materials are not desired. Emphasis must be on completeness, relevance, and clarity of
content. NOTE: All pages shall be included in the page limit EXCEPT for the front cover, cover
(transmittal letter), table of contents, tab dividers, organization chart(s), Exhibits I, II, III, IV and V.
Submittals must be sealed in an opaque envelope or box, and reference RFP GWCC92926EC and the
words "SEALED PROPOSAL" must be clearly indicated on the outside of all of the envelopes or
boxes. Proposals must be physically received by the Project Procurement Director prior to the
deadline indicated in the Schedule of Events (Section III of RFP) at the exact address below:
Georgia World Congress Center Authority
GWCC Administration
Attention: Erle Coleman
285 Andrew Young International Boulevard, NW
Atlanta, Georgia 30313-1591
No submittals will be accepted after the time and date set for receipt. Proposals submitted via
facsimile or e-mail will not be accepted. All submittals shall be considered proposals, and all submittals
upon receipt become the property of the Authority. Labeling information provided in submittals
"proprietary" or "confidential", or any other designation of restricted use will not be binding upon the
Authority or its representatives and ultimately may not protect the information from public view.
Subject to the provisions of the Open Records Act, the details of the proposal documents will remain
confidential until final award. All expenses for preparing and submitting responses are the sole cost of
the party submitting the response. The Authority is not obligated to any party to reimburse such
expenses.
C. RFP CONDITIONS
1. Respondents understand and agree that the Authority has the right to reject any and all submittals
or to cancel the RFP process at any time without any liability to the Authority or any other person,
and is under no obligation to make an award relating to this RFP to any person or entity. In
addition, the Authority reserves the right to evaluate only those submittals determined to be fully
responsive to the RFP. All such decisions are ultimately to be made in the sole discretion of the
Authority, for any reason or for no reason whatsoever, and the Authority is under no obligation to
assign any reason for the rejection, non-review or non-acceptance of any submittal. Under no
circumstances shall this RFP be construed as a contractual offer.
2. Respondents understand and agree that the Authority may, in its sole discretion, request proposals
from, and subsequently enter into an agreement with, any entity selected in this process, including
any entity that has previously worked with the Authority in any capacity. Furthermore,
Respondents shall not hold the Authority, other Parties, their respective affiliates and/or any of
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their respective employees, representatives, agents, attorneys, advisors or consultants liable for any
reason whatsoever related to this RFP and respondents hereby waive all such claims.
3. Respondents may make no modification, correction or withdrawal of their submissions after the
submission date. By submitting its submission, each respondent represents that: (i) it has read
and understands this RFP, (ii) its submission complies with the requirements of this RFP, (iii)
respondent has the necessary corporate authority to submit its Proposal.
4. All information supplied in this RFP or by the parties or anyone acting on behalf of the parties to
each respondent is provided solely as a convenience to facilitate the selection process. The parties
do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information supplied. In addition,
respondent shall not rely on any express or implied statements, warranties or representations made
by the Parties or anyone acting on their behalf. Respondent agrees that the parties and their
affiliates and their employees, representatives, agents, advisors or consultants cannot be held
liable for any such statements, warranties or representations or inaccuracies or incompleteness in
any information provided.
5. Small and Minority Business Enterprise
It is the policy of the State of Georgia that small businesses, female-owned businesses and minority
businesses have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in the State purchasing process.
Therefore, the contractor and the Authority encourages all small businesses, female-owned
businesses and minority-owned businesses to compete for, win, and receive contracts for goods,
services, and construction. This desire on the part of the contractor and the Authority is not
intended to restrict or limit competitive bidding or to increase the cost of the work. The contractor
and the Authority support a healthy free market system that seeks to include responsible businesses
and provides ample opportunity for business growth and development. The Georgia Department
of Administrative Services maintains an office to assist small businesses, female-owned businesses
and minority businesses in understanding the State procurement process. In addition to contacting
the Authority Purchasing Department, all businesses, female-owned businesses and minority
businesses can also contact the Governor's Small Business Center at the following address for
assistance:
The Governor's Small Business Center
75 5th Street, N.W., Suite 825
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Telephone: (404) 962-4824
All Respondents should be aware that contractors and subcontractors who utilize qualified
minority subcontractors may qualify for a Georgia state income tax credits for qualified payments
made to minority subcontractors. See O.C.G.A. 48-7-38.
6. Drug Free Workplace
The Authority, as policy, operates all facilities as a drug-free workplace, and requires that the labor
force of the consultant be drug-free. The consultant hereby acknowledges this requirement and
asserts that the organization of the consultant adheres to such policy and practice. The consultant
acknowledges that it may be required to produce certificates affirming its compliance of these
requirements of drug-free workplace for duration of agreement term, at execution, or at any time
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