Downtown Master Plan

FOR FULL RFP, VISIT: downtownbatonrouge.org

DUE DATE: Oct. 25, 2024

EXCERPT BELOW:

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

Purpose & Overview The purpose of this RFP is to obtain competitive proposals from qualified, experienced, and dynamic professional planning firms opo to develop a new downtown master plan for Baton Rouge, called Plan Baton Rouge III, that presents visionary ideas and a framework to guide comprehensive growth and investment over the next decade. Building on the success of previous downtown master plans , the new plan is intended to build on downtown's unique strengths, particularly our riverfront, recommending strategies to reconnect assets and neighborhoods to the riverfront and downtown core, incentives to attract additional housing developments, and approaches to leverage planned developments. The new plan should also feature effective and innovative strategies and recommendations for funding and implementation and position Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a welcoming, prosperous, and attractive city on the Mississippi River in which to live, work, and play.

Successful proposals will demonstrate how the planning process will effectively engage stakeholders and residents, particularly those who live in surrounding neighborhoods. The engagement process should create a “buzz” that generates community excitement about an implementable vision for downtown. The Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF), in tandem with members of the Steering Committee, is leading this effort and has also convened an Advisory Committee comprising downtown stakeholders who will work with the consultant team to provide knowledge and input about current dynamics.

Although the Downtown Development District (DDD) office plays a key role in shepherding downtown development, all major urban transformations originate with committed public leadership as the catalyst to revitalization. Over the past few decades, the incremental implementation of recommendations from both Plan Baton Rouge Phase I and Plan Baton Rouge Phase II have demonstrated that for visions to be realized, continued public partnership and investment are imperative. Proposers must become familiar with current plans, initiatives, projects, and existing sources of data to effectively respond to the scope of work without duplicating past efforts. Of note, the DDD recently completed a strategic plan that established priorities and goals for the organization and should be referenced for recommended initiatives. The DDD has also created a Development Toolkit and Annual Yearbook. Also, the International Downtown Association completed a report in 2023 calculating the value of downtown Baton Rouge. These and other resources that provide data on downtown Baton Rouge's number of businesses, workers, occupancy rates, and more can be found in Section 6: Resources of this RFP.

Downtown Baton Rouge has seen continued investment with plans currently underway for new hotels, an upgraded convention center, residential units, casino expansion, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, and more; however, there is still a need for an overarching plan to maximize and leverage these new investments and to provide guidance on the cost, impact and best sequencing of timelines for current and future projects and for future investments. The plan should include an implementation and funding strategy for all recommendations, identifying short, medium, and long-term initiatives downtown over the next 5-10 years.

The plan will include tactical development strategies for five sites of interest, proposing project concepts and identifying various funding models that can help reduce the gap between conventional financing and the remaining public or private funding required to make the project happen. The plan should aim to include realistic recommendations that remove the risks associated with the uncertainty of investing due to high inflation and construction costs.

While still focused on the preservation of existing neighborhoods, the plan should identify opportunities for new strategic investments, including new housing developments to fulfill the growing demand for a variety of housing options that will appeal to downtown's diverse and dynamic workforce and those who enjoy urban living and related amenities. The consulting team will evaluate current zoning for areas adjacent to downtown to recommend modifications needed to spur infill development, particularly housing and other mixed-use developments.

This plan should explore all opportunities for further riverfront enhancements, demonstrate ideas of how downtown can become more resilient and climate proof; tackle the revitalization of underutilized or vacant parcels; present ideas and financial resources for programming within and around downtown's distinctive and treasured public spaces; identify incentives and tools to attract retail; energize current destinations, including museums, stores, and restaurants, and attract new ones; add new amenities to support the needs of downtown residents; beautify streets, infrastructure and public spaces; propose standards and initiatives for maintenance and cleanliness; address safety concerns and perceptions; and offer creative concepts to express and display Baton Rouge's unique history and story.

SECTION 2: SCOPE OF SERVICES

Objectives

The overarching goal of this master plan is to create a vision that guides decision making and defines the set of coordinated actions necessary for successful implementation of the plan's recommendations. The plan will provide a framework for local leaders and stakeholders to effectively implement infrastructure investments, community design approaches, economic development strategies, and related public services.

Proposers should include information on how their approach and work product will meet the following objectives:

• Develop an updated comprehensive blueprint to guide the next decade of growth and investment in downtown
• Create excitement and engage stakeholders and residents in realizing the value of a vibrant core that reflects Baton Rouge's unique identity
• Create widespread access to the river for recreation with new and improved amenities and destinations along the riverfront
• Reimagine the highest and best use for underutilized properties within the context of a post-pandemic economic environment
• Attract additional retail, restaurants and other amenities
• Propose effective and innovative strategies for funding and implementing the plan recommendations
• Provide tactical development strategies for five sites of interest
• Provide a recommended sequence of timelines and prioritization of investment for major public and private sector projects

Qualifications

BRAF is seeking consultants with broad expertise in developing downtown and riverfront plans with demonstrated experience in a variety of disciplines.

Proposers should demonstrate skills and experience related, but not limited to, the following:

• Community revitalization and urban planning
• Landscape architecture and riverfront planning
• Housing financing, in particular workforce housing
• Market analysis and feasibility studies
• Tourism trends and strategies
• Land use planning, zoning, and building codes
• Architectural and sustainable design
• Transportation infrastructure and parking issues in downtown areas
• Stormwater management and green infrastructure
• Economic development and incentives
• Public outreach and stakeholder engagement

Scope of Services

The intent of the Scope of Services provided below is to serve as a framework, which Proposers can use to develop a more detailed scope of services based on their professional expertise and knowledge in these areas.
Planning Components

1. Housing
   
   1. Given the current market and trends, identify specific goals for numbers, types and locations of new housing units in the broader downtown area that can be supported
   2. Identify amenities and retail required to attract more downtown residents
2. Riverfront
   
   1. Develop a comprehensive riverfront activation vision with prioritized development phases
   2. Leverage the connection between the river and the River Center proposed project and other key downtown destinations
   3. Revisit plans for a major regional entertainment destination on the riverfront
3. Transportation connections/parking/infrastructure
   
   1. Identify priority areas for enhancements, such as widening sidewalks, streetscape improvements, crosswalks, traffic calming, etc.
   2. Identify priority projects that can address the gaps in the connectivity of key corridors, such as Nicholson Drive, Government Street, and Florida Boulevard, considering pedestrian/bicycle access, signage, lighting and other related infrastructure
   3. Recommend an approach to parking needs and issues
   4. Recommend improvements to wayfinding for parking areas
   5. Identify approaches to leverage investments in the Bus Rapid Transit project
4. Beautification
   
   1. Identify targeted streetscape enhancements
   2. Identify sequence of actions by various entities to implement LED lighting upgrades recommended in the DDD Strategic Plan
   3. Identify creative programs or placemaking opportunities to manifest Baton Rouge's unique arts, music, sports, and food culture
5. Maintenance/cleanliness/safety and related public services
   
   1. Propose strategies to develop a downtown maintenance program based upon those successfully implemented in other cities
   2. Recommend how to strengthen ordinances and enforcement for blighted buildings and incentivize bringing them up to code
   3. Identify the priority places/spaces to enhance beautification/streetscapes and potential sources of funding
   4. Recommend approaches that enhance public safety, and perceptions thereof.
6. Environment, resilience and sustainability
   
   1. Identify strategies for reducing the urban heat island effect
   2. Identify areas for further greening or green infrastructure improvements
   3. Explore opportunities for incorporating updated standards for energy efficiency, green, and fortified building practices in new developments
7. Economic Development
   
   1. Recommend initiatives, programs, policies, incentives, growth prospects, public/private partnerships, catalytic projects, strategic priorities, etc. that attract business growth in downtown
   2. Identify potential new visitor & tourism attractions
   3. Recommend how we can we leverage our sports culture with new attractions that draw families and visitors
8. Attracting retail and other uses
   
   1. Identify goals for the appropriate mix of retail that downtown can support
   2. Identify incentives for attracting restaurants and retail uses
9. Enhancing connections to assets
   
   1. Recommend how to maximize all aspects of connectivity to assets both within and nearby downtown (e.g., university connections)
10. Zoning and development policies
    
    1. Identify modifications in zoning and policies required to reduce barriers to redevelopment in the zones adjacent to downtown, to enhance the type of development desired, as well as preserve our cultural identity.
11. Resources and funding
    
    1. Identify potential partnerships, resources and funding mechanisms for all planning components

Implementation Component

The plan must identify funding models, assign responsibilities, and define action steps necessary to implement short-term and long-term recommendations related to all components above. All implementation strategies shall be prioritized and presented in a format that can easily be tracked and shared among stakeholders responsible for their implementation.

1. Tactical development strategies for five sites of interest
   
   1. Identify five areas for potential catalytic development, sites of interest, along with their highest and best use for development or redevelopment to include public or private property
   2. Recommended sites of interest will include project development typologies or concept renderings, potential uses, layouts, and potential funding sources
   3. Sites of interest can be identified by the consultant team from input collected from developers and stakeholders during initial stages of process
   4. For each site of interest, the plan will include potential partners, proformas, incentives, and recommended financing structure for all types of uses, but, in particular, for housing development (e.g., temporary, workforce, low-income, affordable, rental, and market-rate)
2. The implementation section should include specific recommendations for unlocking the potential for layering existing and proposed incentives, including:
   
   1. Development incentives (e.g., tax abatements)
   2. Downtown revitalization incentives (e.g., historic tax credits)
   3. Tools for attracting private sector development (e.g., creative leasing of public property)
   4. Creative approaches for maximizing recovery dollars (e.g., leveraging CDBG funds)
3. Funding models for implementation
   
   1. With each recommendation, identify the responsible entity, the key partners, viable funding sources, action steps towards implementation, and the metrics for success
   2. The plan recommendations should position downtown project leaders to be able to access every available source of federal and state funding, plus agency grants for proposed projects
4. Ongoing implementation support
   
   1. Proposers should be prepared to identify team members who could provide advisory services as potential ongoing consultation services following the planning effort. Those services will depend on evolving conditions as needed.

Public Engagement Component

Proposers must include a detailed public engagement process, incorporating innovative approaches to engage diverse groups and ideas throughout the planning process. The public participation process may involve multiple approaches to outreach including, but not limited to, community meetings, stakeholder workshops, virtual meetings, use of print and social media, and other digital communication mediums, including how they will work with plan partners to host content related to the planning process on a public webpage.

Proposers should consider the appropriate methods for engaging with and presenting to, at a minimum: the City of Baton Rouge/Parish of East Baton Rouge (EBR) Mayor-President's office and other relevant departments, the City of Baton Rouge/Parish of EBR Metropolitan Council, the DDD Commission and staff, the Plan Baton Rouge Phase III Steering Committee and Advisory Committee, the EBR Planning Commission, state officials, and more.

The goals of public engagement through this planning effort include the following:

• Engage stakeholders, elected officials, and community members to gather diverse perspectives and ground-truth findings or recommendations
• Provide effective and efficient mechanisms for gathering input and building consensus across a broad set of perspectives on various scope elements
• Develop understanding, buy-in, and ownership of recommendations from stakeholders; developers; property owners; city-parish, and state leaders; young professionals; and the general public to support the plan's implementation
• Educate stakeholders and the general public on the downtown's role and importance to the future of the region