Type:
RFP
Organization:
Lafayette Consolidated Government
Location:
Lafayette, Louisiana, 70501, USA
Application close date:
2015-08-19
Description:
Lafayette Consolidated Government has issued this Request for Qualifications for the development of a Corridor Plan for the Lafayette Interstate 49 Connector Project Corridor seeking to obtain a renowned, innovative, and multi-disciplinary planning consultant team.
The Plan is envisioned to honor Lafayette’s rich history, heritage and culture, build upon and improve past plans and documents, maintain neighborhood cultural dynamics while improving quality of life, provide bold, creative and actionable recommendations to identified issues, and overall build a vision for the Plan area’s future and commit to strategies that will achieve success.
The revitalization portion of the Plan will build upon significant work undertaken by PlanLafayette and, through its implementation, will position the Corridor as a strong economic hub with vibrant neighborhoods and a modern, dynamic destination. The objectives and strategies built into the Plan should target attracting a new generation of talent and organizations without losing sight on strengthening and revitalizing the built environment.
Implementation of the Plan will create an environment that grows the tax base and attracts and retains workforce talent and commercial enterprises, new businesses and retailers, and entertainment venues. The action-oriented plan will strengthen the area's identity and economic vitality through key components.
In 2014, Lafayette Consolidated Government was awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Federal Planning Grant to study the Interstate 49 Connector Corridor. The overall planning grants goal deliverables are:
(1) Detailed preliminary plans for infrastructure improvements that promote connectivity, provide for alternate modes of transit, and drive economic development (in conjunction with new land use designations). This would also include public plazas and linear green space.
(2) New land-use designations geared toward buffering areas surrounding the facility, driving economic development, and transitioning the area to a functional urban character.
(3) Development of a funding plan to facilitate and effectuate implementation of the new corridor Plan, including the identification of at least one catalyst project in each identified planning district.
The expected scope of work and deliverables are largely based on past planning studies and design work done in Lafayette by leveraging inter-agency partnerships at the federal, state and local levels with strong community guidance. This planning study is expected to be closely aligned with significant plans and contracts that are underway in Lafayette including, but not limited to PlanLafayette, Final Engineering and Design of the I-49 Connector, neighborhood coteries and groups, and local capital projects.
This project will take an innovative approach to Interstate construction and design. While federal and state officials design the estimated $1 billion I-49 Connector—a 5.5 mile, six-lane elevated Interstate that will pass through the declining core of Lafayette—LCG, through this grant, will plan for the necessary improvements in the corridor. The planning will focus specifically on expanding transit, promoting economic development, and promoting connectivity between disadvantaged populations within the corridor and employment centers in the community. Both the Connector and Corridor will be planned and designed concurrently along with LaDOTD. Over the last few years, the U.S. Department of Transportation has funded several grants aimed at correcting historical problems caused by elevated freeway structures built through urban areas. This planning effort presents an opportunity to get it right the first time.
Lafayette Parish consists of the incorporated city of Lafayette, the unincorporated areas of the parish, and several smaller municipalities. Both the city of Lafayette and the unincorporated areas of the parish are under the jurisdiction of LCG, while the smaller municipalities (Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Scott, and Youngsville) are self-governed. The city of Lafayette contains 120,623 persons with all of Lafayette Parish containing 221,578 persons (Census Bureau, American Fact Finder 2010). The I-49 Connector is completely bound inside the City of Lafayette.
Lafayette is generally viewed as a progressive and affluent regional anchor community. While both the public and private sectors have worked hard to cultivate this view, stagnant and declining areas of Lafayette do exist. Of particular note is the I-49 Connector’s Urban Core Area (referred to hereinafter as “Urban Core Area”), defined as a 4.27 square mile (2,734 acres) area encompassing most of the oldest and original parts of the city. The Urban Core Area holds a lower socio-economic status than the comparison groups. The Urban Core Area population is 62.1% black or African American versus 23.8% parish-wide. It is considerably poorer with median household income at only 51.8% of the parish; and twice as many households below poverty, 32.7%, as compared to the parish sub-poverty value of 15.9%.
Transecting Lafayette are two major Interstates and a federal highway. Interstates 10 and 49 intersect in Lafayette Parish and have yielded significant economic development. United States Highway 90 South (US90), an alternate route which connects Lafayette to New Orleans, bisects the Urban Core Area of Lafayette. This same highway also serves as a chosen route for the oilfield, transportation, and agriculture industries, and as an evacuation route for hurricanes.
A significant guiding force for the development of Lafayette Parish is the Lafayette Comprehensive Plan (hereinafter referred to as “PlanLafayette”), adopted in June 2014 and currently being implemented. PlanLafayette provides a solid basis to guide LCG’s future through extensive community input over two year advisory board-guided process. PlanLafayette will be used to guide local (re)development and (re)investment in a manner that meets the needs of residents, businesses and other stakeholders while maintaining and elevating LCG’s character, quality of life, and fiscal health. The guiding principles and goals included within PlanLafayette must be taken into account in the development of this Plan.
Therefore, it is important that the multi-disciplinary consultant team possess a clear understanding of not only PlanLafayette, its associated neighborhood and downtown plans, but also the potential effect/influence on the creation and implementation of the revitalization plan for the I-49 Connector Project Corridor.
RFQ Contact:
Patricia Broussard
Office of Purchasing
pdbroussard@lafayettela.gov
337-291-8034
RFQ Website: https://smartsourceprod.lafayettela.gov/sourcing/SourcingSupplier/lm?ser...
Contact name:
Patricia Broussard
Contact phone and/or email:
pdbroussard@lafayettela.gov or 337-291-8034
Contact URL: