QA for Atlanta Civic Center Site RFP

RFP for Redevelopment of the Atlanta Civic Center
Questions and Answers
Submitted Questions
1. What is the exact acreage of the site? What is the exact acreage of the park? Can we
get a CAD survey of the site?
The exact acreage of the Civic Center site as calculated by the survey prepared by Croy
Engineering is 858,617 square feet, or approximately 19.71 acres. This includes two tax
parcels: PID 140050LL0217 (792,346 square feet) and PID 140050LL0241 (68,271 square
feet). The Southface Institute (“Southface”) occupies approximately 32,760 square feet,
or 0.752 acres on PID 140050LL0217. Southface must be accommodated in any
redevelopment proposal. Southface currently utilizes the parking on the Civic Center Site
and will continue to need parking for their facility upon redevelopment. Southface’s
parking needs are estimated to total approximately 0.25 acres, resulting in a total site
size of 1.02 acres. Thus, after accommodating for Southface, the net developable size of
the entire Civic Center site is estimated to be 18.69 acres. However, Invest Atlanta is
open to accommodating Southface’s parking needs through other means as proposed by
respondents to this RFP.
The exact acreage of Renaissance Park as calculated by the survey prepared by Keck and
Wood, Inc. is 237,286 square feet, or approximately 5.45 acres. This includes the former
Dayton Place and Pine Street rights-of way, as shown in Exhibit A. Exhibit A is the only
survey of the park available at this time.
2. Are there any encumbrances related to the site?
Major encumbrances on the site include the accommodation of Southface’s facility and
the proposed underground DWM vault (See #4). A permanent easement would be
needed for DWM maintenance of the vault. DWM does not anticipate paying for the
temporary and permanent easements associated with the vault, since it is on existing
COA property and provides a public benefit. The storage vault helps to make
redevelopment of the property feasible.
As stated in the RFP the Butler Street Combined Sewer Trunk and Butler Street Combined
Sewer Relief Trunk, operated by DWM, cross through the Site. These combined sewer
trunks are critical to the City’s utility system and must be protected as part of any
redevelopment proposal. The existing trunk lines cannot have direct load bearing and
DWM will require access for maintenance. The final easements will be negotiated with
DWM.
Last, a floodplain currently exists on the site. DWM will require any fill dirt brought onto
the site to address the floodplain to be offset with an equivalent amount of stormwater
detention. The proposed underground vault will be sized to accommodate any such
mitigation.
3. Have you done environmental surveys of the site and the buildings on the site that
you could provide?
There are not currently any environmental surveys of the site. This level of analysis can
be performed as part of the due diligence period prior to the financial closing of the
purchase and sale agreement.
4. The answers supplied to questions regarding the DWM vault pertain to the vault as it is
currently being designed by DWM. The future buyer/developer of the Site would have
the option of completing the construction of the vault him/herself pursuant to the design
specifications of DWM. In this case, a) the developer would be reimbursed by the City for
the agreed-upon cost of such construction, excluding the cost of the developer’s onsite
stormwater contribution and the vertical development above the vault, b) DWM would
retain oversight over design and construction, and c) DWM would have access to all
price quotes and cost invoices for the purposes of tracking reimbursement.
A) Can you provide more information on the design of the DWM Vault along with
vertical clearances required?
The current design of the vault is structurally designed for a HS - 25 truck loading
which means vacuum and other heavy trucks can park or drive over the vault. If a
parking deck is built in the future above the vault, then a 14’ clearance would be
required on the ground level of the parking structure.
B) How often is the vault serviced by the city?
Typically these storage vaults are cleaned out at least once a year or after any
significant storm event.
C) If a structure can be built above it, what are the vertical clearances for access
(services, truck, equipment, etc.)? Can the structural columns of the parking deck
or buildings above the vault penetrate through actual vault zone with all
precautions considered and working in coordination with the City?
The current design of the vault structure will allow for additional loads of a future
single-story parking deck above grade level. If a parking deck is built in the future
above the vault, then 14’ clearance would be required on the ground level of the
parking structure. The columns and foundations of the current design of the vault
have been sized to accommodate those expected loads. DWM’s consultants have
advised that penetrating the vault with columns for a future parking deck would
compromise the integrity of the vault as it is designed today.
The vault can be designed with support columns to withstand almost any type of
building with the installation of the vault. However, this significantly increases the
construction cost of the vault, and expands the footprint due to the incorporation of
these high load bearing columns. Once the vault is constructed, columns cannot later
be added on top of the vault, or adjacent to the vault, without impact to the vault.
D) How often is maintenance required?
Typically these storage vaults should be maintained at least once a year. DWM is
planning to have both manhole access locations as well as locations where lift-out
slabs will be located to allow for periodic access for cleaning and maintenance
equipment.
E) How much water are they trying to retain or detain?
4-million gallons of active storage.
F) Can you refer us to a similar installation in the city?
DWM Atlanta Stadium Media Parking Lot vault of 5.9- million gallons storage
capacity completed Feb 2014.
G) Could we move the location of the vault?
It is possible to move the vault. However, it needs to be located as close to the two
existing combined sewer pipes or additional diversion structures as possible to direct
water into and out of the vault. These diversion structures and associated piping will
require an additional easement. The current design has the diversion and control
structures integral with the vault and stays within the 1.1 acre footprint.
H) Could the vault be located in the northwest quadrant of the site?
Yes, however, the two combined sewer pipes separate further apart at the northwest
quadrant, so additional diversion structures would be required to direct water into
and out of the vault. The footprint will increase beyond 1.1 acre.
I) Is square geometry for the vault also feasible in lieu of the rectangular one?”
Yes, but current design geometry is a function of the existing easement and 1.1 acre
footprint. Given the location of the existing pipes and other site constraints, a square
structure does not provide the 4-million gallons of storage volume.
5. There is an existing curb cut along Piedmont Road already, so can we assume there
must be a variance already in effect for the site? Can it remain where it is and/or can it
be relocated along Piedmont Road?
While two curb cuts exist on Piedmont Avenue, the current zoning regulations do not
allow for curb cuts on Piedmont. Thus, any redevelopment of the site would trigger the
need to request a variance for curb cuts on Piedmont. This includes keeping the existing
ones.
6. Does the City have an ideal seating capacity for a new Performing Arts Center in mind?
Have potential City uses been considered and can this information be shared?
The inclusion of a new performing arts or event center is a secondary redevelopment
objective of the RFP. A venue featuring a capacity of 2,000-3,000 seats is sufficient to
accommodate most public events, such as graduations, public speaking engagements,
mayoral or council events (inaugurations), large scale public safety briefings, etc.
7. Do you have any guidelines for earnest money?
Earnest money is negotiable, and deposits may be staggered in connection with the
satisfaction of certain conditions. Deals of the size anticipated for the sale of the Civic
Center typically have a 2-5% earnest money requirement at the end of an inspection
period.
8. We understand submissions will be limited to 100 pages. Is this for single or doublesided printing? Double-sided sheets could provide up to 200 pages "sides". Sheet sizes
are not defined, so must they be letter-sized (8.5x11")? Can 11x17" tabloid sized
sheets be used for graphics?
The 100-page limit is 100 pages of content. So a double-sided sheet will count as two
pages. Sheet sizes should be letter size (8.5X11”). Ledger size sheets (11X17”) are
permissible for graphic pages.
9. Can we get high resolution versions of drawings within the RFP (i.e. the site survey,
Appendix B)?
The site survey included as Appendix B is the only version of the drawing available.
10. Can you provide the specific definition Invest Atlanta will apply to “workforce
housing” as mentioned within the rfp?
Invest Atlanta generally defines workforce housing as housing that is affordable to
professionals employed in retail, hospitality, public safety, education, healthcare, or
other comparable fields. More specifically, Invest Atlanta defines rental workforce
housing as housing that is affordable to households earning 80% of the area median
income (AMI) for the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Invest Atlanta defines
for-sale workforce housing as housing that is affordable to households earning 115% of
AMI. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has set the
2014 AMI for the Atlanta MSA at $64,400, 80% AMI at $51,500, and 115% of AMI at
$74,100.
11. With respect to preliminary economic and fiscal impact projections, will Invest Atlanta
accept preliminary numbers which can be firmed up before the finalist firm offer
submission (should the firm be made a finalist)?
Invest Atlanta will accept preliminary numbers for economic and fiscal impact
projections. Finalists will have the opportunity to refine projections as part of the firm
offer. However, respondents should make their best efforts to provide the most accurate
projections as can be provided given the level of information at this time.
12. Will finalist firms be invited in for a presentation? If so, in what month will that likely
occur?
Invest Atlanta reserves the right to invite selected respondents to this RFP for interviews
prior to identifying the finalists. Should Invest Atlanta choose to do so, these interviews
would occur in December of 2014. Invest Atlanta will invite all identified finalists in for
interviews prior to making its decision on a preferred respondent. These interviews will
likely occur at the end of January 2015 or the beginning of February 2015. Invest Atlanta
reserves the right to revise any estimated dates.
EXHIBIT A
RENAISSANCE PARK SURVEY (TWO PAGES)

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