Date: July 23, 2009Contact: Communications Team: (316) 268-4351
Four firms were selected as finalists on Thursday to participate in the downtown master plan Request for Proposals (RFP) process. The finalists, recommended by a selection committee and endorsed by the Downtown Revitalization Steering Council during a meeting at the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, are: Chan Krieger Sieniewicz of Cambridge, Massachusetts; Crandall Arambula of Portland, Oregon; Goody Clancy of Boston, Massachusetts; and Looney Ricks Kiss of Nashville, Tennessee More information on the finalists can be found on the attached document. The selection committee reviewed 32 proposals, interviewed nine finalist firms by telephone and checked references. The four finalists have multiple partners, including local partners. Finalists will submit written responses to a RFP by August 28 and make public presentations of those proposals during the week of September 22. A location will be determined and announced later. Mayor Carl Brewer, who has spearheaded community discussions regarding the future of downtown, praised the selection process. “We appreciate the time and effort of private sector volunteers as well as staff to spend time making sure we have a thorough process, resulting in the best firm and outcome for Wichita,” Brewer said. “We want a great partner who will guide us through this process because it will be the community’s input that will define the vision for downtown.” Jeff Fluhr, who heads the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, said: “We were very pleased with the level of response and the caliber of the responses. The firms put a lot of thought and effort into the proposals and it’s exciting to see the process by which we can work together to advance our downtown and our community.” The downtown plan is designed to connect and maximize the potential of areas including Old Town, INTRUST Bank Arena and the River Corridor, while also building on previous plans. The plan will provide specific action-oriented strategies, including implementation plans to maximize private sector investment and return on investment of public dollars. The RFP identifies the need for the consultant team to build the plan based on comprehensive economic analysis and economic realities. It has been shown that revitalized downtowns help retain young people, families and jobs, as well as increasing tourism, growing the tax base and making Wichita competitive with other cities. The Downtown Revitalization Partnership is a public-private initiative funded and led by the City of Wichita, the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation and businesses. For more information regarding downtown revitalization efforts, please visit www.wichita.gov and click on the Mayor’s Downtown Vision item under City Spotlight. Back to Top
Four firms were selected as finalists on Thursday to participate in the downtown master plan Request for Proposals (RFP) process. The finalists, recommended by a selection committee and endorsed by the Downtown Revitalization Steering Council during a meeting at the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, are:
More information on the finalists can be found on the attached document. The selection committee reviewed 32 proposals, interviewed nine finalist firms by telephone and checked references. The four finalists have multiple partners, including local partners. Finalists will submit written responses to a RFP by August 28 and make public presentations of those proposals during the week of September 22. A location will be determined and announced later.
Mayor Carl Brewer, who has spearheaded community discussions regarding the future of downtown, praised the selection process.
“We appreciate the time and effort of private sector volunteers as well as staff to spend time making sure we have a thorough process, resulting in the best firm and outcome for Wichita,” Brewer said. “We want a great partner who will guide us through this process because it will be the community’s input that will define the vision for downtown.”
Jeff Fluhr, who heads the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, said: “We were very pleased with the level of response and the caliber of the responses. The firms put a lot of thought and effort into the proposals and it’s exciting to see the process by which we can work together to advance our downtown and our community.”
The downtown plan is designed to connect and maximize the potential of areas including Old Town, INTRUST Bank Arena and the River Corridor, while also building on previous plans. The plan will provide specific action-oriented strategies, including implementation plans to maximize private sector investment and return on investment of public dollars. The RFP identifies the need for the consultant team to build the plan based on comprehensive economic analysis and economic realities.
It has been shown that revitalized downtowns help retain young people, families and jobs, as well as increasing tourism, growing the tax base and making Wichita competitive with other cities. The Downtown Revitalization Partnership is a public-private initiative funded and led by the City of Wichita, the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation and businesses.
For more information regarding downtown revitalization efforts, please visit www.wichita.gov and click on the Mayor’s Downtown Vision item under City Spotlight.
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City CouncilCity Hall, 1st FloorMS 1-135455 N. MainWichita, KS 67202
: (316) 268-4331 : (316) 268-4333
Carl Brewer Mayor
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