ConnecToledo Releases Wayfinding RFP

Introduction              

ConnecToledo the Downtown Toledo Development Corporation is seeking services of qualified consultants with expertise in planning, design, and municipal or neighborhood wayfinding to complete a wayfinding strategy and implementation plan for Downtown Toledo and surrounding trails and neighborhoods.

Background

Downtown Toledo is located on the Maumee River in Northwest Ohio. Downtown has experienced significant growth in the residential, commercial and entertainment markets over the past 15 years. This culminated in a Master Planning effort in 2017, now being revisited this year. We have major entertainment venues, approximately 3500 residents with many more units in the development pipeline, and we are taking on major infrastructure projects on many of our streets. ConnecToledo is seeking a plan to help tie together our motorist experience, our visitor experience, and our resident experience with regards to burgeoning entertainment districts, parking options, transit accessibility, entertainment venues, our new Glass City Riverwalk trail, and our restaurants and nightlife options. What signage exists in Downtown Toledo is not comprehensive and should not be thought of as a “starting point” or building block for this project.

Expected community partners and stakeholders will be the Toledo Metroparks System, the City of Toledo, the Village on Adams Neighborhood Group, the Historic Vistula Foundation Neighborhood Group, the Toledo Warehouse District Association neighborhood group, the Chamber of Commerce, the Ability Center of Greater Toledo, representatives from the Huntington Center, Fifth Third Field and the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA), the Toledo Design Collective, and others.

Project Goal and Objective

The goal for this project is to produce an attractive and accessible wayfinding system for all visitors and residents of Downtown Toledo. Below are our objectives for this project:

• Identify necessary places for signage for pedestrian and motorist experience.
• Graphic design of an attractive and timeless system.
• Work within existing color pallets and brands.
• Reduce redundancy of signage and identify existing signage that can be removed.
• Work with local neighborhood groups and stakeholders to help create a sense of place.

• Identify an implementation strategy with prioritization (anticipate up to a 5-year implementation plan with yearly priorities).
• Work with local companies and the City of Toledo for a fabrication strategy.

Project Area

See attached appendix for the project area. We are considering our greater downtown area, as well as signage in the Historic Vistula District along Summit Street, and down Main Street in East Toledo - as these districts are increasingly being thought of as part of the Greater Downtown. The map also indicates some of the major landmarks that will need to be assessed in the study.

ConnecToledo’s responsibilities

ConnecToledo will be able to assist with the following:

• Stakeholder identification
• Public Meeting facilitation
• GIS and map assistance

Projected Project Schedule

Request for Proposal announcement:     End of August 2023

Proposals Due:                                      September 15th

Review of Proposals and Interviews:      September 2023

Contract Negotiations and Award:          October 2023

Project Commencement:                       November 2023

Submittal Requirements

All submittals shall provide the following information for consideration and state the time period it shall remain in effect:

• Introductory Letter: Please include a cover letter introducing your firm, your background, your team, your relevant experience, and your contact information.
• Qualifications: Each submittal should include a list of the qualifications of your various team members who will be involved with this project, as well as their experience levels.
• Past work: Please include examples of past work in Wayfinding projects with graphics for communities of similar size and scope as Downtown Toledo.
• References: Please provide a list of references of past clients.

• Project Approach and Strategy: Please identify your typical approach and what we can expect for a scope of work and timeline.
• Consultants Expectations of ConnecToledo: Please identify any additional support you will need from ConnecToledo outside of what was listed previously.
• Fee Proposal: Please provide itemized costs for all expected work associated with the project. The proposed fee is only one of many criteria for our selection.
• Past litigation or contract terminations: Please provide ConnecToledo with any information of contract terminations or litigation against the firm.
• Copyright Release: Please provide a copyright release to permit ConnecToledo or the City of Toledo to make copies of any submitted copyrighted materials.

Criteria for Award/Evaluation

The selection of the consultant will be based upon the following qualifications, experience, and ability of the firm. The following criteria will be used in that evaluation:

• Experience in Wayfinding Strategies, experience in similar cities, experience in cohesive strategies for multiple venues/trails
• Availability of Key Personnel
• Clarity of Deliverables and expectations of ConnecToledo
• Budget of proposed Proposal
• Responsiveness to the Request for Proposal

Confidentiality

ConnecToledo is a private 501c3 organization, not a municipality. As such, we will keep proposals confidential except as they pertain to compliance with any local, state or federal laws.

Questions

Please submit any questions or clarifications to Mac Driscoll, Projects Manager at ConnecToledo:

mdriscoll@connectoledo.org 419-249-5494 Office, 419-690-2305 Cell

Submission

Please submit an electronic copy of your proposal to Mac Driscoll mdriscoll@connectoledo.org and Betsy Ujvagi bujvagi@connectoledo.org no later than September 15^th at 5 PM. If you have any trouble submitting, please call the ConnecToledo office at 419-249-5494 and we can arrange a different submission method.