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SAMTD/Marion Co. RFI/RFQ#00-08 4 Private Development of Courthouse Square North Block A Market Malysis of office, retail, and commercial space in the downtown Salem area was conducted in December 1999 by the firm of Palmer, Groth, and Pietka. This document will be made availabie to any Respondent who requests it. The Courthouse Square project has been pefiaps the most highly visible development to take place in Downtown Salem in our community's history. There has been much discussion and debate generated by the project, and an active interest has been focussed from the outset on the type and role of private development within the block. At various times, a number of different types of uses have been discussed by the Transit and County Boards. Among the development options that have been discussed are: subsidized housing; affordable housing; upscale housing; retail spaces; restaurants; govemment offices; private offices; day care centers; mixed-use of two or more of these options; a conference center; an urban park; and, a downtown parking lot. At this point in time, the Procuring Agency is consciously remaining open to proposals from the deve~lopment community. The Boards believe that it is in the public's best interest to consider any and all proposals on their own merits, and are not directing respondents to any specified land uses or mix of uses. There are many community organizations and agencies that have expressed views on potential uses of the North Block site, inciuding the Salem Downtown Association, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, the City of Salem Downtown Development Board, City staff, as well as the Transit Board and Marion County Board of Commissioners themselves. Some of the input from these bodies shares consistent and compatible themes, while other viewpoints on how the site should be used may be divergent or contradictory. Reflecting the diverse viewpoints on the appropriate use for the site, there are distinct and in some instances competing values which underlie the views. Should the project maximize revenue retum to the District and County, or should it settle for a lower retum if desirable social goals can be met? Should the project include the maximum amount of pa~lcing possible, or should it discourage parking and increased traffic in the downtown area? Should the selected use(s) for the site maximize the downtown tax ~otl, or meet govemmenYs need for space? Should there be specific aesthetic requirements for the design and use of the site, or should such considerations be entirely market-driven? The Procuring Agency has struggled with the complexity and diversity of these issues. Their decision-making is complicated by the fact that they do not truly know what the "potentialities" are for the North Block site. The Salem/Keizer area has an active and creative development community that can bring much to the discussion of the potential of the North Block. But, the nature of the development process requires a degree of private strategizing, concept development, and financial innovation, and the Procuring Agency cannot presuppose what unique and viable proposals might be forthcoming from the private development sector. 3. PURPOSE OF THE RFI/RFQ This RFI/RFQ seeks development concepts, plans, and/or strategies for the North Block site. Respondents are encouraged to provide as much detail as they feel comfortable providi~g to the Procuring Agency, realizing that the Agency will still have the responsibil"ity ahead of it to make decisions as to what type or types of development to seek at the site through a subsequent Request for Proposals process. The process of analyzing the infom~ation received from respondents, and foRnulating the RFP to seek a project developer, will take place in the public forum. Respondents may reply with any information that they feel comfortable in providing, but should be aware that the Procuring Agency needs information that will materially assist in developing their RFP. Inforrnation fhaf will help answer or illuminate the following questions would be most useful.