The Unified Government selected three sites for redevelopment through an RFQ/RFP process launching in Spring 2023. The sites include:
Three UG-owned parcels at the former Indian Springs Mall - 47th & State Avenue
Two UG-owned parcels at 4th and Minnesota Avenue
Multiple Land Bank lots in the southeast corner of 18th and Quindaro Boulevard
A preliminary webinar was held on February 28, 2023 to announce the sites and request feedback from interested parties. You can also view the attendee list(DOCX, 93KB) and view this article for links to the presentation.
On March 23, 2023, the UG hosted a webinar to release the RFQs for Lead Developers and Sub Contractors/Consultants. View the attendee list(DOCX, 92KB) and presentation(PDF, 2MB) or watch the recorded webinar below:
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas, City KS (UG) has not set a cap on the number of applicants. Approximately 90 individuals have expressed interest in the sites.
Mayor Garner has requested that a grocery store be the preferred development at the 18th and Quindaro site location. Northeast KCK residents expressed desire for a grocery store in their Northeast Area Master Plan to address food insecurity and public health. Multiple groups are pursuing the development of a grocery store or food co-op concept in the area. It is anticipated that development decisions for all sites will be community-driven, and the RFP for this location will require a grocery store of some kind that is on or proximate to this site. This process should be viewed as an opportunity to align all efforts in the Northeast to develop a grocery store – supportable by market data.
This process should be viewed as an opportunity to align this and all other efforts in the Northeast to develop a grocery store.
The UG encourages meaningful and comprehensive engagement with residents, relevant Neighborhood Revitalizations Groups (NBRs), and community groups. Specific community engagement requirements have not yet been determined but will be included in the RFP application. It is anticipated that this will be a collaborative, community-driven and defined project scope.
The UG hired a consultant, Development Strategies, to assist with the RFQ process. The consultant will perform market analyses for each of the three sites to evaluate previous and existing development and potential development scenarios and impacts. This analysis will evaluate market trends to understand the potential scale, scope, and character of viable development, along with the potential to supply unmet demand from different consumer groups, residents and employers.
The new County Administrative Officer (CAO) will establish a Selection Committee of UG Staff to review, interview, and select qualified consultants for the RFQ and qualified teams for each site-specific RFP.
No, the UG does not have an official Transit Oriented Development (TOD) policy; however, through our recently adopted goDotte Countywide Mobility Strategy, the UG is working to align land use with transportation and recommends that potential applicants review this strategy as well as any relevant long-range plans. It is anticipated that future development must comply with the UG’s design guidelines, which includes TOD best practices.
There will be two concurrent RFQ processes. The Lead Developer RFQ process will review and select qualified developers who will lead the redevelopment of the three (3) sites. The Sub Consultant RFQ process will review and select qualified consultants who will be available to support the Lead Developer in various aspects of the development process. Upon conclusion of the two RFQ processes, the chosen Sub Consultant shortlist will be made available to the developers permitted to submit proposals during the subsequent Requests for Proposal for the three (3) sites. The proposal evaluation process will be scored in such a way to give additional weight to those Lead Developers that include pre-qualified Sub Consultants on the project team.
Upon each development team’s request, a development agreement may be pursued to leverage existing, appropriate incentives available from the UG. Additionally, the UG is seeking local/state/federal grants that may align with and benefit all three sites.
As an example, the UG is a partner in a multi-million bi-state corridor planning effort along State Avenue that could result in significant transit and other infrastructure improvements at both the Downtown KCK and Indian Springs Mall sites.
Additional information regarding available UG incentive programs can be found at: https://www.wycokck.org/Departments/Economic-Development/Incentives
The Lead Developer and Sub Consultant/Contractor RFQs were released at 12pm on March 23, 2023 can be accessed here.
The UG does not currently have an existing DBE program but encourages DBE participation. An example of equitable development scorecards can be found in the Northeast KCK Heritage Trail Plan.
The RFQ/RFP process seeks to develop catalytic demonstration projects that follow all existing codes and ordinances, meet industry best practices, and redefine community development in Wyandotte County. Brownfield grants are a potential funding mechanism for any site that needs environmental assessment and remediation.
Details regarding qualifications will be provided upon the release of the RFQ.
Specified development uses for these sites, if applicable, are guided primarily by community feedback codified in long range plans. Currently, the only sites available through this RFQ/RFP process are the three sites listed above.
Historically, this intersection has been single family residential with neighborhoods-serving commercial business on Quindaro Boulevard. Land Bank parcels are added either through donation or purchased during a tax sale.
Submitted applications will become publicly available following the selection process, upon request.
The RFQ/RFP process will address the need to be intentional about preventing and/or mitigating any negative displacement impacts on existing residents or businesses.
As the spirit of this initiative is to be a community-driven development process, the RFQ/RFP process will include a public engagement scope of work for all redevelopment sites.
Details regarding grading and selection criteria will be provided upon the release of the Lead Developer RFQ and the Sub Consultant RFQ, respectively. Additional details regarding the evaluation criteria for the three (3) site-specific RFPs will be included upon their release. The new CAO will establish a Selection Committee of UG Staff to review, interview, and select qualified developers for the Lead Developer RFQ and qualified consultants for the Sub Consultant RFQ. During Summer 2023, a Selection Committee of UG Staff will review, interview, and select qualified teams for each site-specific RFP.
The UG hired a consultant, Development Strategies, to assist with the RFQ process. The consultant will perform market analyses for each of the three sites to evaluate previous and existing development and potential development scenarios and impacts. This analysis will evaluate market trends to understand the potential scale, scope, and character of viable development, along with the potential to supply unmet demand from different consumer groups, residents and employers. The UG will work with its consultant to include various incentives, ongoing projects, and other relevant materials to support the successful development of each site. This information will be available at the RFP phase of the process.
The UG encourages all teams to think creatively about the urban design and neighborhood character of each site. Ecological restoration is supported at all sites.
For additional questions, please contact Alyssa Marcy, Long Range Planner, at amarcy@wycokck.org.