Parking Lot Operator

The URA is the City of Pittsburgh’s (City) economic development agency, committed to fostering sustainable prosperity across all of Pittsburgh. Incorporated in 1946 as one of the first redevelopment authorities in the United States, the URA achieves this mission by assembling, preparing and conveying sites for major mixed-use developments; and by providing a portfolio of programs that include financing products, relocation and expansion, housing construction and rehabilitation and home purchases and improvements. The URA conducts these activities using unique powers granted by the Commonwealth’s Urban Redevelopment Law to deploy and attach conditions to the use of public subsidy and the disposition of publicly-owned land.

• Maximize revenue to the URA.
• Parking lot to be maintained and operated in a first class, professional manner.
• Provide reasonable, competitive parking rates for area employees, invitees, and customers.

The Parking Lot, located at 610 3rd Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, is bounded by 3rd Avenue on the north, a railroad avenue on the east, 2nd Avenue to the south, and 200 Ross Street to the west, as shown in the attached parcel map. The lot accommodates approximately 140 cars.

• The Parking Lot is to operate from at least 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. five days a week (Monday – Friday) and during daylight hours Saturdays and Sundays at the option of the operator/lessee.
• The parking rates to be charged shall be at the option of the operator, although the rates must be competitive with those of other publicly owned parking facilities. The proposed parking rates shall be included as an exhibit to the proposal.
• The proposal is to state, and the lease shall include, a guaranteed flat rate lease payment payable monthly in advance to the URA on the first business day of each month as well as any additional proposed revenue-sharing arrangement.
• The lease agreement shall contain a provision requiring the lessee to provide URA with a copy of its monthly report to the City, certified by lessee to be true and correct, setting forth gross parking receipts, parking taxes due to the City and proof of payment.
• The lease agreement shall be effective as of January 1, 2024, running for a two-year term and containing a provision allowing URA to terminate the lease with 90 days’ notice if the URA determines the Parking Lot is required for any redevelopment project. Simultaneously with the execution of the lease, the successful respondent will be required to pay to the URA a one-month lease payment as a security deposit for its faithful performance under the lease.

Respondents shall submit a proposal package (“Response”) containing the following information:

1. Statement of Qualifications –
   1. Identification of the type of legal entity with whom the URA would contract and identification of any special purpose entity.
   2. Identification of respondent’s members, including all joint venture or general or limited partners and percentage of ownerships interest.
   3. The respondent’s previous similar experience operating parking lots, including:
      1. brief description of similar operations (dates, locations, operational strategies),
      2. description and role of respondent,
      3. current status of projects, and
      4. references for these projects.
   4. Evidence that the respondent, including any joint venture partners, has the financial capability to carry out the proposed commitments. Financial statements for the most recent two years shall be submitted with the proposal.
   5. References for the respondent from financial institutions and other landlords or those for whom the respondent operates similar parking facilities.
2. Amount of guaranteed monthly rent to be paid to URA during the term of the lease
3. Parking rates for the first year of operation
4. Description of marketing approach in order to maximize use and revenues
5. Firm’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) status – The URA has a long history of diversity and inclusion within all its programs and other activities. The URA encourages the full participation of minority and women business owners and professionals in this effort. The URA requires that all respondents demonstrate a good faith effort to obtain minority and women-owned business enterprise participation (MWBE) in work performed in connection with URA projects. In the form of a narrative, state as succinctly as possible your firm’s efforts to provide opportunities for MWBE firms. MWBE participation can be satisfied by:
   1. Ownership/partnership of firm;
   2. Use of minority or women-owned businesses as vendors for legal, printing, office supplies, travel, etc.; and
   3. Subcontracting with organizations owned and controlled by minorities and/or women. If this is to be done, that fact, and the name of the proposed subcontracting organizations, must be clearly identified in the proposal. Any questions about MWBE requirements should be directed to MWBE@ura.org.
6. References – Provide three (3) references from other entities or business clients that have worked with you or your firm on parking lot operations or leases. Include the reference’s name, title, address, direct telephone number, and email address.
7. Exceptions – In the event that the respondent desires to take exception to any term or condition set forth in this RFP or the form of lease, said exceptions must be clearly identified in the Response.

All inquiries related to this RFQ are to be submitted through Ion Wave Technologies, the URA’s RFP and RFQ platform, where the inquiry and the answer will be made public.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Thursday, August 17, 2023 at 12:00 PM

Respondents must submit their Response using Ion Wave Technologies. The Response should be combined into one file in PDF format. Do not send hard copies.

Link to Ion Wave Technologies: https://ura.ionwave.net/Login.aspx

ALL RESPONSES MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE RESPONSE DUE DATE AND TIME AS STATED IN THE RFP TIMELINE FOR CONSIDERATION. Any late Responses or Responses received outside of Ion Wave Technologies will not be reviewed.

If you have any questions or issues with using Ion Wave, please contact:

Attention: Ivy Coleman
icoleman@ura.org

• The proposal review committee (“Committee”) will consist of relevant staff from the URA’s Real Estate Department and the URA Executive Leadership Team.
• The Committee will check Responses against mandatory criteria. Responses not meeting all mandatory criteria will not be considered for review.
• Formal interviews with respondents may be scheduled at the discretion of the Committee.
• During the evaluation process, the URA reserves the right to request additional information or clarifications from the respondents or to allow corrections of errors or omissions.

The URA intends to make a decision based upon information in the Response, the respondent’s performance in previous undertakings, MWBE status, and other pertinent factors. The selected respondent will be chosen on the basis of highest rental income to the URA, respondent’s qualifications and experience, and the respondent's financial capabilities to undertake and manage operation of the Parking Lot.

1. The respondent, including any and all team members, must have no conflict of interest with regard to any other work performed by the respondent for the URA or any related entity.
2. The respondent must adhere to the instructions contained in this RFP in preparing the submitted proposal.
3. The respondent must include an MWBE narrative.

The URA intends to select one or more Applicants based upon information in the Response, the Applicant’s performance in previous undertakings, and other pertinent factors. The selected Applicant(s) will be chosen on the basis of the selection criteria listed above.

1. The URA shall have the right to verify the accuracy of all information submitted by the Applicant, and to make such investigation as it deems necessary to determine the ability of each Applicant to perform the services set forth in the Response. The URA in its discretion reserves the right to reject any Response when the available evidence or information does not satisfy the URA that the Applicant is qualified to carry out properly the services set forth in the Response.
2. The URA shall be the sole judge as to which, if any, Applicant best meets the selection criteria. The URA reserves the right to reject any or all Response(s), to waive any submission requirements, and to waive any irregularities in any Response.
3. This RFQ is submitted subject to errors, omissions, and/or withdrawal without notice by the URA at any time.
4. All Responses, including attachments, supplementary materials, addenda, etc. shall become the property of the URA and will not be returned.
5. Applicant’s members must disclose any conflict of interest, or potential conflict of interest, with regards to any employee or staff of the URA or the City of Pittsburgh, and/or any work performed by the Applicant for the URA, the City of Pittsburgh, or any related entity.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh abides by all applicable laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and refrains from discriminating on the basis of age, race, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, political or union affiliation, and/or disability. No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination solely on the basis of any of the above factors under the loan and grant programs operated by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.