The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is not the only public body with a shaky history with requests for proposals. Meet the City of Buffalo. In May, the City released a Request for Proposals for a parking lot at 201 Ellicott Street with the hopes of developing the site with a mix of residential space, parking, and a grocery store. Developers had until July 29 to submit their ideas for the 2.54 acre site that is located between the central library and the Metropolitan Transportation Center. But hold on, Erie Community College is interested in the site as well and may commit to taking some space there and has amended its solicitation to developers.
From the revised “Request for Qualifications”:
On Friday, May 8, 2015, the City of Buffalo (“City”) released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for 201 Ellicott Street. Since then, a major downtown stakeholder, Erie Community College, has reached out to the City and requested to be part of the formal process to determine if 201 Ellicott meets their future space needs. Given this new opportunity for the development of the site, the City is replacing the RFP issued May 8th and issuing this Request for Qualifications to identify a Developer to be designated for the site.
As part of developing a mixed-use project for the site, a Designated Developer will be asked to engage in a master planning process with Erie Community College (“ECC”). ECC, a major Downtown stakeholder, is currently in the process of developing a plan to determine the future space needs of the college; in terms of programs and locations. A major part of that work will focus on an enhanced ECC presence Downtown. Ongoing planning for the reorientation of many of the college’s academic and non-academic programs has illustrated the need for more space Downtown than ECC currently has available. The Developer will be required to work with ECC through its master planning process to determine if ECC’s needs can be incorporated into the mixed-use project at 201 Ellicott Street.
Revised Schedule
May 8, 2015: Original Request for Proposal Issue Date
June 16, 2015: RFP replaced with Request for Qualifications
July 22, 2015: Deadline for Written Inquires
July 29, 2015: Statement of Qualifications Deadline
August 2015: City of Buffalo Qualifications Review
September 2015: City of Buffalo Designates Developer
Back to the drawing board would-be developers.