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Lee Harvard Community Plan RFP
Harvard Community Services Center (HCSC), in partnership with the City of Cleveland City Planning Department and Department of Community Development, Cleveland Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones, Local Initiatives Support Corporation and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, is soliciting proposals to develop an urban planning and investment strategy for the Lee-Harvard neighborhoods in the City of Cleveland. The community holds a strong African American legacy and continues to be a stable community with committed residents and businesses owners.
The neighborhood has come to a critical moment in its history. There are several development and public improvement opportunities that need guidance in order to grow and enhance the health and wealth of the community. Mayor Bibb has a vision and priority to strengthen the southeast side of the City, and the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects is currently designing roadway improvements along Lee Road in concert with the construction timeline for the Shaker Heights portion of the corridor. Additionally, there are several large, underutilized sites that are ripe for development. Beyond these eminent projects, it is essential to leverage both new investments and the community’s legacy to support existing residents and businesses and renew the identity of the neighborhood.
Paramount to the success of the community plan is strong collaboration with our local government, partners, and elected officials. More importantly, the residents and businesses of Lee-Harvard will be the strongest partner during the planning process.
We envision the community planning work to bring a place-based plan that will attract robust investment and inspire high quality design in housing and commercial development. This plan will examine the following key components as detailed in the Scope of Work:
1. Community Engagement
2. Land-Use and Revitalization Plan
3. Neighborhood Connectivity and Identity
4. Early Action Plan and Implementation Strategy
Firms and/or teams wishing to be considered in the selection process must submit a proposal electronically by June 2, 2023 at 12:00 NOON. Questions and proposal submissions will be handled by Thomas Starinsky on behalf of HCSC. He can be reached at thomasstarinsky@gmail.com. We look forward to reviewing the proposals and moving our community forward.
Lee-Harvard Community Master Plan
Consultant Questions and Answers
1. What would you say are the Lee Harvard neighborhood’s greatest needs from this process?
ANSWER: The Goals of the Plan on page 8 of the RFP were thoughtfully considered by the Core Project Team. These goals seek to reverse decades of disinvestment and provide the neighborhood with a framework to inspire and guide investment. This framework must be a place-based action-oriented strategy informed by community conversations.
2. Can you provide more detail on the client’s role in the community engagement actions?
ANSWER: The Core Project Team is committed to a robust community engagement component to this project. HCSC is a long-standing advocate in the neighborhood providing both social services and community development to stakeholders. This group will lead all efforts to organize meetings and bring the community to the conversation. There is a separate budget to provide food and refreshments for these meetings. The consultant team will be responsible for facilitating the meetings and providing necessary materials for the meeting such as posters, presentations, questionnaires, markers and post-its. The Core Project Team and Consultant will work collaboratively on the details and execution of the Consultant’s engagement strategy.
3. Is the $80,000 budget firm?
ANSWER: Yes, the budget is firm. However, if your team would like to provide an alternative proposal, feel free to do so. If this is a case, the team MUST provide a proposed scope at $80,000 AND an alternative scope and cost.