Title
Downtown Conference Center Multi-Step Invitation to Negotiate Potential Funding Partners Research (B)
This is a request for the City Commission to hear a presentation regarding potential community funding partners to participate in financing a downtown conference center.
Explanation
In April 2010, the CRA issued a Request for Information for a publicly owned conference center/hotel in order for the CRA to respond to Alachua County’s (the County) Request for Proposals for “Capital Projects that Promote Tourism.” The proposed development required this funding source to achieve financial feasibility and was envisioned as a publicly-owned, multi-level conference center with highly flexible space, and a privately-owned, full service hotel with the potential for street-level retail. The project submitted by the CRA was not chosen for award by the County.
Since that time, there had been continued interest in a hotel and conference center in Gainesville’s urban core. At the September 19, 2011, CRA Board meeting, staff was requested to draft language for a competitive solicitation for a hotel and conference center to be located on either the City-owned Lot 10 parcel or elsewhere in or near Gainesville’s downtown. At the November 21, 2011, CRA Board meeting, specific boundaries for the solicitation area were defined as: a western boundary of NW/ SW10th Street, an eastern boundary of NE/SE 3rd Street, a northern boundary of 8th Avenue and the southern boundary of Depot Avenue.
A solicitation process was authorized by the City Commission on February 2, 2012. A multi-step Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) was jointly issued by the City and the CRA on February 29, 2012. The ITN was structured in two phases. The first phase requested the qualifications of developers demonstrating successful completion of similar projects elsewhere, a description of the development team composition, as well as a general description of any CRA or City financial assistance that ...
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