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BBAME Campus Development Strategy RFQ

Request for Qualifications: To Implement a Campus Development Plan

Big Bethel AME Church 220 Auburn Avenue, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Issued: October 15, 2014

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF RFQ

Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (BBAME) is requesting qualifications from

experienced real estate development firms who are interested in partnering with the BBAME to

develop approximately 4.15 acres of church property located at Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill, Jr.

Drive on the new Atlanta Streetcar route, near the Georgia State University Campus and Downtown

Atlanta. The project’s scope includes but may not be limited to:(1) the new construction or

rehabilitation of affordable/assisted housing; (2) the construction of new market rate

apartments;(3) the rehabilitation or new construction of commercial/mixed-use buildings on Auburn

Avenue; (4) the rehabilitation or new construction of administrative and meeting space for church

operations; and (5) the construction of necessary structured parking to accommodate expanded

residential, commercial and church uses(collectively described as “the Project”).

BBAME is offering to convey development rights to some project components share in the cost of

developing other components and enter into contract(s) with the selected developer/partner to

construct or renovate space that will remain occupied for church uses. Further information

regarding the church campus and its development potential is presented in Section 3 of the RFQ and

in separate attachments which can be obtained from BBAME. Implementation of the Project is

expected to occur in phases at take up to five years to fully complete.

The purpose of this RFQ is to (a) describe efforts undertaken by the BBAME Church to prepare and

reach consensus on a “Campus Development Strategy” (the Plan), (b) describe the opportunity that

is being offered to the development community, (c) share relevant information which may be

helpful to RFQ respondents, and (d) outline the requested content of submissions from interested

proposers. BBAME welcomes interest from potential development partners. We are committed to


providing information and responding to your questions in a timely manner, in order to make your

response to this RFQ as efficient and complete as possible.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

2.1. Requested Services: BBAME is seeking Qualification Statements from firms that have the

experience and capability to develop all or parts of the Project as described in Section 3 of this

RFQ, in a manner consistent with BBAME's objectives.

2.2. Submission Deadline: Responses to this RFQ must be delivered to BBAME's Administrative

Offices located 204Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta Georgia, 30303, on or before 5:00 PM on Friday,

December 5, 2014. Unless BBAME at its discretion chooses to extend this deadline for all

interested parties, any submissions received after this specified day and time will be rejected.

2.3. Minimum Qualifications: Respondents must provide information outlined in Section 4 of this

RFQ in order to be considered qualified to participate with BBAME in this Project. For purposes

of this RFQ, a “respondent” may include a single development firm or a team of two or more

firms that will assume responsibility for implementing different project components. In cases

involving “team proposals”, the combined qualifications and experience of all team members

will be applied to determine minimum qualifications. Respondents who meet/exceed the

minimum qualifications may be invited to meet with church representatives to present their

submissions in more detail. Upon completion of the RFQ process, BBAME intends to either (a)

select no more than three qualified developers to respond to a second phase Request for

Proposals ("RFP") process or (b) choose to invite a proposal and enter into negotiations with the

most qualified respondent.

2.4. Partial Responses: BBAME strongly prefers to enter into a development agreement with a single

partner or team which possesses the capability and interest to execute all of the “core

components” of the Plan as described in Section 3. However, BBAME will not necessarily reject

RFQ responses from parties who may be interested in undertaking only one (or some) project

component(s), but possess exceptional qualifications in their area(s) of interest. Respondents

who are interested in undertaking some rather than all core components must clearly indicate

such intent in their submissions.

2.5. Acknowledgement of Interest and Submission of Questions to BBAME: Any party who directly

or indirectly receives this RFQ and is interested in responding is strongly encouraged to notify

and send contact information to BBAME's primary contact person, Mr. Marvin Fleming, Church

Administrator by e-mail at [email protected] in order to be placed on a distribution

list to receive attachments, subsequent correspondence and addenda related to this RFQ.

Questions regarding this RFQ should be submitted in writing to this same e-mail address.

mailto:[email protected]


Questions can be submitted at any time prior to and until 12:00 noon on Friday November 21,

2014. BBAME reserves the right not to respond to questions received after that date/time.

Answers given by BBAME to substantive questions will be provided in writing to all parties who

supply their contact information in the form of one or more addenda to this RFQ. Only written

replies to questions appearing in RFQ Addenda should be relied upon as being official positions

of BBAME and binding upon respondents to this RFQ.

2.6. Availability of Electronic Documents: This RFQ and all accompanying attachments and

background information will be distributed by electronic means. Any party responding to this

RFQ accepts full responsibility to ensure that it is responding to the correct version, including

any addenda issued by BBAME. The proposer acknowledges and agrees that in the event of a

conflict between the RFQ in the respondent's possession and the version maintained by BBAME,

the version maintained by BBAME shall apply. This RFQ document and all appendices or

attachments can be obtained by contacting Marvin Fleming via e-mail using the above address.

2.7. Property Inspection: Any party who requests to be placed on the RFQ distribution list may also

make arrangements to conduct a site visit by contacting Mr. Fleming by phone at 404.827.9707

during church office hours or by e-mail to schedule an appointment. Staff will be available to

escort interested respondents to inspect church property which is subject to this RFQ, during

normal business hours between the dates of October 27 and November 7, 2014. BBAME staff

will block and hold available a minimum of eight (8), 90-minute slots between these dates and

will fill appointments as requested on a first-come, first-served basis. Prospective respondents

are asked to coordinate their teams, have all required team members present and be prepared

to collect all needed information during a single site visit. Church staff may at their discretion

choose to accommodate requests for follow-up site visits or requests for appointments outside

of the scheduled window, but will make no assurance of availability.

2.8. Inappropriate Contact: All respondents and/or representatives of respondents are requested

NOT to contact any BBAME Church members/staff, or any third-party representatives of BBAME

on any matter pertaining to this RFQ, aside from the contact person designated above.

Attempts to make inappropriate contact and/or influence the evaluation of RFQ responses may

result in disqualification of your proposal.

2.9. Submission Requirements: Each proposer is responsible for the costs of preparing and

submitting responses to this RFQ. Requested contents of RFQ submissions are outlined in

Section 4 and the failure to respond fully to those requirements may result in disqualification.

Qualification Statements must be signed by a principal of the respondent with the authority to

enter into a development agreement or contract with BBAME or in the case of joint proposals, a

single individual that is designated to speak for and serve as the primary point of contact for the

joint venture/partnership. By submitting a Qualifications Statement, each respondent

acknowledges and agrees that their submission will become the property of BBAME for BBAME's

use, without compensation.


2.10. Packaging of Submissions: Qualification Statements must be sealed and clearly marked

identifying the following information on the front of the package:

Big Bethel AME Campus Development Strategy – RFQ Response

ATTN: Marvin Fleming, Church Administrator

Including the Respondent's Name/Company Name, Return Address and Phone Number

Responses should be addressed and delivered to:

Big Bethel AME Church

204 Auburn Avenue, N.E.

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

2.11. Copies: Respondents are requested to submit one (1) unbound original, and four (4) paper

copies of a written Qualification Statement, plus one electronic copy in PDF file format either

included with the submission package, or delivered separately via e-mail. The unbound original

is requested to be submitted on 8.5”x 11" single-sided pages to facilitate reproduction.

Respondents are also asked to include a table of contents/index and to organize their

presentation into sections which correspond to the order of requirements indicated in this RFQ.

Only delivery of the sealed submission package by the specified date and time (not electronic

copies submitted via e-mail) will be considered responsive to the deadline. If there is any

discrepancy in the contents of any submitted paper or electronic copies, BBAME shall rely upon

the signed original when evaluating the Qualifications Statement.

2.12. Representations of the Proposer: By submitting a Qualification Statement to BBAME, the

proposer acknowledges, represents and warrants that: (a) it has read the entire RFQ and

acknowledges and accepts its terms and conditions; (b) the signatory to the Qualification

Statement is the respondent (or respondent's duly authorized agent or employee with authority

to bind the respondent); (c) any information or disclosure provided in the response is an

accurate representation as of the submission date; and (d) it agrees that it will voluntarily notify

BBAME immediately if any information or disclosure provided to BBAME during any part of the

evaluation process changes, is no longer accurate or would be misleading.

2.13. RFQ Evaluation Process: Upon receipt and review of the Qualification Statements, BBAME, at its

sole discretion, shall determine which Respondents meet or exceed the minimum qualifications

and rank respondents in order of qualifications. Submissions will be reviewed by an Evaluation

Committee appointed by the Senior Pastor, consisting of Stewards, Trustees and other church

members with expertise in real estate development and related issues. The Committee will

conduct an evaluation of the written Qualification Statements using the following general

criteria:


a. Experience of the Developer/Development Team in successfully executing comparable

projects;

b. Experience in working successfully with non-profit partners, particularly church

organizations;

c. Composition and qualifications of development team members, professional staff and

consultants assembled to execute the Plan;

d. The applicability and usefulness of comments, insights, recommendations and approach

offered in reaction to the Campus Development Strategy as described in this RFQ;

e. Evidence of the financial capability of the developer/development team to execute

development tasks and secure project financing;

f. The applicability of references provided and the input received from those references;

g. Evidence of adequate insurance; and

h. DBE Involvement as described more fully in Section 2.14.

Upon completing its review of written submissions, BBAME’s Evaluation Committee will notify

each respondent in writing with respect to whether their Qualifications Statement was

complete, whether the submission satisfied minimum qualifications and whether the

Committee will recommend to BBAME that the submission be considered further. Before

completing its review, the Evaluation Committee may at its discretion submit additional

questions to or invite respondents to make oral presentations to the Committee before making

a final determination. Proposers should expect that the Evaluation Committee will take a

minimum of 30 to 60 days to complete its work depending on the number and quality of

qualifications statements received.

2.14. Equal Employment Opportunity and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises: Respondents are

strongly encouraged to consider the use of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises ("DBE(s)") in all

aspects of any contract(s) that will be awarded pursuant to this Project and to discuss in their

submissions, good faith efforts they intend to make in order to secure participation among

DBEs. BBAME will not assign a specific minimum requirement for DBE participation, but will

generally favor proposers who are willing to follow DBE requirements which are typically applied

to public contracts issued by the City of Atlanta, Fulton County or local or regional Authorities.

The Committee will also favorably review submissions which (a) contain pledges of non-

discrimination in the hiring of employees or subcontractors (b) offer a meaningful strategy of

proactive actions to pursue and secure participation of DBEs and (c) indicate a willingness to

document DBE participation during construction of the Project.

2.15. Insurance Requirements: Respondents are advised that the proposer selected to undertake the

Project will be required to maintain in effect during the term of the Agreement, at their sole

expense, usual and customary insurance coverage with appropriate coverage limits. In general,

BBAME will require evidence of the following types of insurance: (a) Commercial General

Liability, Bodily Injury and Property Damage, including Contractual Liability and

Products/Completed Operations Liability; (b) Georgia Statutory Workers Compensation


coverage and Employers Liability; (c) Automobile, Bodily Injury and Property damage Liability;

(d) Professional Liability and (e) Builders Risk. BBAME must be listed as an Additional Insured on

all policies as applicable. These coverages must be secured from insurers and on forms of

policies acceptable to BBAME and include provisions that such insurance cannot be canceled,

nor limits reduced, without at least thirty days prior written notice to BBAME. The selected

proposer will be required to provide BBAME with certificates of insurance as evidence that all

such insurance is actually in effect prior to commencing work and while work is ongoing, provide

like evidence of the extension, renewal, or replacement of expiring or lapsing policies at least 30

days prior to such occurrences, until all work under the Agreement has been completed.

2.16. Rejection of Submissions, Cancellation of RFQ or Waiver of Technicalities: BBAME reserves the

right to reject any Qualification Statement or all of the Qualification Statements, to waive any

technical defect in a Qualification Statement or to cancel this RFQ at any time.

2.17. Protests: Any protest or objection to this RFQ or the solicitation process related to the RFQ must

be submitted, in a timely manner and in writing to Senior Pastor, Reverend John Foster for

review and response. BBAME has no established procedure for resolving protests and will

develop an appropriate response if/when such a protest occurs.


PROJECT BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION

3.1. Project Introduction and Objectives: Big Bethel A. M. E.

Church was founded in 1847 and is the oldest predominantly

African American congregation in Metropolitan Atlanta. The

original congregation was made up of slaves who were given

permission to worship in the white Union Church. Members

selected the name Bethel Tabernacle when construction was

completed on their first church building in 1855 and in 1866

Bethel Tabernacle joined the African Methodist Episcopal

Church (AME Church) organization.

After the Civil War Big Bethel rapidly grew to become a center

of the community and a focal point for social action. In 1879,

the Gate City Colored School, the first public school for African

Americans in Atlanta, was founded in the basement of Big

Bethel. It later moved to a building on Houston Street. In

1881, Morris Brown College, the only college in Georgia

started solely by African Americans, held classes in the

basement of Big Bethel before moving to its first campus.

The existing church building was rebuilt in 1922, after being destroyed by fire in 1920 and

erected with a lighted cross in the steeple with the message, "Jesus Saves." For decades the

church has been used for community gatherings because it was the largest meeting space in the

African American community. During this period Big Bethel was known as "Sweet Auburn's City

Hall" and throughout its long history has hosted a variety of well-known speakers, including U.S.

President William Howard Taft, education leader Mary McLeod Bethune, Georgia Governor

(later U.S. President) Jimmy Carter, South African President Nelson Mandela and presidential

candidate (and future U.S. President) Bill Clinton.

Big Bethel has also played a prominent role in the economic development and historic

preservation of the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. When the Auburn Avenue business district

began to decline during the 1970s, Big Bethel and its members remained steadfast by

developing “Bethel Towers”, a complex of 182 subsidized/assisted housing units situated on the

lot that had formerly been home to “Old Bethel” Church building. Bethel Towers opened in

1972.

Prior to the early 1990’s, Big Bethel had not purchased any real estate in over forty (40) years.

But since that time, Big Bethel and its members have maintained an active neighborhood


Figure 1: (Top) Aerial photograph of BBAME holdings (shaded) from Fulton County GIS maps. (Bottom) diagram of the “core campus” prepared by TSW. Dollar values shown in the aerial photograph are 2013 full market values, as reported by the Fulton County Assessor.

presence and purchased several parcels and buildings to stabilize and preserve the Sweet

Auburn district. Significant developments undertaken by Big Bethel included assembly of the

Dobbs parking lot; Renaissance Walk, a mixed-use, 160 unit condo/apartment complex, the

Trinity/Bethel facility and Big Bethel Village - a 122 unit senior housing development located in

South West Atlanta. BBAME has also made extensive interior/exterior renovations to the

Worship Center. The church’s existing real estate holdings are shown in Figure 1.


In total, BBAME today owns or controls 13 parcels totaling 7.1 acres and occupied by nearly

320,000 SF of buildings and structures, located on and near Auburn Avenue. BBAME has ground

leased two of these holdings to third parties - a 2.06 acre parcel located on the south side of

Auburn Avenue, (the site of Renaissance Walk) and a 0.34 acre lot at 159 Auburn Avenue. The

subject of this RFQ focuses on 4.15 acres that surround the historic church building and form the

main campus, as shown in Figure 1.

With the ongoing expansion of Georgia State University and the pending introduction of Atlanta

Streetcar service, BBAME is once again positioned to play a strategic role in the ongoing

revitalization of Auburn Avenue. With the cooperation and assistance of Central Atlanta

Progress, BBAME solicited proposals earlier this year from consulting firms to assist the church

in preparing a “Campus Development Strategy” for its core real estate assets. Key objectives for

the Campus Development Strategy are to:

Support the ongoing revitalization of the Sweet Auburn Neighborhood

Enhance the church’s ministry to the community

Address existing facility conditions and future operational needs

Strengthen BBAME’s long-term financial stability and

Effectively communicate and build member consensus around a preferred strategy.

That process led to the selection of a team consisting of Bleakly Advisory Group (real estate

advisory services), Tunnell Spangler Walsh (TSW – planning, architecture and urban design) and

Contente Consulting, Inc. (public process). BBAME’s leadership and the Bethel Towers Board

have worked closely with the consultant team to provide guidance and build consensus around

major components of the Campus Development Strategy, culminating in the release of this RFQ.

Church members have also been regularly briefed and are supportive of the plan’s goals,

content and direction. Major components of the 5-year Campus Development strategy are

designed to:

Secure a long-term future presence of affordable housing on the church campus, either

through the substantial rehabilitation of Bethel Towers or the development of new

multi-family construction located elsewhere on the property;

Develop new market rate rental housing as demand warrants, oriented to either

students, the elderly or the general Downtown Atlanta population;

Develop new ground floor commercial space on Auburn Avenue through the substantial

rehabilitation of existing buildings and/or the demolition and reconstruction of new

mixed-use buildings, similar in scale to Renaissance Walk.


Project Component A B C D

Residential Development

New MF Apartments - Building 1 154 188 188 154

New MF Apartments - Building 2 - 100 100 -

Bethel Towers Rehabilitation 180 - - 180

Auburn Ave. Apartments - - 33 33

Residential Totals: 334 288 321 367

Auburn Avenue Commercial

Auburn Ave. Land Area Developed 9,808 9,808 18,956 18,956

Auburn Ave. Commercial SF Developed 12,260 12,260 13,300 13,300

BBAME Family Life Center (SF) 10,000 15,000 15,000 15,000

Existing Church Space Rehabilitated (SF) 26,956 26,956 6,000 6,000

Parking Garage Capacity (Spaces) 657 748 875 657

Development Concept

Summary of Development Options

Big Bethel AME Church Campus

Prepare a development site for the construction of a new multi-purpose building

located next to the existing church sanctuary, to serve as a “family life center” for the

congregation and Auburn Avenue community;

Provide new or rehabilitated church offices, ministry and storage space, either within

rehabilitated Auburn Avenue buildings or possibly included within the proposed family

life center;

Redesign and rehabilitate the basement of the sanctuary to better serve church

operations; and

Build a parking structure to accommodate expanded residential, commercial and church

uses.

3.2. Development Plan Summary: The consultant team evaluated existing property and

neighborhood conditions, researched market conditions, studied zoning/permitting

requirements and calculated physical development options for the BBAME campus. The team

prepared four development options which can be physically accommodated on the property,

comply with zoning and have been approved (in concept) as acceptable uses by the church

leadership.

Two of the concepts illustrate the rehabilitation and continued use of Bethel Towers and two

concepts propose the demolition and replacement of Bethel Towers to a new location on the

property. Similarly, two concepts propose to rehabilitate and re-use existing Auburn Avenue

buildings to the extent feasible and two concepts propose demolition and replacement of the

entire block with a new four-story building. Accomplishing the latter alternative would require

the acquisition of a 0.2

acre parcel and 6,200 SF

commercial building

located at 198 Auburn

Avenue, which is not

currently under BBAME’s

control.

All four concepts propose

the construction of

additional market rate

apartment units which

may be oriented to

students, seniors or the

general population. All Figure 2:


concepts also provide a site for the construction of a new multi-purpose building adjacent to the

existing sanctuary. To accommodate this new building while retaining the existing Bethel

Towers would require partial demolition of commercial space and a parking deck that is

attached to the Towers. Finally, all concepts require replacement of existing surface parking

with a multi-level parking garage. BBAME is committed to retaining 300 spaces within that

garage for church use.

In total, the plan envisions the development of between 228 to 367 residential apartments,

12,000 to 13,000 SF of commercial development, a new 10,000 to 15,000 SF multi-purpose

building, the rehabilitation of up to 26,000 SF of existing building space used by the Church and

associated parking for 650 to 875 vehicles (See Figure 2). The concepts are illustrated in the next

series of exhibits and are followed by more detailed descriptions of each individual component.

The intent of the Campus Development Strategy was to end the planning effort by selecting a

“preferred” alternative to communicate to prospective development partners. However, early

on in the process it became evident that the church could not assemble sufficient information at

this time to determine whether Bethel Towers should be rehabilitated or demolished or

whether the City of Atlanta would permit the demolition and replacement of the church’s

existing Auburn Avenue buildings. The church leadership therefore chose to communicate its

support for the four concepts illustrated on the following pages and to defer further decision-

making until after receiving input from the selected developer/partner.

Ultimately, BBAME will support a balanced campus development strategy that is financially

advantageous to the church, involves an acceptable level of risk and effectively accomplishes

the key objectives outlined in Section 3.1. That strategy may be one of the four concepts

illustrated below, some combination of these concepts or some other approaches which the

selected developer/partner may propose.


3.3. Core Components

BBAME is seeking a development partner to develop four “core” components of the Campus

Development Strategy. Two optional components may also be implemented with or without

the selected partner, depending on future conditions and decisions to be made at a later time.

BBAME will consider conveying development rights to the core components in exchange for

appropriate compensation, and will participate in financing the church’s share of a parking

structure to support the project. The core components are described below.

3.3.1. Bethel Towers: As illustrated by the above concepts, the decision to re-use or demolish

Bethel Towers is the most important component of the campus development strategy.

Currently 97% occupied, this property is owned by a wholly-owned subsidiary of BBAME

and managed by a Board of Directors comprised of church members. Bethel Towers was

constructed 45 years ago, has recently experienced very significant issues involving the

building’s aging plumbing, mechanical and HVAC systems and is nearing the end of its

useful life. A decision concerning whether the property can or should be substantially

rehabilitated, versus demolished and replaced, cannot be made without a more detailed

engineering evaluation. However, it is clear that the property cannot continue to

operated indefinitely in “as is” condition.

A preliminary MEP evaluation of the property was completed earlier this year for the

purpose of identifying interim repairs needed to stabilize the building in the short term.

The Bethel Towers Board is in process of obtaining cost estimates for those recommended

improvements and has solicited proposals to receive a more extensive engineering

evaluation. That engineering report is expected to be delivered within the next 45 days.

The existing MEP evaluation is available to proposers and the second study will be

provided when complete.

BBAME’s intent is to investigate building condition issues and explore options with the

selected developer partner. BBAME will rely on the developer’s expertise and input to

decide on a long-term rehabilitation or replacement strategy for Bethel Towers. In either

case, BBAME prefers to demolish approximately 65,000 SF of attached commercial space

and parking deck area between the main residential tower and Auburn Avenue to provide

a building site for a multi-purpose building. The church is also open to continuing the

current Bethel Towers ownership/management structure or considering alternatives if

necessary to accomplish a long-term solution. BBAME currently receives no

compensation from the operation of Bethel Towers and is seeking an arrangement which

provides some form of future revenue stream, either in the form of a ground lease or one-

time acquisition payment.


Bethel Towers is operated under a HAP contract with the US Department of Housing and

Urban Development, which is renewed annually. HUD officials are aware of BBAME’s

desire to continue a long-term presence of affordable housing on the property. These

officials have been cooperative and encouraging of efforts to develop a workable solution,

suggesting that Bethel Towers would be very competitive when applying for HUD

financing or LIHTC’s. BBAME is seeking a qualified partner to design, permit, secure

financing and construct affordable housing on the church campus. Proposals to assume

ownership or management the completed project will also be considered.

3.3.2. Market Rate Rental Housing: Depending on the future of Bethel Towers, TSW estimates

that the church parking lot can accommodate new construction of approximately 154 to

288 apartment units. It is estimated that 100 to 150 of those units could be market rate.

BBAME is seeking a qualified developer to build, own and operate market rate rental

housing under a sale or ground lease, subject to a development agreement pertaining to

shared parking. The church would be open to a project oriented to students, the elderly or

the general population. Supporting market research prepared by Bleakly Advisory Group

is available and will be provided to proposers.

3.3.3. Auburn Avenue Commercial Space: In addition to Bethel Towers, BBAME owns four

commercial properties on Auburn Avenue, including three buildings and an undeveloped

lot. Two of the buildings (204-08 Auburn Ave.) are currently occupied by church offices

and ministries. Another one-story building (196 Auburn Avenue) located next to the

vacant lot is unoccupied and in poor condition. It is likely to be demolished and combined

with the adjacent lot. A fifth parcel located at 198 Auburn Avenue contains a vacant, 2-

story commercial building that is not owned by BBAME. The owner would consider selling

that property to the church and is in the process of having the building appraised for that

purpose. Appraisal findings will be provided to interested proposers if/when that

information is shared with the church.

TSW explored two scenarios for future development of these holdings. The more

aggressive scenario illustrates a demolition and replacement of the existing structures

with a four-story building that would accommodate 33 residential units and 13,300 SF of

ground floor commercial space. In that scenario, church offices would relocate to the new

building identified as the Family Life Center.

The less aggressive scenario would redevelop the lot and the adjacent vacant building,

while rehabilitating the two remaining buildings owned by BBAME and possibly including

198 Auburn Avenue. Under this scenario, church uses may or may not stay in place but all

properties would be rehabilitated. The selection of a preferred alternative depends on

whether the City would permit demolition and replacement of the existing buildings, the

extent to which streetcar service may or may not impact the marketability of commercial

space and whether the church is able to find temporary and permanent relocation options


for its needs. Depending on which concept is selected, BBAME is seeking a qualified

developer to permit, construct, own and manage all or part of these parcels, under a sale

or ground lease, subject to a development agreement regarding shared parking. If church

uses remain in place, BBAME would be open to contracting with the developer/partner to

rehabilitate the space it retains.

3.3.4. Parking Garage: BBAME’s existing surface parking lot contains approximately 300 spaces.

The lot is operated under an agreement with LPS of America, Inc. (Lanier Parking), under

which long term and hourly parking is made available to GSU students and the general

public during weekday/business hours. Operations of the parking lot generate

approximately $125,000 per year in revenue (net) to the church. The current

management services agreement with Lanier Parking expires at the end of 2016.

BBAME is firmly committed to retaining guaranteed access to a minimum of 300 parking

spaces for church use under any long term campus development strategy. A parking

structure to support the entire Project must be designed to accommodate the church’s

requirements, in addition to providing parking capacity for new uses. It is also necessary

for a portion of the parking lot remain available for church use throughout the

construction period until a permanent garage is completed. This requirement will

obviously complicate development phasing.

TSW’s initial calculations indicate that a parking facility would need to be sized to

accommodate 650 to 875 vehicles, depending upon the selected concept. BBAME would

be open to considering different strategies to accommodate the Project’s parking

requirements, including financing the church’s portion of needed capacity and sharing

future parking or ground lease revenues to offset those costs. BBAME is seeking a

qualified developer to design, permit, construct and own or jointly own and manage a

shared parking facility, subject to a development agreement.

3.4. Optional Plan Components: In addition to the above project components which will require

participation of a development partner, the Plan contains two other elements which may or

may not be implemented with the assistance of the selected proposer. Decisions regarding

these optional components can be delayed and will depend on which development concept is

implemented, the degree of success achieved in completing the core components, the

church’s future financial position and its ability to obtain financing, the selected proposer’s

interest in participating, and related factors. These optional components are described below:

3.4.1. Family Life Center: All of the concepts illustrated above provide a location for the

development of a multi-purpose building and educational/function facility to be located

next to the existing church building. The actual construction of this building would

hopefully take place during the five year implementation strategy and must occur under

two of the four concept plans. Depending on future conditions, the church may or may


not proceed with the immediate construction of a family life center. The church could

also decide to implement that component independently. If the selected proposer is

interested in constructing the facility, BBAME would be open to retaining the proposer to

design, permit and construct a turnkey building for church use.

3.4.2. Rehabilitation of church space: BBAME currently occupies approximately 21,000 SF of

existing space for offices, ministries and storage. An additional +/- 6,000 SF located below

the church sanctuary is also used for classes, meals and meetings. The four development

concepts result in different configurations of existing/new space retained for future

church use. As part of the overall project BBAME intends to commit resources to

rehabilitate and possibly redesign retained buildings in order to extend the useful life and

improve the functionality of that space. If the selected proposer is interested in making

those improvements, BBAME would be open to retaining the proposer to design, permit

and renovate space retained for church use.

3.5. Zoning: TSW reviewed relevant zoning regulations which apply to BBAME’s holdings and

prepared concept plans which reflect those provisions. The large parcel fronting John Wesley

Dobbs Avenue and the site of the Big Bethel residential tower are both within a zoning district

and a zoning overlay district. The first, SPI-1 SA1, is the Downtown Special Public Interest District

located in the downtown core subarea. The second is HC-20C SA6, an overlay district outlining

zoning guidelines for a transitional subarea of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Landmark District. The

regulations of HC-20C SA6 trump those of SPI-1 SA1 when applicable. The parcels fronting

Auburn Avenue fall under HC-20C-SA4, as those parcels are within the Martin Luther King Jr.

Landmark District and Auburn Commercial District. Under this designation all variances, zoning

amendments, special use permits, special exceptions and special administrative permits must

submitted to the AUDC for review, and receive a certificate of appropriateness. This certificate

will also be required if any changes to the exterior appearance of structures is warranted, to

erect a new structure, to demolish or move a structure or to vary any applicable regulation. A

more complete Land Use and Zoning Summary is available as an attachment to this RFQ.

3.6. Development Incentives: As indicated in Section 3.3.1, the rehabilitation or new construction of

affordable housing on the church campus would qualify for HUD financing and/or Low Income

Housing Tax Credits. BBAME and the Bethel Towers Board will obviously provide support as

needed to successfully compete for HUD financing and/or allocations of tax credits for

affordable housing. BBAME’s property is also located within the Eastside Tax Allocation District

(TAD) and may qualify for TAD assistance to assist in financing structured parking.


CONTENTS OF RFQ RESPONSE

4.1. Qualification Statement Format: Qualification Statements are requested in the following format

and must at minimum address the following specified sections. The Qualification Statement

must contain the following information:

4.1.1. Table of Contents/Index

4.1.2. Executive Summary/Transmittal Letter

4.1.3. Qualifications and Experience - including the proposers’ organization, key personnel,

references and consultant team;

4.1.4. Financial Capacity

4.1.5. Disclosures

4.1.6. Approach to Undertaking the Project

4.1.7. EEO and DBE Commitments

4.1.8. Evidence of Insurance Coverage

4.2. Specific Contents: More specific instructions for each of these headings are summarized in this

section.

4.2.1. Table of Contents/Index: Provide a detailed table of contents listing sections and

subsections that correspond to the requirements of the RFQ. The table of contents should

list all tables, appendices, figures, etc. contained in the Qualification Statement.

4.2.2. Executive Summary/Transmittal Letter: Provide a letter signed by the firm's authorized

representative, stating the respondent's understanding of the scope of the Project and

summarizing why the respondent believes it is the best qualified entity to undertake the

Project. The transmittal letter should include complete contact information for the

proposer’s authorized representative and should serve as an Executive Summary which

describes the firm and provides an overview of the respondent's qualifications.

4.2.3. Qualifications and Experience: To allow BBAME to fully understand the capabilities of the

proposer, please provide the information requested below for the respondent or if a

partnership or joint venture, for each member of the assembled team. In this context,

“team” refers to entities that would have an equity interest in the Project. Professional

firms recruited to assist in the Project’s design; permitting and construction should be

reported separately in Section 4.2.3.6. Experience and qualifications of the proposer should

include the following minimum information.

4.2.3.1. Legal Form: At a minimum, this section must contain sufficient information to

enable BBAME to identify and understand the entity of the proposer. Provide the

complete legal name, the location of the respondent and the names/locations of all

legal entities that comprise the respondent if proposing as a team. Also provide


brief history and describe the legal structure of the entity. In the case where the

respondent is a partnership, joint venture or affiliation of two or more firms, please

provide information for all participants and the nature of the relationship. This

should include organization documents if applicable and a brief description of the

respective roles, rights and responsibilities of the parties. The respondent must also

include a statement and/or organizational chart that clearly identifies the level of

authority vested to each individual within the team’s management structure to

make decisions.

4.2.3.2. Relevant Projects: BBAME would like respondents to describe their relevant

experience, dating back to up to ten (10) years, with multi-family residential,

commercial and/or mixed-use developments which are most comparable to

BBAME’s Project. BBAME is interested in projects that were successfully completed

or are still in active development, as opposed to planned projects that were never

executed or are still pending. “Project experience” listed in this section should also

be limited to projects executed by the proposer- not projects attributable to the

proposer’s consultant team. BBAME is also more interested in receiving detailed

descriptions, focused on a few highly relevant project examples, than in receiving

minimal information on larger numbers of examples which are less relevant.

At minimum, BBAME is most interested in the following types of projects/situations

which it considers to be comparable to the opportunity being offered in this RFQ:

a) Projects involving a similar mix of land uses, a comparable scale of land uses

(units or SF) and comparable development cost/end value to this proposed

project;

b) Projects successfully undertaken in the Metro-Atlanta area;

c) Projects undertaken in comparable urban settings to Auburn Avenue;

d) Projects involving development of affordable/assisted housing and working

with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the

Georgia Department of Community Affairs, particularly projects involving

the use of Low Income Housing Tax Credits;

e) Projects involving market rate and/or student-oriented rental housing;

f) Projects involving partnerships with churches and/or other nonprofit

organizations;

g) Projects involving the rehabilitation of existing buildings as well as new

construction;

h) Projects which required creative solutions to overcome challenging

engineering, phasing or permitting issues;

i) Projects undertaken on ground-leased property;

j) Projects involving the construction of large-scale parking facilities.


For each example cited, discuss why the proposer considers it relevant to BBAME’s

situation. Also describe the specific role of the respondent and or the responsible

team member in executing the project, the specific location, development value of

the project and the year in which it was completed or is planned for completion.

4.2.3.3. Organizational Structure: Provide an organizational chart of the respondent's

management structure. The organizational structure must clearly identify the

management team, the specific roles of the associated individuals/firms and past

role(s) played by individuals expected to work on the BBAME project.

4.2.3.4. Personnel: Provide resumes of key personnel, including the persons’ name, title,

relevant experience, professional background; education and current and past

employment.

4.2.3.5. Client References: Provide a minimum of three client references and contact

information for each of the key members of the organization chart. Ideally,

references should be able to speak to the qualifications/performance of both the

organizations and the key personnel involved. References who can speak to the

qualifications of more than one team member can be repeated. Contact

information should be current and it is preferred that references are informed and

prepared to be contacted by representatives of the Evaluation Committee.

4.2.3.6. Consultants and Subcontractors: Use this section to identify relevant architectural

or engineering consultants, legal and/or financial advisors, contractors or

subcontractors the respondent may have recruited to assist in executing the Project.

BBAME does not require proposers to identify their entire consulting team in

advance of being invited to the next phase. However, this section should

communicate that the proposer understands and will acquiring sufficient technical

expertise to work through permitting, engineering and phasing challenges

associated with this project. The format for presenting the qualifications of

consultants should follow the same format as used for the development team.

4.2.4. Financial Capability: The respondent is expected to provide sufficient information to

provide BBAME with confidence in the proposer's financial capability to undertake and

successfully finance the Project. If the respondent is a partnership, joint venture or newly

formed legal entity, financial information should (at minimum) be provided for the entity or

individual(s) that own and control a majority equity interest. Failure to provide adequate

evidence or supplying unsupported statements will be interpreted as an admission of

inadequate financial capacity. The following items are requested with submission of the

RFQ Response:


a) A minimum of two letters provided by and containing the names and phone

numbers of references from commercial banks and/or institutional partners

who can attest to the respondent’s capability to absorb predevelopment costs

and access financing to undertake the project.

b) A letter from the respondent’s accountant or auditor who can attest to the

Respondent’s financial position and stability.

c) A section/statement identifying terms and conditions of any significant

contingent liabilities, such as guaranteed loans or other obligations which could

affect the ability of Respondent to obtain financing for this Project.

BBAME is not requesting the submission of audited financial statements with this initial

RFQ Response, but may request audited financial statements from finalists or the selected

firm before entering into any agreement.

4.2.5. Disclosures: List any outstanding disputes or business relationships between the

Respondent and the following entities.

a) BBAME,

b) The City of Atlanta,

c) The US Department of Housing and Urban Development,

d) Fulton County Government,

e) Atlanta Housing Authority, and

f) Any other relevant agencies and organizations.

Describe any other outstanding disputes involving the respondent which BBAME should be

made aware.

4.2.6. Project Approach: Respondents are invited to use this section to outline their initial

reactions, observations, recommendations and approaches/ideas to working with BBAME to

implement the Campus Development Strategy and eventually negotiate financial terms.

BBAME is not expecting proposers to include plans or discuss financial offers for the Project

or any specific project components in their Qualifications Statements. However, BBAME will

base its selection and ranking of qualified firms in part on the insights, ideas or

recommendations they offer in reaction to the information presented in this RFQ and their

due diligence while preparing a submission. Proposers who demonstrate thoughtful effort

in proposing an approach to accomplish the church’s objectives will be considered

favorably. BBAME is interested in proposer observations and recommendations including

but not necessarily limited to the following topics:

a) Investigating the condition of Bethel Towers and making a determination

between rehabilitation vs. new construction options;

b) Where to relocate affordable housing on the property if it is mutually agreed

that Bethel Towers must be demolished;


c) Applying for HUD financing and/or LIHTC’s;

d) Ownership/management structures for the completed affordable housing;

e) Implications of streetcar service and/or GSU expansion to the Campus

Development Strategy;

f) Permitting issues and considerations;

g) The market rate housing component;

h) Auburn Avenue commercial development;

i) Observations regarding the timing, phasing, sequencing and coordination of the

core project components;

j) Approaches to developing and operating a shared parking structure;

k) Potential use of the Eastside TAD to help offset parking costs;

l) Observations/concerns regarding development on ground leased sites;

m) Working with BBAME leadership and reporting to church members;

n) Recommended approach and/or contents of an MOU or development

agreement if the proposer is selected to undertake the Project; and

o) Other relevant issues.

4.3. Equal Employment Opportunity and DBE Utilization: Use this section to discuss

whether the proposer is a DBE firm or is experienced in utilizing DBE firms and in

complying with EEO/DBE provisions contained in prior contracts. Proposers should

outline specific actions they would be prepared to undertake to include and document

DBE participation in different aspects of the Project. BBAME is particularly interested in

voluntary actions which may not necessarily be imposed or enforced by HUD or other

government entities.

4.4. Insurance Requirements: Use this section to describe the insurance coverage

maintained by the firm and whether the proposer would have any difficulty in meeting

the insurance requirements outlined in section 2.15.


ATTACHMENTS

The following documents will be provided by BBAME upon request:

a. Excerpts from Atlanta Streetcar: Corridor Development and Investment Guide – Supporting

Materials and other related Streetcar information.

b. Bethel Towers Highrise Apartments, 210 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta GA – Building Systems

Assessment; Covalent Consulting, April 11, 2014

c. BBAME Campus Plan Land Use + Zoning Summary, TSW, January, 2014

d. BBAME Campus Development Strategy, Phase I: Stakeholder Interviews and Existing Conditions

Assessment, February, 2014

e. BBAME Campus Development Strategy, Phase II: Market Research Findings, May, 2014

(Other attachments may be added to this list.)