ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
With only one item of new business, the Liberal City Commission will look to have a relatively easy meeting this evening starting at 5:30. This evening’s meeting will be in the commission chambers at the Liberal Recreation Center at 950 S. Grant Ave.
This evening’s meeting will focus on discussion of a request for qualifications (RFQ) for a Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan.
“Activation and redevelopment of Downtown Liberal through investments in public spaces and infrastructure was identified as a key goal in the Launch Liberal 2035 Comprehensive Plan. Working with experts in city planning, engineering, and design to create a redevelopment plan which considers a holistic approach to both the form and function of built public spaces will help provide us with a cost-effective, phased approach to creating a thriving Downtown district,” the agenda information noted. “A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will allow us to solicit subject-matter experts to conduct public engagement and research activities to produce a Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan which assesses current economic and market data; identifies market opportunities for additional retail, office, civic, and residential uses; and provides visual design depictions for transportation systems, infrastructure, street- scape, and public space components which support connectivity and placemaking goals. The final plan will be utilized by the City of Liberal, developers, and other stakeholders as a guide towards achieving the future vision. Through this proposed RFQ process, staff will request interested firms to provide a resume of personnel, a description of all services available, professional client references, copies of downtown master plans they have prepared, examples of successful engagement strategies from past projects, and a detailed work plan schedule timeline for completing the Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan. Staff will then evaluate submitted RFQs to identify a company with which to negotiate a final scope of services and cost of deliverables to be presented to the commission for final approval. Staff requests approval to issue the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan as presented.”
The meeting will also see this year’s Service Award recipients for achieving 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service with the City of Liberal.
