Request for Qualifications Search for Master Developer

 

DEVELOPMENT TEAM SELECTED

In January of 2017, the Minneapolis City Council and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) both acted to select a development team (United Properties with THOR Development and First Avenue Productions) to enter into a collaborative planning process with the City and MPRB, with community input. This planning process will be guided by a subsequently approved UHT Exclusive Rights Agreement.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS BACKGROUND

In August of 2016, the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) to seek a qualified development team to work with the City and MPRB (with community input) on the first phase of redevelopment of this unique site. This RFQ may be downloaded here.

Answers to questions raised by attendees at an August 31 pre-submission meeting (including a list of the attendees) may be found here.

RFQ SUBMISSIONS

On Friday, October 14, 2016, the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) closed their Request for Qualifications (RFQ) period seeking submissions for the Upper Harbor Terminal (UHT) Phase 1 redevelopment.

One submission for consideration as a “master developer” was received from a team comprised of United Properties, THOR Development and First Avenue Productions. A summary of this submission is available here, and the information and graphics submitted by the team to facilitate community input is available here. Please note that this submission includes not just the Phase 1 portion of the UHT site, but also Phase 2, as well as some nearby parcels controlled by the development team. Please also note that the development team elected to include more detail in the proposed initial development program than the RFQ required.

Submissions also were received from five teams interested in being considered as “potential development partners” to work with the master developer on a portion of the site. A summary of these submissions may be found here. These submissions will not be reviewed by the City or MPRB, but instead will be passed along to the selected master developer for consideration as part of the development concept and team.

COMMUNITY INPUT AND REVIEW PROCESS

Community input about the submission was sought at a public meeting held on November 3, 2016, and also via an online survey. A summary of this input may be found here.

A City/MPRB Recommendation Committee then completed a review of the master development team submission. After taking into account the input from the community and staff and conducting an interview of the development team, this group agreed to recommend to the Minneapolis City Council and MPRB that the development team be selected.