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17-082 - RFP Purchase and Development of 60 Byers Street

End date: Wednesday April 12, 2017 at 2 p.m.

The City of Springfield is requesting proposals for the redevelopment of the three-unit house located at 60 Byers Street. The City will entertain all offers.

Additional walk-thru will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 10:00AM. Interested parties can contact Tom Mathews, Office of Planning at 413-787-6665

Site Information & Restrictions

The property at 60 Byers Street is located within the Metro Center neighborhood of Springfield. It is located directly across the street from the Springfield Armory National Historic Site and the Springfield Technical Community College campus. The property is within the Quadrangle-Mattoon Street District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For nearly two centuries, the Springfield Armory provided the United States Armed Forces and industry with superior firearms and engineering. It was the first national armory that began as a major arsenal under the authority of General George Washington early in 1794 produced firearms for every war in the nation’s history until it was closed in 1968. The site is currently run by the National Parks Service and provides year round public programs, exhibits and special events, as well as houses the world’s largest collection of historic American military firearms. The Armory site also contains the Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) campus. STCC is the only technical community college in Massachusetts and offers a variety of career related programs. The college has an enrollment of over 9,000 students and employs approximately 400 faculty and staff members.

The Metro Center neighborhood includes approximately 690 acres of land where the City was initially established and developed. The downtown has been defined as the government, business and cultural center for the City. It has also served as a regional center for the Pioneer Valley and includes residential, industrial and institutional areas within its limits. Its boundaries are Route 291 to the north, Union and Howard Streets to the south, Federal street to the east and the Connecticut River to the West.

The neighborhood is home to the Central Library, the Springfield Museums, Symphony Hall, CityStage, Roman Catholic Diocese, Episcopal Diocese, City Hall, and the MassMutual Center. The neighborhood is home to the Central Business District which contains dining establishments and businesses. It is also home to the Transitional Development District which contains an array of restaurants, bars and clubs.

The property is located off the 3.2 mile-long State Street Corridor, which has recently undergone a $16 million restoration project, including roadway reconstruction, intersection improvements, new sidewalks and median strips and many new pedestrian and vehicle amenities.

The building at 60 Byers Street is an International style structure constructed in 1955 by local architect Thurston Munson. It is located on a 4,553 square feet lot zoned Residence C. The assessed value is $210,900.00. The property has two floors and contains three legal housing units. These units are all one bedroom and have individual kitchens and bathrooms. While the dwelling currently contains five units, the additional two units were never legally permitted. The City prefers the use to be three units but with consider four units. NOTE: A fourth unit will require a special permit or variance, and no guarantee can be made that such approval will be given by the permit granting authority. Proposals that include more than four units will be considered a non-feasible project and deemed non-responsive.

Public funds previously used to rehabilitate the property at 60 Byers Street impose affordable housing and land use restrictions placed against the property. As a matter of public policy the City intends to ensure that all restrictions on record at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds are preserved.

For the full detail of restrictions and a proposed agreement the buyer will be required to sign, please see “Attachment C – Affordable Housing Restriction.” A brief summary of restrictions is included below:

The property must continue to maintain the Affordable Housing Restriction until December 31, 2022. Two units shall be deemed assisted under the HOME Program. One of these units must be reserved for occupancy by Very Low-Income Households (at or below 50% Area Median Income) and one unit must be reserved for occupancy by Low-Income Households (at or below 60% of Area Median Income). The remaining unit(s) can be rented at market rate.

Currently, the income limits for these categories (which are updated annually) are as follows:

One person Two persons Three persons Four persons
Very Low Income (50% AMI)
$29,150 $33,300 $37,450 $41,600
Low Income (60% AMI)
$46,000 $52,600 $59,150 $65,700

Annual income determinations will be the responsibility of the owner. Annual monitoring of the two HOME assisted units will be conducted by the City. Technical assistance regarding income certification and monitoring requirements is available from the City of Springfield Office of Housing.

Rents on the two restricted units are limited to no more than 30% of the income limits for each category. These amounts are adjusted annually, and are currently:

Efficiency 1 bedroom 2 bedroom 3 bedroom Low HOME (50% AMI
$633 $803 $1,001 $1,242
High HOME (60% AMI)
$633 $803 $985 $1,137

The City is most interested in proposals that will improve the existing property while maintaining the Affordable Housing Restrictions. While financial benefits (i.e. price paid for the property) of a proposal are important to the selection of the developer, coupled with all selection criteria, the City will also consider the broader fiscal and economic developments to be realized from the development project. The City will not be obligated to select the proposer offering the highest purchase price if another proposal better satisfies the selection criteria and other requirements of this RFP as a whole.

The City is most interested in proposals that creatively integrate the site with the surrounding area, respecting zoning, and in a manner that creates a viable redevelopment opportunity and enhances the aesthetic appeal of the streetscape. Proposers should be familiar with abutting uses and mindful of such when developing a redevelopment project and program to ensure the project is respectful of existing neighbors.

All bidders are buying property subject to all current zoning and building restrictions. Property is being sold “as is” and the City makes no representations regarding the physical or environmental conditions. The selected developer accepts the property “as is” with no exception.

If a nonprofit organization is chosen preferred developer, it will be expected to enter into an agreement with the City to make an annual in-lieu-of-tax payment, the amount of which will be calculated as follows:

(Assessed Value Per Thousand) x (Tax Rate) x (Fifty Percent)

The proposer selected shall make the annual payment in lieu of tax payment commencing in the fiscal year of the closing and all subsequent fiscal years.

This Request for Proposals is for the real property only. All contents of the property and any personal property therein may not be included in this sale at the discretion of the City of Springfield.

The City of Springfield has made all efforts to ensure that the information is accurate. However, it is the buyer’s responsibility to investigate to their satisfaction any matter as it may relate to the property.

Development Incentive

The Trustees of the Springfield Historic Preservation Fund are offering up to $50,000 that may be utilized for exterior repairs to the property. No income restrictions are applied to these funds. The funds will be made in the form of an interest-free, forgivable loan that will be paid out as reimbursement of expenditures.

Prior to disbursement of any funds, the Trustees will require the buyer to enter into a Historic Preservation Agreement prohibiting exterior modification of the building without the full review and approval of the Springfield Historical Commission. The Historic Preservation Agreement will be recorded at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds and the burden of these restrictions will run with the land in perpetuity and shall be binding on all future owners. Application to the Trustees is a separate but parallel process. Application is attached – Attachment D – Springfield Historic Preservation Fund Application.

Site Tours will be conducted on January 12, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. and January 25, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Those attending site tours should wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

The City of Springfield supports the goal of twenty percent minority and women participation in all contracts. No questions will be answered unless received by the Chief Procurement Officer at least 7 days prior to the expiration of the time set for submitting bids or proposals. The Chief Procurement Officer reserves the right to waive any informality in and to reject any or all bids if it is in the public interest to do so.

Contact: Lauren Stabilo lstabilo@springfieldcityhall.com 413-787-6284

Request the complete specifications for this solicitation (17-082)