Request for Proposals: Master Plan for Statewide Historic Preservation Center at historic Arthurdale high school

Figure 1 - A historic photo of the Arthurdale High School provided by Arthurdale Heritage, Inc.

Intent
The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV), in partnership with Arthurdale Heritage, is seeking qualified professionals and/or architecture firms to create a master plan for a statewide Historic Preservation Center based at the historic Arthurdale High School in Preston County, West Virginia.

The main goals of the Center will be:

1. To serve as a headquarters for PAWV’s Preserve WV AmeriCorps program to deploy members in “learn-while-you-serve” opportunities across the state of West Virginia and conduct hands-on historic preservation at historic sites;
2. To educate and engage young people in historic preservation and associated career paths via programming in historic preservation, business, and finance; and
3. To provide business incubator and co-operative work and living spaces for emerging historic trades professionals.

As an add-on for this project, PAWV is seeking additional and separate quotes for preparation of construction documents for the Center’s full rehabilitation.

This contract will be fully funded by an Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER Grant and will be completed in close conjunction with PAWV and Arthurdale Heritage’s staff.

Proposal Submission Deadline: 5:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

Responses may be submitted electronically via email to Danielle (LaPresta) Parker, PAWV
Executive Director at dlapresta@pawv.org or by letter to 421 Davis Avenue, Elkins, WV 26241.
Email is preferred.

Organizational History & Project Overview 

West Virginia has a unique cultural heritage, and as the statewide historic preservation nonprofit formed in 1982, PAWV has organized a variety of national service initiatives, funding and technical assistance programs, advocacy efforts, and educational programs aimed at making historic preservation an accessible tool to revitalize West Virginia’s communities and improve the lives of its citizens. 

In 2006, PAWV began offering educational workshops about hands-on historic preservation to home-owners and DIYers upon hiring its first full-time executive director. Over the next 15 years, PAWV made hands-on historic trades education a programmatic priority through its field services outreach – the WV Endangered Properties Program - and by offering educational workshops and programs to everyone from AmeriCorps members, property owners, college students and community volunteers working on historic buildings. Our educational topics generally trended toward preserving a structure’s original wood windows and historic masonry (as well as cemetery preservation) according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation. 

In 2020, PAWV began noticing a decline in companies available to work on projects funded by historic preservation grants and implemented an outreach campaign to understand how the shortage of historic trades workers was affecting West Virginia as a whole. The following year, PAWV formed the West Virginia Historic Trades Task Force, a collection of West Virginia’s historic preservation project managers and professionals, which tasked itself with identifying and planning educational programs as one of its primary objectives. The Task Force’s goal is to increase the number of historic trades professionals and small businesses throughout the Mountain State. 

In 2022, PAWV and Arthurdale Heritage partnered to develop a statewide Historic Preservation Center with the goal of rehabilitating the former Arthurdale High/Junior High School for the Center. The purpose of this project is to develop a master plan for the Center, and an add-on component of this project is the creation of construction documents for the Center’s full rehabilitation. The goals of the Center will be:

1. To serve as a headquarters for PAWV’s Preserve WV AmeriCorps program to deploy members in “learn-while-you-serve” opportunities across the state of West Virginia and conduct hands-on historic preservation at historic sites;
2. To educate and engage young people in historic preservation and associated career paths via programming (both in-person and virtual) in historic preservation and business; and
3. To provide business incubator, work and living spaces for emerging historic trades professionals.  

Formed in 1985, Arthurdale Heritage is a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of the Nation’s First New Deal Homestead – a National Historic District comprised of over 140 contributing buildings. Arthurdale Heritage is the owner and steward not only of the high school but also eleven other historic buildings in the original Arthurdale community planned in the 1930s. Arthurdale Heritage is a very active nonprofit organization and already offers educational programming in heritage crafts and to Preston County youth. Historic trades education is a natural addition to programming already offered at Arthurdale’s campus. 

Figure 2 - Current image of Arthurdale High School. The building is currently mothballed. Photo provided by Arthurdale Heritage.

At the Historic Preservation Center, PAWV plans to offer both theoretical and hands-on educational programming in historic preservation with the goal of increasing our state’s historic preservation workforce and encouraging the development of more small businesses in this specialized and lucrative construction field. Our audiences will vary as we develop experiences for primary and secondary-school aged students, as well as certificate programs and AmeriCorps placements for people changing careers, or entering/re-entering the workforce. 

Other plans for the center involve converting a portion of the school into a co-operative work and living space for emerging trades professionals and students pursuing short- and long-term educational opportunities. This will provide much needed lodging facilities to students traveling from other parts of West Virginia and the region to attend trainings. A co-operative workspace will be a valued asset for sub-contractors looking to minimize start-up costs, as well, and PAWV aims to attract skilled professionals to West Virginia by providing this resource.

Project Timeline & Scope of Work - We imagine the following work agreement between PAWV and the selected professional.

January 31, 2023: PAWV distributes request for proposals. 

March 7, 2023: Deadline to submit proposal to dlapresta@pawv.org or by letter to PAWV, 421 Davis Ave, Elkins, WV 26241

March 7 – April 3, 2023: PAWV & Arthurdale Heritage will review proposals and select consultant after seeking approval from ARC staff.

April 4, 2023: PAWV will make the consultant award and begin contract period

April 4, 2023 – August 31, 2023: Phase 1 – Master Planning Meetings

• In April, PAWV will provide the contracted firm with materials to review. PAWV and Arthurdale Heritage staff will meet with the consultant on-site at the Arthurdale High School at which time we will also further define a scope of work for the project. 
• The professional will lead four additional monthly planning sessions (May – August and may be hybrid, in-person or virtual) where participants will discuss certain topics to help the consultant craft the Master Plan. Meetings will be held with members of the West Virginia Historic Trades Task Force, PAWV, and Arthurdale Heritage. PAWV staff will assist with organizing these meetings. PAWV will assist the consultant with planning and the focus of each of these meetings. 
• The master plan will include items such as the:​
  • Vision and Mission Statements;
  • Goals and objectives for the Center;
  • Recommendations for training programs and fee structures to be offered at the Center;
  • Historic structures report with a preservation plan;
  • Site use plan and preliminary designs for the Arthurdale High School adaptive re-use;
  • Recommendations for a potential work/living space sub-lease program for students and trades professionals; and 
  • A list of projects that Preserve WV AmeriCorps members could do toward the end goal of a fully functioning educational, work and housing facility.

If selected for the additional work, we would also work toward the creation of construction documents for the Center’s rehabilitation. 

August 31 – September 30, 2023:  Phase 2 – Consultant Drafts Master Plan

• The consultant will create and provide a first draft to PAWV and Arthurdale Heritage by September 30, 2023. 

October 1 – October 31, 2023: Phase 3 – Comment Period

• The West Virginia Historic Trades Task Force, PAWV, and Arthurdale Heritage will review the first draft and provide written comments to the consultant by October 31, 2023.
  ​

October 31 – November 15, 2023: Phase 4 – Consultant Re-writes

• The consultant will incorporate comments and suggestions and prepare a second draft for review.

November 16 – December 15, 2023: Phase 5 – Final Comment Period

• The West Virginia Historic Trades Task Force, PAWV, and Arthurdale Heritage will review the second draft and provide written comments to the consultant by December 30, 2023.

December 31, 2023 – January 16, 2024: Phase 6 – Consultant’s Final Edits

• The consultant will incorporate final comments, provide a final draft of the document and present this plan during a virtual public presentation at a date to be determined. A final .pdf of the document will be provided to PAWV and Arthurdale Heritage project coordinators by Tuesday, January 16, 2024.

Required Deliverables
The final product and deliverable for this project is a master plan (final format a .pdf) that will help PAWV and Arthurdale Heritage reach their goal of turning the Arthurdale High School into a Historic Preservation Center. To meet this end, the selected professional will do the following:

1. Assist with coordination and lead four strategic planning meetings. The agendas for these meetings will be planned in conjunction with PAWV and Arthurdale Heritage project managers. Collect meeting notes and write meeting reports to begin building the master plan.
2. Draft a master plan for the center to include the following items:

• Vision and Mission Statements;
• Goals and objectives for the Center;
• Recommendations for training programs to be offered at the Center;
• Historic structures report with a preservation plan for the Arthurdale High School adaptive re-use;
• Site use plan and preliminary designs;
• Recommendations for a potential work/living space sub-lease program for students and trades professionals; and 
• A list of projects that Preserve WV AmeriCorps members could do toward the end goal of a fully functioning educational, work and housing facility.

As an add-on for this project, PAWV is seeking additional and separate quotes for preparation of construction documents for the Center’s full rehabilitation. The deliverable for this part of the project would be construction documents. Additional images below:

Figure 3 - July 2022

Figure 4 - High School shop window - July 2022

Figure 5 - Rear of high school - July 2022

Assumptions and Agreements  

• A preliminary budget for this entire project has been approved to not exceed $35,000.
• Materials loaned to the vendor and produced by the vendor will be in standard American English.
• PAWV & Arthurdale Heritage will each appoint one person, with decision-making authority, to serve as a project coordinator/manager.  
• The vendor shall warrant that on delivery, all media containing the instructional content of the program are free of material faults and processing errors. 
• Please note that all forms, statements, spreadsheets, guides, data, and reports created for these projects will become the property of PAWV & Arthurdale Heritage, with one purpose being for PAWV & Arthurdale Heritage to provide examples to other historic preservation organizations.   
• Travel and other associated expenses will be included in the vendor’s proposed bid.  
• The submission of a proposal assumes general acceptance on the part of the bidder that the bidder and PAWV will enter into a form of contract establishing PAWV’s rights to intellectual property.  ​

Required Proposal Format  
The proposal must contain the following sections: Technical, Costs, Qualifications, and References.

• Technical Proposal: In the technical section, bidders should include their proposed work plan outlining how they will accomplish the stated goals and present the required deliverables.
• Costs: Proposals must include an all-inclusive rate for services identified in the proposal, including travel, handouts, and other associated expenses.  
• Qualifications: All eligible bidders must submit at least one example of a strategic plan and/or rehabilitation plan: 
  • Demonstrate experience providing similar services and creating similar reports.
  • Demonstrate a familiarity with historic preservation building rehabilitation, 
  • Maintain a successful track record of providing accurate and efficient deliverables, and 
  • Ability to meet project timeline and budget.
• References: Bidders must list at least two references for whom they have previously provided this service or similar services. References should include full contact information (phone, email, mailing address, etc.) 
• Additional Documentation (optional): Bidders may include a short demo or direct us to a website that demonstrates their capabilities.

Proposal Deadline
All bids and proposals are due by 5pm on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Proposals may be submitted via email to Danielle Parker at dlapresta@pawv.org or by letter to PAWV, 421 Davis Avenue, Elkins, WV 26241.

Basis for Award of Contract  

• Demonstrable commitment and ability to finish the project on time and on budget, 

• Understanding of the project scope of work and goals,
• Experience providing similar services, 
• Familiarity with historic preservation building educational programs,
• Quality of materials, and
• Professionalism.  

Award Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2023
  
This RFP does not commit PAWV or AHI to award a contract or to pay costs incurred by bidder in the preparation of a proposal to this RFP. PAWV and AHI may accept other than the lowest bid, waive minor informalities, and award a contract based only on the written proposal without any discussions with bidder. Issuance of a contract will be subject to the approval of PAWV and AHI. PAWV and AHI reserves the right to reject any or all proposals because of non-responsiveness to RFP requirements, insufficient funds, evidence of unfair bidding procedures, financial insolvency of bidder, or if, in the opinion of PAWV’s Executive Director, the best interests of the program will be served.

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