Request for Services – Architectural Historian

The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) invites proposals for an Architectural Historian or Historic Architect (hereby referred to as a Consultant) to assist the Executive Director with the Saving Historic Places Grant Program that is being funded by the National Park Service’s Paul Bruhn Historic Rural Revitalization Grant. This position will be funded in part by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

INTRODUCTION
The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) is the statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to historic preservation in the Mountain State. PAWV created the Saving Historic Places Grant Program in 2019, to provide funding to help communities save the places that matter most to them. In 2021, PAWV received a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior to expand this program and has approximately $485,000 to award in grants for this application period that had a deadline of March 18, 2022.

The objective of the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant program is to support the rehabilitation of historic properties at the National, State, and local level of significance in order to rehabilitate, protect, and foster economic development in rural communities (less than 50,000 population) through subgrants which come from States, Tribes, Certified Local Governments, and non-profits able to support a competitive subgrant program. This program will fund preservation projects for historic sites to include architectural/engineering services (not to exceed 20% of the grant award) and physical preservation.

The purpose of the Saving Historic Places grant program is to save certified historic buildings in rural communities from demolition by neglect. To qualify for this grant, buildings must either be individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places or listed as a contributing building in a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Funding will be provided for building emergencies, building stabilization, and pre-development. Subgrantees of this program will be required to bid projects out for both pre-development and construction purposes.

​This is a competitive grant program whereby applicants will be required to complete an application and submit required materials, and a PAWV committee will evaluate and score each application based on certain criteria. The committee will make a formal recommendation of grant recipients to the PAWV Board of Directors and the NPS for approval. The PAWV review committee anticipates awards will be voted on during its May 2022 board meeting and grant awards will be made in June 2022. More information about the program is available in the Appendix at the bottom of this document. 

SCOPE OF WORK GOALS
PAWV anticipates the architectural historian will assist with providing direct historic preservation assistance to approximately 10 – 20 Saving Historic Places Grant recipients, as well as assisting the Executive Director with monitoring to ensure projects follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The consultant will work with grant recipients to help specifically with the procurement process by helping to review bids and the proposed scope of work for each project to ensure that it meets the Standards. 

We anticipate this contract will require periods of high activity with an average of approximately 15 – 25 hours per week required. The consultant will be required to maintain a daily work log for National Park Service Grant reporting requirements. (PAWV will provide a timesheet template for this purpose). 

The consultant must maintain good communication with the Executive Director by having regular email correspondence and participating in a weekly virtual/phone meeting to discuss project updates. Remote work is preferred, but PAWV can provide a workspace at its headquarters in Elkins, WV, if need be. 

Statewide travel to conduct at least two (2) in-person monitoring visits at project sites to ensure work is being done according to the Standards will be required.  Additional site visits may be required based on project scope and difficulty. (Project sites will not be determined until May 2022.) During these visits, the consultant must take a photographic record of the projects according to the guidelines outlined in the National Park Service’s Cooperative Agreement. The consultant will also organize and help to prepare reports required by the National Park Service based on these site visits. 

The consultant will be required to provide their own transportation for any position-related travel. The consultant will be reimbursed for pre-approved travel according to PAWV’s travel policy for employees. Travel reimbursement will be approved at the Government Service Administration’s mileage reimbursement rate (currently $.585/mile) and per diem/lodging rates.  Alternatively, rental car fees and gas expenses may be reimbursed for travel purposes.

WORK SCHEDULE
It is the preference of PAWV that this project contract begin by July 1, 2022 and last for one year, ending no later than June 30, 2023. The contract may be renewed for a second one-year term depending on the remaining funding amount and the remaining scope of work for grant-funded projects. 

QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will live in West Virginia and have applicable experience working with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Candidates must qualify under the category of Architectural History or Historic Architecture as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations 36 CFR Part 61. 

REQUIRED PROPOSAL FORMAT
Individuals interested in participating in this project should submit a complete, professional-quality proposal which includes: 
1. A description of the project to be completed. 
2. Designation and resume of the person to be involved. 
3. A summary of previous experience, as determined by a list of references and completed projects.
4. A statement explaining why the person is interested in this opportunity and why they are qualified for the position (1-3 paragraphs).
5. A proposed payment for services rendered and payment schedule
Incomplete proposals will not be considered. The proposal must be computer generated. Faxed or mailed proposals will not be accepted. All proposals should be submitted in .pdf format to Danielle Parker, Executive Director, at dlapresta@pawv.org. 

Deadline – Proposals are due by email to Danielle Parker, dlapresta@pawv.org by Friday, April 29, 2022 by 5:00pm EST. 

Project coordinator and point-of-contact
Danielle Parker, Executive Director: dlapresta@pawv.org, 304-642-0693 
Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, 421 Davis Avenue, Elkins, WV 26241

Award Date: Friday, June 3, 2022
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Limitation 
This RFP does not commit PAWV to award a contract or to pay costs incurred by bidder in the preparation of a proposal to this RFP. PAWV 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 the PAWV Board of Directors. PAWV reserves the right to reject any or all proposals because of non-responsiveness to RFP requirements, insufficient PAWV 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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Addendum - More Information about the Saving Historic Places Grants: 

The review committee will consider the following factors when scoring grant applications and determining project eligibility for the grant award. Priority will be given to projects that will

• Restore service to a vacant or dilapidated structure
• ​Stabilize the envelope of a structure to prevent further degradation
• Involve a National Historic Landmark or an individually-listed /contributing structure in the National Register of Historic Places
• ​Provide a benefit to communities of fewer than 50,000 in population.
• Provide a benefit to communities with a poverty rate higher than the West Virginia median rate of 16 percent
  • ​​​Check your town or county’s poverty rate at https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ by entering the name of your town or city into the search bar and clicking enter. In the left-hand column on the next webpage, click on “Income and Poverty”, and the poverty rate will be listed.
• Enable the continued use or will bring back into use the following types of historic buildings or structures:
  • Agricultural building or site,
  • Historic school building, or
  • Industrial heritage building or site.
• Create new permanent jobs, new housing units, new heritage tourism opportunities, or new businesses
• Have secured a match and/or have already leveraged private dollars.

ELIGIBLE COSTS
Applicants may apply for funding for pre-development and construction purposes. Proposals must be focused on construction costs, as pre-development costs may not exceed 20% of the total project cost, and pre-development expenses should contribute to the construction work being proposed. Applicants are not required to include pre-development costs if they are not needed for their project.

Plans for all physical preservation work must be reviewed and approved in advance and be in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation, and all projects shall adhere to all applicable Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and codes such as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. This grant cannot be used retroactively for pre-award costs, and no work can be started on a grant-funded portion of the project prior to the grant award and approval of work items from the National Park Service.

This grant can be used for a broad range of services that support the rehabilitation and stabilization of historic buildings. This request should be dependent on your building needs. Eligible costs can include, but are not limited to:

• Roof replacement and repair
• Masonry repointing
• Foundation treatment
• Window rehabilitation/reconstruction
• Door rehabilitation/reconstruction
• Architectural and engineering design fees

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

• Tax-exempt entities
• Governmental entities
• Public institutions
• Private individuals (must show a public benefit for project)
• Businesses (must show a public benefit for project)

GRANT AWARDS
Minimum grant awards will be $10,000, and there are no maximum award limits. Note only $485,000 is currently available in grant funds.
This is primarily a reimbursable grant opportunity, but in some cases, project costs may be disbursed sooner. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. If you think your project will need grant funding up-front, include that information in your application narrative. A fraction of the grant award may be disbursed once a contract is signed with a consultant and/or contractor that has been approved by PAWV and plans have been approved by the National Park Service. The remainder of the award will be reimbursed upon project completion and approval of the work by PAWV and the National Park Service.

Applicants must demonstrate a 15% cash or in-kind match for this project. Federal funds cannot be used as a match for this project. In-kind matches must be pre-approved by PAWV.