REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE 5.4 + / - ACRE FORMER
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SITE AT 626 WADDELL IN LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA
The City of Lexington invites developers to submit an expression of interest and summary of qualifications (RFQ) to serve as the Developer of Record for the 5.4 +/- acre site owned by the City along State Highway 11 and South Main Street, an area referred to as the South Main Opportunity Area. An aerial image of the City-owned site and surrounding properties is shown on the cover of this RFQ.
The City of Lexington seeks a private sector partner capable of crafting and implementing a desirable redevelopment vision for this valuable redevelopment site. The selected development partner will assist the City not only in ensuring that the redevelopment of the 5.4-acre site is successful and advances several of the City’s policy objectives detailed below, but that the redevelopment is catalytic for the revitalization of the South Main Street Opportunity Area near the site. This area of Lexington is one of the key community gateways, connecting Lexington’s charming and historic downtown with Natural Bridge State Park, the Lexington Golf and Country Club, nearby residential neighborhoods, and numerous other recreational and cultural amenities plentiful in Lexington and Rockbridge County.
We recognize that a traditional request for proposals process—preparing development proposals with full concept plans and architectural elevations—can be expensive and time consuming for a developer. Thus, Lexington is taking a different approach with an RFQ because we believe the best plans are shaped with mutual commitment between the parties after a developer is selected. The City of Lexington anticipates the primary use of this area will likely be residential, though how this is achieved is something we are open to exploring with a selected development partner.
We are not so much looking for a stylized concept plan and aspirational pictures—although we welcome these if you submit them. More than concepts, we seek the best partner to join us in a joint planning process for this important site. The developer who appears to be the best match will be chosen by December 19, 2024, and invited to negotiate a development agreement with urgency in 2025.
DELIVERY OF PROPOSAL
Proposals shall be submitted to the Office of the City Manager by 3 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2024. This can be done by emailing a PDF to Jani Hostetter, the Clerk of Council, at JHostettter@LexingtonVa.gov.
OPTIONAL PRE-PROPOSALSITE VISITS
Interested parties should contact Lexington City Manager Tom Carroll at TCarroll@LexingtonVa.gov or by telephone at (540) 462-3700 to make arrangements for meetings and site visits prior to October 18, 2024.
ADDENDA
Please notify City Manager Tom Carroll promptly via email of any clarifying issues or omissions within this RFQ on or before noon on October 18, 2024. Lexington will issue a clarifying addendum (if necessary) in response to each notification no later than 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, by email to all requesting parties and by posting the addendum on the City of Lexington’s website. The City shall not be responsible for oral instruction or information. If you wish to receive an email of any addenda by October 22, 2024, please email the City Manager. Any addenda issued during the submission period are to be included in the proposal and shall become a part thereof.
DISCLAIMERS
The City of Lexington is not responsible for any preparation and submission costs. Submissions submitted shall be the property of the City of Lexington and shall be considered public records unless otherwise required by law. The City of Lexington reserves the right to reject any and all submissions, to waive any formality, and to take actions or not take actions in response to these submissions.
All documents submitted should be considered as subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia 2.2-3700 et seq.; “FOIA”). In general, the City of Lexington intends that everything it considers to be part of this RFQ process should be a public record open to public examination if requested. As the City considers selecting a Developer of Record following October 25, 2024, it is possible some documents might be exchanged that would be exempt from Virginia’s FOIA laws, and the City and the responding developer will work cooperatively to determine if any developer documents can and should be exempted. But for purposes of this RFQ, it is best to assume that all materials submitted are subject to public examination.
BACKGROUND REPORTS
The City has several reports which are provided for prospective developer convenience. The selected developer may need to update, amend and/or pursue new studies to support their individual site plan development, and the City of Lexington does not warrant or represent the accuracy of these studies to the proposed project.
- Survey plat prepared by Trout Land Surveying, surveyed January 17, 2020, and revised October 21, 2020.
- An Analysis of Market-Rate Multi-Family, Active Adult Multi-Family and Senior Housing with Services in the City of Lexington, VA prepared for the City of Lexington by Danter & Associates dated July 12, 2019.
- Asbestos Survey Report of Former VDOT Facility prepared for the City of Lexington by Commonwealth Environmental Associates, dated March 26, 2020, including a Boring Location Map dated March 27, 2020.
- A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) Report and Asbestos Survey Report provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) dated April 16, 2020.
- A Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (Limited) prepared for the City of Lexington by Commonwealth Environmental Associated, dated June 22, 2020.
- A Department of Environmental Quality response letter to the Phase II ESA Report dated August 4, 2020.
- A VDOT closure letter from DEQ to VDOT dated March 18, 2021.
