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Milwaukie opens RFP for Sparrow site; staff to return with developer recommendation by year-end
Summary
Staff launched the developer RFP for the Sparrow site on Aug. 15 after title and replat work delayed the release; staff expect to shortlist developers after a mandatory site visit and aim to return to council before year-end to seek authorization to enter negotiations.
City staff told council the city launched a request for proposals for the Sparrow affordable-housing site on Aug. 15, after administrative delays tied to a title cleanup and a replat of the property.
Staff described the delay as administrative — survey, engineering and county recordation were required before bidders could be given a clean site description. A neighborhood meeting held the prior week had low attendance, but the attendee represented the neighborhood association and will serve on the RFP evaluation committee. Staff said several developers had reached out to signal likely bids and that a mandatory site visit for prospective proposers is scheduled the coming week; attendance at that visit is required for a submission and will demonstrate serious interest.
Timing and next steps: staff said they will evaluate responses after the mandatory site visit, shortlist finalists, and come back to council before the end of the year with a recommended developer and a request to enter negotiations. Staff cautioned the process is in early days: the RFP launched only two weeks earlier and staff expect more clarity after the mandatory site visit.
Related housing work: council and staff flagged an active calendar of affordable housing work this fall — a work session on housing capacity and middle-housing code is scheduled for Oct. 21, a land-banking strategy conversation is set for Nov. 18, and staff expect to advance developer selection and other actions by year-end. Council recently adopted affordable-housing code incentives and planned a near-term vote on related items.
Community engagement: staff and council discussed additional neighborhood outreach; councilors suggested pairing neighborhood events (for example, picnics) with project materials and one-pagers and using neighborhood association events to reach residents.
Ending: Staff asked councilors to stay engaged with the RFP timeline, noting that proposals will be evaluated only from teams that register and attend the mandatory site visit as required by the RFP process.
