CRA board to revisit Harrison Avenue breezeway RFPs; staff may reallocate funds toward Panama Grammar project

CRA staff briefed the CRA board on negotiations following two responses to a request for proposals (RFP) for a development tied to the Harrison Avenue downtown breezeway. Staff said the developer proposals did not fully align on requirements for a public restroom and maintaining a public breezeway; staff will seek formal direction from the CRA board at the Oct. 7 meeting.

“...the only requirement that we placed on it when we solicited proposals was that it would maintain a breezeway,” CRA staff said. The staff added the original RFP did not specify restroom requirements or exact breezeway dimensions.

Commissioners expressed concern that bidders must know upfront what the city expects. Commissioner Hughes said RFPs should state restroom expectations because “it changes the way that they bid. It changes the price.” Commissioner Street and Commissioner Granger supported reissuing the solicitation with clearer requirements; Street said he would “third that, go back out” and noted streetscape work now complete in the area could affect proposals.

Staff summarized options: the city could (1) take the money already allocated and build the planned design as a city-owned asset, (2) reissue the RFP with explicit easement and restroom requirements, or (3) recirculate existing designs and continue negotiations. Staff committed to return Oct. 7 for a formal direction and possible vote by the CRA board.

During the same discussion, staff said that if the breezeway project is not carried forward in the near term, the CRA could reallocate the construction funding toward the Panama Grammar project. Staff and several commissioners discussed the relative merits and financing mechanisms for investing in Panama Grammar, with differing views about spending bondable capacity versus cash and whether the CRA should fund substantial work on a property the city does not yet own.

Commissioners asked staff to provide a full cost estimate and financing plan for any proposed work on Panama Grammar before the board makes a funding commitment. Staff said the downtown breezeway negotiation status and RFP clarification would be on the Oct. 7 board agenda.