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Committee asks manager to draft RFP for Village Center lower-level space
Summary
The Strategic Initiatives Committee directed the village manager to prepare a draft request for proposals (RFP) for the vacant lower-level Village Center space, seeking responses by mid-April and leaving open both revenue-generating and public uses.
The Village of Shorewood Strategic Initiatives Committee voted to recommend that the village manager draft a request for proposals (RFP) to solicit uses for the vacated lower-level space formerly occupied by the North Shore Health Department.
Trustee Kudo moved the recommendation and Trustee Ersing seconded. Committee members discussed options ranging from continued public use (library, senior services, pop-up community uses) to an RFP that would also accept for-profit proposals. The committee asked that the RFP timetable target mid-April for submissions and that staff return with an RFP framework for committee direction prior to issuing the solicitation.
Why it matters: The Village owns the building and committee members said the space could either generate revenue or be repurposed to expand public programming for elder services, library activities or incubator/pop-up retail. Committee members emphasized the space is relatively small and that large capital renovations were not funded.
Discussion highlights Trustees and staff identified several constraints: the room is a fixed configuration with no current funds for reconfiguration, existing library and village policies limit commercial uses in some circumstances, and prior policies restrict some profit-making activities in library-managed space. Trustee Ersing suggested an RFP would reveal market interest; Trustee Kudo said an RFP would be a practical way to compare revenue-generating opportunities and community uses.
Action taken The committee voted to recommend the village manager draft an RFP for the lower-level space and present an RFP framework to the committee in time to issue or review proposals by mid-April. The motion passed with a majority in committee and was forwarded to the full board for consideration.
Next steps Staff will prepare a draft RFP and bring decision points back to the committee (including whether changes to library or village policy would be needed for revenue-making uses). Committee members also requested an opportunity to tour the space before finalizing RFP details.
