The Wildwood Historic Preservation Commission on Thursday voted to advance three consultant teams to interview for the city's state‑funded historic preservation plan, narrowing four responses to MIG, MKSK (with Locality Studio) and Shockey.

Robin, a city department staff member, told commissioners that the State Historic Preservation Office recommended the city develop a preservation plan and that the city advertised a request for qualifications (RFQ) on Dec. 6. She said the RFQ deadline was the previous midnight and the city received four responses. "Tonight, we will select 3 top responders to proceed to an interview process with the Department and with any Commissioners who would like to join," Robin said.

The commission's discussion focused on three main evaluation factors: demonstrated historic preservation experience, local or Missouri ties, and capacity for public engagement and graphic/web deliverables. Commissioners praised MIG's broad national portfolio, Route 66 and parks/landscape work and the fact that the proposed project manager is a Wildwood native, but noted the team listed limited Missouri experience. Designing Local, an Ohio‑based, certified woman‑owned firm, was criticized by several commissioners for having a narrower focus on design guidelines and for appearing to use a more standardized approach to plans. MKSK, partnered with St. Louisbased Locality Studio, was described by staff and commissioners as a strong, tailored proposal with Missouri experience and explicit plans for community engagement. Shockey, the most locally based firm, drew mixed remarks: commissioners said it showed familiarity with Missouri projects including Independence but also found some proposal details thin or unclear.

Commissioners discussed timing tied to the grant contract: staff said the city has an 18‑month window to complete the project and that the consultant selection and contract must move quickly to meet state deadlines. Robin said the intention was to finish the overall project by early 2026. The commission agreed to schedule interviews next week, conducted in the community room with Zoom for remote participants; firms could request in‑person interviews but travel costs would factor into evaluation.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to advance MKSK (with Locality Studio), MIG and Shockey to the interview stage. A second was heard and the motion passed. Chair Stevens and others explained that alternates would remain alternates for voting purposes; two members did not cast votes on the motion. Staff said interview times would be shared with the commission once scheduled and that two finalists will be presented to the commission at its Jan. 23 meeting for a recommendation to the City Council.

The commission asked staff to document scoring sheets and scoring criteria used to evaluate proposals so the City can provide the state with a record of the consultant selection process, as required by the grant. Commissioners also requested clarifications during interviews on timeline assumptions, which team members would lead on‑the‑ground work, and how firms plan to produce web‑based and graphic deliverables.

The meeting concluded with staff confirming the next steps: schedule Zoom interviews next week, invite commissioners who wish to attend, conduct interviews in the community room with remote access, and return two finalists to the commission on Jan. 23 for recommendation to City Council.