Brookfield reviews RFP for redevelopment of 3717–3732 Grand Boulevard

The Village of Brookfield Committee of the Whole reviewed revisions to a request for proposals for redevelopment of two downtown properties at 3717–3732 Grand Boulevard during its Jan. 13, 2025 meeting.

Libby, a village staff member, presented the draft RFP and said the village is seeking a developer to redevelop roughly 100 linear feet that includes the theater building and the building to its north. "The village is interested in redeveloping approximately a 100 linear feet of the space in the downtown area that is the theater building and the building to the north," Libby said, summarizing the parcel and the downtown vision drawn from the village's 2018 comprehensive plan and its sustainability plan.

The RFP asks for a narrative, conceptual site plan, preliminary building elevations and floor plans, developer qualifications, a project construction schedule and a project financial structure covering (1) developer financing, (2) any requested public incentives, and (3) the village's expected investment. Libby described a triple-bottom-line assessment in the draft: approximately 55% weight for financial return on investment, 25% for social return, and the remainder for environmental/design metrics. She also listed environmental design options for proposers, including third-party registration programs (LEED, Green Globes or similar), exceeding the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code by 5–10%, rooftop "solar-ready" construction and at least 20% on-site renewable energy, and electric-ready infrastructure for future electrification.

Trustees spent considerable time clarifying language on commercial-space use. The draft currently states that "any commercial space must be utilized actively throughout the week with operations open to the public beyond weekends and evenings to ensure daily engagement." Several trustees said that specific "must" language could exclude typical downtown businesses such as restaurants that open later in the day. The committee reached a consensus to broaden the wording and replace prescriptive terms with recommended or encouraged language so proposals are not prematurely excluded; Libby said staff would revise the wording and return the draft for review.

On financing and evaluation, trustees asked whether the financial return calculation would consider indirect effects such as increased sales at neighboring businesses. Libby said the financial-return category focuses on direct dollars and cents—property and sales taxes attributable to the development, expected business-license or permit increases, estimated profitability and permanent jobs—while the social-return category captures spillover benefits to neighboring businesses and community amenities.

Staff noted an investment figure included in the memo: $670,000 for both sites with an anticipated closing date near the end of January; trustees agreed to remove the closing-date language before distributing the RFP. The committee did not take formal action to award or release an RFP. Instead, trustees directed staff to incorporate the requested language changes and return the revised draft to the Committee of the Whole on Jan. 27 (or the next available meeting) for a final review before public release.

Trustees thanked staff and the Economic Development Committee members who reviewed the draft, and asked for minor typographical corrections before the next circulation of the RFP.