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Park Norwalk committee authorizes Merge to design citywide wayfinding plan
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Summary
The Park Norwalk committee voted to authorize staff to engage Found Design LLC (doing business as Merge) to produce a citywide wayfinding design; the select committee recommended Merge after two proposals, and the contract scope will separate parking-specific bid packages.
At its March meeting, the Park Norwalk committee voted to authorize staff to engage Found Design LLC, doing business as Merge, to develop a citywide wayfinding design and implementation plan, a move staff said will allow Park Norwalk to separately bid parking‑related signage work.
Brian (staff) told the committee the city issued an RFP in January and received two responses: a proposal from Gensler Architecture priced at roughly $775,000 for a citywide effort, and Merge’s proposal, which the select committee recommended because it aligned with the project scope and budget. “Merge also brought a strong national portfolio of municipal wayfinding projects and demonstrated a clear understanding of Norwalk’s mobility patterns and character,” Brian said.
The proposal presented to the committee is for design and planning only; staff emphasized that all parking‑related components will be separable so Park Norwalk can pursue implementation on an independent timeline. Committee members pressed for clarity about implementation costs; Brian said the $114,750 figure under consideration covers design work only and that signage and installation costs will be estimated later during design.
Commissioner Matt moved to authorize staff to engage Merge for the citywide wayfinding proposal and Commissioner Larsh (Jess) seconded. The chair recorded the motion as carried.
Members who spoke during the discussion noted Merge’s prior work with Norwalk redevelopment efforts and their familiarity with the city as factors contributing to the lower cost. “I’ve unknowingly experienced Merge’s wayfinding in Cary, N.C., Augusta and Savannah, Georgia, and been impressed by it,” one commissioner said, endorsing the selection.
Next steps described by staff include moving the Merge contract forward to the Park Norwalk board for final consideration and breaking out parking‑specific bid documents so implementation work can be procured separately. The committee did not provide a final cost estimate for sign fabrication or installation at the meeting; staff said those figures will be developed during the design phase.
