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South Berwick approves RFP to seek development partners for Railroad Avenue brownfield
Summary
Council approved an RFP to solicit partners to redevelop the town‑owned brownfield at 9 Railroad Avenue, seeking proposals for affordable housing or mixed‑use projects; a mandatory site walk and a May proposal deadline were included.
The South Berwick Town Council approved an RFP on March 10 to find private or nonprofit partners to redevelop the town‑owned property at 9 Railroad Avenue, a brownfield site acquired through tax foreclosure.
The RFP — drafted by planning staff — asks prospective developers to suggest approaches that could include affordable housing or mixed‑use development. Planning staff told councilors the process is designed to identify the best long‑term partner for a site that will require environmental assessment and remediation, so timelines are expected to be long.
The RFP includes a mandatory pre‑proposal meeting and site walk (date listed in the document) and a May proposal deadline to allow respondents to prepare concept materials and financing plans. Staff said the RFP can include contractual protections — such as development timelines and clawbacks — as projects advance and that choosing a partner would be the first step followed by a longer negotiation and procurement phase.
"This is the RFP process... it's more about selecting the correct partner," a planning staff member said during the discussion.
Next steps: staff will post the RFP, hold the pre‑proposal site visit and evaluate respondents after the May deadline.
