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CDC board outlines wayfinding RFP to preserve Gullah history; contract expected Aug. 1
Summary
The CDC announced an RFP to create a QR-code/AR wayfinding system to preserve Gullah culture; the RFP opened June 14 and closed July 11, reviewers expect a 6–9 month rollout, and the board anticipates awarding a contract around Aug. 1.
The Community Development Corporation board heard an update on a wayfinding request for proposals designed to digitally capture and preserve Gullah cultural history.
Gordon Thomas, the CDC's executive director, said the RFP opened on June 14 and closed July 11. "We are currently in the process of reviewing those requests for proposals and scoring them, and we anticipate an award of contract, August the August 1," he said. Thomas described the project as more than signage: it will use QR codes with audio, and may include augmented- and virtual-reality components.
A board reviewer who identified themselves as one of the RFP evaluators said most applicants estimated a six- to nine-month timeline to get the system operational and emphasized the importance of featuring local voices. "One of the things that will be utilized that Mr. Boxy did not talk about is the stories that people have and actual people who live here telling those stories in their own voices," the reviewer said, calling first-person recordings "very authentic."
Elizabeth Valencia, who said she represents the Women's Association at the Nature Exploration Group, urged the CDC to include local youth music in the audio content. "I hope that you would include music from the young people in each of these QR code locations," she said.
Board members recommended coordinating the project with neighboring cultural efforts, including Mitchellville and the town's Department of Cultural Affairs, and suggested engaging local high schools and the destination marketing organization to broaden reach. Thomas said he is in communication with Mitchellville and other partners and that the system will offer expanded digital features beyond existing town QR codes.
The board did not vote on the award at the meeting; Thomas said scoring is underway and a contract decision is expected around Aug. 1.
The board framed the project as part of a broader strategy to stabilize and preserve historic neighborhoods and to use technology as a way to amplify community narratives.
