CITY OF HAMILTON REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
Project Number: C3-05-18 Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation
Responses by: 3:00 pm, Hamilton time Thursday, March 15, 2018
Procurement Section Corporate Services Department And Real Estate Section Planning & Economic Development Department
Table of Contents
Description
Page No.
Submission Label
3
Communications Notice
4
Checklist
5
Request for Information Notice
6 to 7
Instructions to Respondents
8 to 11
Request for Information (Appendix A)
12 to 16
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SUBMISSION LABEL IMPORTANT THIS SUBMISSION LABEL IS TO BE USED FOR RETURNING SUBMISSION IF BY HARDCOPY
SUBMISSION SUBMITTED BY: Legal Name of Respondent: Address:
________________________________
_____________________________________
________________________________________________
Project Number: C3-05-18 Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation
PROCUREMENT SECTION City of Hamilton 120 King Street West, 9th Floor Hamilton, ON L8P 4V2
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COMMUNICATIONS NOTICE All requests for information, instructions or clarifications must be set out in writing (BY EMAIL) and directed to: David McCullagh Senior Business Development Consultant Real Estate Section City of Hamilton 71 Main Street West, 7th Floor Hamilton, ON L8P 4Y5 Email:
[email protected] Phone: (905) 546-2424 x1647 With a copy to: Matthew Brash Procurement Specialist Procurement Section Corporate Services Department City of Hamilton 120 King Street West, 9th Floor Hamilton, ON L8P 4V2 Email:
[email protected]
All questions related to this Request for Information or any clarification with respect to this Request for Information must be made no later than three (3 Business Days prior to the Response deadline date of this Request for Information in order that City staff may have sufficient time to respond and/or conduct any sounding meetings with respondents. The City reserves the right to extend the deadline for questions if required regarding this Request for Information. All Respondents are advised that any Addenda issued will only be posted on the City of Hamilton’s website at: hamilton.bidsandtenders.ca; and www.hamilton.ca/realestate It is the sole responsibility of each Respondent to check the website for any and all Addenda that have been issued for this Request for Information.
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CHECKLIST REQUIRED SUBMITTALS WITH THIS
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION DOCUMENT Project Number: C3-05-18 Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation The Respondents are asked to provide the following as part of their Request for Information submission.
If responding by hardcopy, Respondents should provide four (4) copies of information requested to assist the City to fully understand each Respondent’s submission. Electronic submissions should be in either PDF or Powerpoint format, not larger than 10mb per file size.
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City of Hamilton Corporate Services Department Procurement Section Phone: 905 546 2773 Fax: 905 546 2327 Email:
[email protected]
Matthew Brash Procurement Specialist Telephone: (905) 546-2424, extension 5973 Email:
[email protected]
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION NOTICE Project Number: C3-05-18 Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation Responses by 3:00 pm, Hamilton time Thursday, March 15, 2018 Sealed Requests for Information, one original plus three copies and electronic submissions, addressed to the Procurement Specialist, City of Hamilton, Procurement Section, to the address noted on page 4 by the date and time stated above. SCOPE OF WORK The purpose of this Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation (Market Sounding) is for City staff to draw out from the private sector what general office leasing, or purchase opportunities may exist within the approximate depicted downtown Hamilton area, that will achieve the noted objectives/requirements and guiding principles. City staff is in the process of developing a Master Office Accommodation Plan (MOAP). As part of this exercise the City has identified a general office accommodation need for approximately 100,000 to 130,000 rentable square feet. Accordingly the City is examining various real estate alternatives (as noted) towards meeting this need and the objective of rationalizing and optimizing the City’s downtown general office space footprint with a view to achieving real estate overhead savings through footprint reduction but yet providing an accessible, healthy, safe, efficient and flexible work environment. MOAP will lead towards the rationalization and optimization of City occupied office space within the downtown core area encompassing the strategic implementation of space standards, inter-departmental synergies and consideration for future program requirements.
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TO OBTAIN DOCUMENTS A complete version of the Request for Information description may be viewed for free on the City of Hamilton’s bid opportunities website hamilton.bidsandtenders.ca. or www.hamilton.ca/realestate
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RESPONDENTS WITH DISABILITIES In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), the City of Hamilton will accommodate for a disability, ensuring full and equitable participation throughout the bid process. If a Respondent requires this Request for Information in a different format to accommodate a disability, the Respondent must contact the Procurement Specialist as soon as possible and in any event prior to the closing date. The Request for Information in the different format will be issued only to the requesting Respondent and all Addenda will be issued in such different format only to the requesting Respondent.
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INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS Request for Information Document Source: Request for Information Rev. Date: September 25, 2017
Definitions In this Document, the following terms have the meanings set out below:
“City” means the City of Hamilton;
“RFI” means Request for Information, as detailed in Appendix “A” attached;
“Addendum” means a written addendum issued under these Instructions;
“Respondent” means any person submitting in response to a Request for Information.
This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for information gathering purposes. This RFI is not intended to be a formal competitive process or to necessarily result in the issuance of a Request for Tender or Request for Proposal (as applicable). The City reserves the right to discontinue or modify the RFI process at any time. 1. Nature of the Request for Information and Manner in which to Submit 1) Respondents are requested to submit either in writing with one (1) original and three (3) copies; or electronically in PDF or Powerpoint format of all information submitted 2) The RFI constitutes an invitation to Respondents to provide information to the City in regards to their respective specific expertise and demonstrated ability to deliver on its submission. 3) These Instructions explain how Respondents are to submit their RFI submission and address certain legal implications relating to the RFI process and summarize how the information will be used. 4) The City wishes to fully understand each Respondent’s RFI submission. Therefore, each Respondent is encouraged to submit any additional material that it believes will facilitate the evaluation process. 5) Every submission, delivered in accordance with subsection 1), should be , completed in English, and be, a. signed by the Respondent. C3-05-18 Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation
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6) It is the sole responsibility of each Respondent to make sure that its RFI submission is delivered to the correct address no later than the closing date and time for the RFI. 7) Submissions shall be deemed to have been submitted only when actually acknowledged as received by the Procurement Section. 8) All documents prepared by a Respondent in preparing its RFI submission, and all oral presentations to the City in connection with this Request for Information, shall be without cost to the City, and neither the City’s publication of an RFI nor the submission of a RFI shall be construed to oblige the City to use any information in the formulating of a Terms of Reference. 2. Request for Information Form (1)
Every submission shall be submitted as prescribed in subsection 1) of this RFI , and should, a)
bear the original or electronic signature of the Respondent,
b)
so far as practical, all material included with a RFI should be: if by hard copy enclosed in a sealed envelope containing the RFI; or if electronically, in a digital file size no larger than 10mb. The Respondent bears the risk of loss where this requirement is not followed.
3. Review of Submissions of Information (1)
At the close of the RFI, all submissions will be examined by a representatives of the City’s Procurement Section and Real Estate Section to confirm that they address and are responsive to the RFI as detailed in Appendix “A” attached.
(2)
At its sole discretion, the City may clarify any aspect of any submission received in respect of the RFI with any Respondent at any time and hold meetings, as further detailed in Appendix “A”.
(3)
The right of clarification provided under this section is within the sole, complete and unfettered discretion of the City and is for its exclusive benefit as further detailed in Appendix “A”.
(4)
The right to clarify shall not impose upon the City a requirement to clarify with the Respondent any part of a RFI submission, and where in the opinion of the City the RFI submission is ambiguous, incomplete, deficient, or otherwise not acceptable in any aspect, the City may not further review the RFI submission.
(5)
Neither the review of its submission with any Respondent, nor the seeking of clarification under this section, shall oblige the City to use the
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information provided, and shall not constitute an acceptance of that RFI submission. 4. Guidelines Regarding Irregularities As a guide to prospective Respondents, but without qualifying any rights and privileges reserved to the City, the following are indicative of the manner in which a discretion reserved by the City is likely to be exercised with respect to irregular or non-compliant Request for Information: (a)
at the further discretion of the City, late Submissions of information may not be accepted or used for the Purpose as detailed in Appendix “A”
(b)
unsigned RFI submissions may require the Respondent to come in and physically sign or electronically sign the Request for Information submission before being reviewed.
but the City shall not be liable to any Respondent or other person where it elects to exercise discretion or reserved privilege or right in a manner different from that above indicated. 5. Clarification of Request for Information and Addenda Each Respondent should review the entire RFI, including any and all addenda, prior to submitting any request for clarification of issues related to the RFI. Any questions regarding this RFI shall be transmitted to the contact person not less than three (3) days prior to the response by time. Any addenda shall be posted, as noted on page 5, and is sufficiently served upon any prospective Respondent if so posted.
6. Review Methodology The City will review RFI responses with the intent as detailed in Appendix “A” . No assumptions should be made that information regarding a Respondent or its members or experience, expertise and performance on other projects is known to the City other than the documentation and responses submitted to the City in this RFI. 7. Accommodations for Bidders with Disabilities In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), the City of Hamilton will accommodate for a disability, ensuring full and equitable participation throughout the bid process.
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If a Respondent requires this RFI in a different format to accommodate a disability, the Respondent must contact the Procurement Specialist as soon as possible and in any event prior to the response by date. The Request for Information in the different format will be issued only to the requesting Respondent and all Addenda will be issued in such different format only to the requesting Respondent.
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Appendix “A” REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation (Published February 2018)
*Approximate area depicted for City of Hamilton, Downtown General Office Space Requirements PURPOSE The purpose of this Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation (Market Sounding) is for City staff to draw out from the private sector what general office leasing, or purchase opportunities may exist within the approximate depicted downtown Hamilton area, that will achieve the noted objectives/requirements and guiding principles. City staff is in the process of developing a Master Office Accommodation Plan (MOAP). As part of this exercise the City has identified a general office accommodation need for approximately 100,000 to 130,000 rentable square feet. Accordingly the City is examining various real estate alternatives (as noted) towards meeting this need and the C3-05-18 Downtown Office Market Accommodation Consultation
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objective of rationalizing and optimizing the City’s downtown general office space footprint with a view to achieving real estate overhead savings through footprint reduction but yet providing an accessible, healthy, safe, efficient and flexible work environment. The MOAP will lead towards the rationalization and optimization of City occupied office space within the downtown core area encompassing the strategic implementation of space standards, inter-departmental synergies and consideration for future program requirements. A number of options towards meeting the City’s general office space needs will be included in the MOAP, such as:
Acquisition of an existing building (s); Construction of new space on existing City owned land(s); Leasing of space; and Entering into private/public joint venture(s) for new or retrofit of existing space
BACKGROUND The City currently occupies approximately 560,000 sq. ft. of general office space in the downtown core, of which approximately 170,000 sq. ft. of rentable area is currently located within leased premises. The majority of this leased office space will be expiring between 2018 and 2021. Also approximately 721 employees are presently accommodated within the City’s leased premises portfolio. While the space required will be mainly for office use, various aspects of City business will need to be accommodated including spaces for public services spaces, meeting spaces, utility/technology areas (closets), lunch rooms, first aid rooms and fleet parking. TIMELINES The City expects that a phased approach will be required to accommodate its vacating various leased sites as they mature. Ideally, office space would become available for occupancy prior to October 2019. However, the City will entertain planning for alternative timelines as may be suggested by the Respondent to this market sounding. GUIDING PRINCIPLES The City will consider working with Owners, Landlords & Developers that control and have up to the estimated space range available, which may be either immediate or accommodated through a phased approach. The City’s facility desires and needs, within the framework of this Market Sounding, include the following:
Contemporary, flexibility and innovative spaces that meet the City’s growth and changing demographics towards its efficient administration and delivery of municipal services.
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Fiscal responsibility, providing the ability to the City to effectively manage facility rents and/or occupancy expenses and operating costs. Obtaining operational efficiencies over the longer term will be a priority. Aesthetically pleasing building facilities, well maintained common areas, AODA compliance (staff and public) and, if applicable, exterior grounds or amenities. Compliance with all applicable codes and legislation including municipal bylaws, building codes, fire codes, labour laws etc.; Long term asset/facilities management, in place. As well as demonstrating asset sustainability through capital planning (capital renewal plan). Consideration for environmental impacts (green building (LEED) / energy efficiency / carbon foot print). The Safety and Security of City operations and employees are of highest priority. Adequate systems (cameras, lighting, and security guards) and thoughtful facility design in these regards, will be favored. Professional ongoing facility management services including ensuring qualitied professionals, use of appropriate technologies and adherence to customer service standards.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS Respondents to this Market Sounding are invited to highlight any additional value added features with their input which for example may include environmental features, downtown revitalization and workplace efficiency suggestions. Basic City requirements (as may be applicable to leasing proposals, new construction or possible City purchase of existing facilities) are: 1. As identified under Timelines, the City understands that a phased approach will most likely be required to implement an accommodation strategy and would consider identified solutions that may consist of multiple suites, floors and locations, however keeping in mind that the City having all of its downtown office accommodation needs in one location, is most preferable. Partial space proposals may be considered provided they meet substantially all other requirements. 2. The City will address AODA compliance within its own occupied space. Various City departments may provide public facing services. Consequently, buildings that substantially meet accommodation services will be preferred. 3. Flexible, contemporary, innovative and inspiring City workspaces. The City has an objective of meeting density/occupancy standards in the range of 165 sq.ft. to 180 useable sq.ft./employee. Space that easily allows for meeting City density objectives will be preferred as well as buildings that have the system capacities to accommodate this level of density occupation. 4. Daylight views/windows are highly desirable facility attributes along with building amenities/conveniences such as an in-building café, nearby parking, health & wellness spaces, shopping and other personal services conveniences.
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5. Onsite parking will be considered a positive feature as the City may have the additional requirement of parking a small taskforce of City owned vehicles and mobile staff at the chosen location. 6. Quiet enjoyment is paramount for the City. Thereby proposed space must be quiet with a guarantee that at no time during the period of the City’s occupancy (except for emergencies) will there be interference with the City’s right to quiet enjoyment or interference with the City’s business. 7. Some storage space for furniture etc. would be desirable but is not mandatory. The ideal amount of storage would be in the 10,000 to 15,000 sq.ft. range. Storage will be used primarily for furniture storage and if storage is available it must have a loading dock/service elevator available to the area. 8. Information Technology (IT) closets/rooms –the City will require IT Closets/Rooms with adequate cooling and ventilation to support heat generating equipment. A minimum of one closet will be required per floor plate (Approximately 1 IT closet per 10,000 sq.ft. or if floor plate is larger a central IT room). The City is amenable to negotiating the additional cost for climate control for this requirement. 9. If requested by any Respondent the City can provide a more detailed list of general requirements that may be useful to guide if responding with other possible scenarios, aside from leasing in existing facilities, such as new construction for sale to the City. 10. As the outcome of the MOAP is towards the City long-term general office needs that will be suitable and adaptable over the long term. Detail on asset management, operations, ownership structure & viability and Landlord covenant requirements will be assessed as part of this Market Sounding. SUBMISSION EXPECTATIONS In response to this Market Sounding, the City expects, Respondent’s to be able to identify and/or provide proposed opportunities meeting the Guiding Principles and Basic Requirements and must demonstrate a Respondent’s ability to deliver on its submission. SOUNDINGS Upon review of the various responses received, the City may hold confidential meetings with some or all of the Respondents. Any such meeting may serve as the mechanism for further discussion of the information provided by the Respondent, as well as discussion of the key elements of the presented opportunity being suggested to the City. The representative of a Respondent at any scheduled meeting is expected to be thoroughly versed and knowledgeable with respect to the objectives of this Market Sounding and the contents of its submission.
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INVESTIGATION RESULTS Upon conclusion of this Market Sounding and market investigation process, responses will be reviewed and assessed as they relate towards the City’s Guiding Principles and Basic Requirements in the development of its strategic Master Office Accommodation Plan to be presented to Council. The frame-work set out in this Market Sounding is to ensure that it receives responses and submissions through an open process and those Respondents receive fair and reasonable attention towards the review of their respective submissions. The City, however, in its own unfettered discretion may reject the further investigation on any submission of a Respondent who fails to observe with the spirit of this Market Sounding or if the City may elect not to proceed further with this Market Sounding. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS Please note that each Respondent should ensure that any information shared in its submission does not infringe any intellectual property right of any third party and agrees to indemnify and save harmless the City of Hamilton, its staff and its consultants, if any, against all claims, actions, suits and proceedings, including all costs incurred by the City of Hamilton brought by any person in respect of the infringement or alleged infringement of any patent, copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property right in connection with their input to the City. PUBLICITY Respondent’s and their affiliates, associates, third-party service providers, and subcontractors should refrain from releasing for publication any information in connection with this Market Sounding without prior written permission of the City of Hamilton.
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