BOHCDC Request for Proposals: West Dallas Community Vision Plan Area& Neighborhood Planning Services
Overview: Builders of Hope CDC (“BOHCDC”) and the West Dallas Community Vision Plan Taskforce (“Taskforce”) are seeking a strategic planning and land use consultant (“Consultant”) to develop and publish an implementation plan to actualize the community-driven goals of the West Dallas Community Vision Platform.
About the Plan: The West Dallas Community Vision Plan (the “Plan”) is a grassroots, community-led vision for the future of West Dallas meant to inform neighborhood policy, investment and development in a way that meets community needs and reduces displacement. The Plan aims to drive future policy and investment decisions in 3 key ways:
Informing adopted public policy, including the City’s ForwardDallas Land Use Update and the Dallas Housing Policy 2033.
Informing private investment and development, e.g., through Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs).
Increasing resident leadership and capacity to realize the community vision.
This planning effort is overseen by a highly engaged Taskforce of West Dallas residents and community leaders while day to day administration is led by Builders of Hope CDC in partnership with Ethos Equity Consulting, working in collaboration with a broad network of community-based organizations.
The Plan will be completed in two phases: Phase I (2021-2022) encompassed Community-wide Visioning and Priority Setting while Phase II (2022-202[3] [4] will focus on Planning, Drafting and Implementation. Phase I culminated in the release of the West Dallas Community Vision Platform which surfaced the following Community Pillars and Goals/Priorities:
Community Health & Wellness (Environmental Justice and Public Health)
Educational Excellence & Economic Opportunity (Education and Economic Development)
Equitable Housing, Land Use & Development (Housing and Land Use)
Safe, Stable and Empowered Neighborhoods (Public Safety, Transportation and Leadership)
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to identify a strategic planning and land use partner that can bring technical specificity and clarity to this broader vision.
Scope of Services: This RFP is for a Community Plan for all of West Dallas that embodies and actualizes the goals and outcomes of the West Dallas Community Vision Platform (above). The Scope of Services includes the following:
● Strategic Planning:
Creating a framework of implementation strategies for each of the 4 Community Pillars
Identifying and connecting with elected City officials to create a pathway for policy adoption
Reviewing City of Dallas plans and initiatives to identify policies and programs that either support or hinder the goals and objectives of the West Dallas Community Vision Platform
Evaluating and prioritizing WDCVP goals and objectives based on urgency, impact, and effort required through the development of a matrix
Ensuring that racial and social equity remain intrinsic to every step of the plan process
● Land Use Development & Planning:
Reviewing the physical and policy conditions impacting land use and development in West Dallas
Identifying land use and development strategies that advance the WDCVP priorities○ Making recommendations for targeted investment in public infrastructure including affordable housing, transportation, parks and other community facilities
Creating vision sketches and narratives at several scales:
Overall: the 30,000+ person super-neighborhood bounded by I-30 to the south, the Trinity River to the north and east, and Perimeter Road to the west
At the neighborhood-level for up to 12 neighborhoods that compose West Dallas e.g. Los Altos, Gilbert Emory, Westmoreland Heights, Ledbetter, etc.
At the site level for 3 key development sites – real or conceptual – identified in collaboration with the Taskforce
(Or any combination of the above to be determined jointly with the Taskforce)
● Communication, Outreach and Engagement:
Developing a phased communications strategy that includes traditional, digital and grassroots methods
Developing an ongoing stakeholder engagement plan with targeted metrics:
Determine how and where information will be shared
Ensure outreach to at least 15% of West Dallas residents
Meaningfully engage with key elected officials
Designing and creating a diverse set of outreach materials (including physical and digital flyers, social media posts (for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter + LinkedIn), email campaigns, direct mail postcards, etc. with project branding
Event/engagement coordination, facilitation and execution (both small and large-scale)
● Plan Drafting, Design and Publication:
Drafting and compiling draft report
Coordinating graphic support and visual aids
Soliciting and collecting public feedback
Conducting plan revisions
Presentation of final plan
Geographic Focus Area:
Additionally, the Plan team is committed to honoring and deepening the spirit of community partnership established over the past two years, ensuring that West Dallas residents are able to direct all place-based work in accordance with the community-driven priorities articulated in the West Dallas Community Vision Platform. This is likely to include regular engagement with Builders of Hope CDC and Ethos Equity Consulting (weekly), the Taskforce (monthly), and targeted working sessions with stakeholders and residents throughout the geographic focus area seen above. The Consultant should also pursue regular coordination with the Forward Dallas team to align work products, outreach, and findings for mutual benefit.
In order to support this level of collaboration and dialogue, we are targeting the following Planning Schedule for March 2023 through March 2024:
March/April 2023: Consultant selection (see below)
May 2023: Communication plan commences, and community outreach and engagement begins.
3Q23: Concept (40-50%) drafts for collaborative refinement with Taskforce, City, and residents.
4Q23: Draft deliverable for further community/stakeholder refinement
1Q24: Final deliverable
This effort is grant funded with an all-in budget (fees and expenses) of $120,000. BOHCDC and the Taskforce are seeking partners with a commitment to the community that can deliver excellence on this scope within this budget. We appreciate opportunities for pro bono or discounted services that can extend the impact of this budget, and with community-based partners (e.g., educational institutions) that can deliver at an efficient cost basis.
Response Content and Format: Please provide one PDF with the items noted below:
Cover letter (1 pg max) summarizing the team’s approach and skills. This letter must identify the Consultant name(s) and areas of expertise and be signed by a principal who has contractual authority.
Consultant overview(s): Explanation of Consultant(s) philosophy and history of the organization(s). For Consultant teams composed of more than one organization, please include an organization chart identifying the lead organization and the roles of all organizations involved.
Team: Resumes or bios for up to 4 key personnel, including the day-to-day point of contact for BOHCDC, Ethos Equity Consulting, the Taskforce, and the community.
Experience: Project summaries for approximately 2-3 relevant projects, including client reference information for at least 2 projects.
Selection Criteria
Demonstrated excellence in community and area planning
Knowledge of West Dallas and best practices from communities with similar assets, opportunities, and challenges
Commitment to equity and community partnership
Priority for local, MWDBE businesses
Selection Process & Timeline | Any and all questions regarding this RFP should be submitted by email to westdallasvision@bohcdc.org with “WDCVP RFP” included in the subject line. Please, no phone calls. The selected Consultant will have ample opportunities for collaboration; please do not contact any other stakeholders regarding this RFP; respondents that violate this direction will be disqualified.
Friday, March 10, 2023: RFP distributed
Friday, March 31, 2023 : RFP responses due (11:59 pm Central Standard Time)
April 2023: Short list notified, interviews, and consultant selection by April 30, 2023.
As we prepare to effectively manage incoming proposals, please reply directly to this correspondence with a short statement of interest no later than Friday, March 24 at 5pm CST.
In the brief statement please include the following:
A short confirmation of your intention to submit a proposal
The lead (submitting) organization and associated point of contact
Any confirmed sub-consultants on your team
We look forward to the upcoming stages of this RFP process and are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you,
The West Dallas Community Vision Planning Team