City of South St. Paul Wakota Civic Arena Request for Proposal Off-Ice Training Facility 141 6 th Street South South St. Paul, Minnesota 55075
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) Wakota Civic Arena Off-Ice Training Facility I. GENERAL INFORMATION A. SUMMARY B. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR/PROPOSAL QUESTIONS C. INCURRING COSTS D. PROPOSALS E. DISCLOSURE F. HOLD HARMLESS G. DATA PRACTICES II. PROJECT OVERVIEW A. GENERAL EXPECTATION OF SERVICES B. PROJECT SCHEDULE III. WAKOTA ARENA INFORMATION A. THE FACILITY B. FACILITY USAGE C. HOURS OF OPERATION IV. TRAINING AREA REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS A. LEASE AND RENT B. SPACE REQUIREMENTS C. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS D. PERSONNEL E. CITY PARTICIPATION F. ALTERNATE: CONCESSIONS STAND V. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS SECTION I: GENERAL INFORMATION A. SUMMARY The City of South St. Paul (City) is requesting proposals to enter into an agreement to lease, build-out space and operate a 3,024 square foot off-ice training area within the expanded Wakota Civic Arena (Wakota). The intent is to select a proposal upon completion of the Wakota Rink 1 remodel so that the Lessee may design, furnish and operate the designated training area. The current operation at Wakota does not include a dedicated space for off-ice training. The City is open to ideas on how best to outfit and utilize the operation of the dedicated training area to meet the needs of Wakota visitors and surrounding amenities.
B. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR/PROPOSAL QUESTIONS All communications concerning this RFP should be directed to the Parks and Recreation Director, Christopher Esser at (651) 306-3692. Please note that any other City personnel are not allowed to discuss this RFP with anyone, including other respondents, before the proposal submission deadline. This RFP does not obligate the City to award a contract. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. A pre-submittal meeting to answer questions from proposers will take place on Monday, September 29 at Wakota Civic Arena at 10:00 AM. The purpose of the meeting will be to share any questions and answers proposers have submitted along with live interaction with city staff regarding any other RFP questions. C. INCURRING COSTS The City is not liable for any costs incurred by prospective firms prior to the signing of a contract. Expenses incurred in the preparation of submittals, presentations and other incidental activities related to this solicitation are solely the responsibility of the respondent. D. PROPOSALS All proposals must be mailed or delivered to: Chris Esser, Director of Parks & Recreation City of South St. Paul 100 7 th Avenue North South St. Paul, MN 55075 Submit one unbound original and six (6) bound copies of the proposal in a sealed package clearly marked as follows: Wakota Off-Ice Training Proposal. Each copy of the proposal must be signed in ink by an authorized representative of the proposer. Submit all copies to the address indicated above, no later than 12:00 p.m. (noon) on October 6, 2014. Late submittals will not be considered and will be returned unopened. All copies should include: 1. Name, address, phone, fax, email and website address of responding company and the contact information, 2. General description of the proposed training operation, 3. The background and business experience in fitness training, skating and/or hockey skills instruction, or related skill and fitness development, 4. Provide reference information relevant to your experience, 5. Proposed user pricing information and structure. Note: preference will be given to proposals providing discounted rates to South St. Paul-based users and groups, 6. Proposed hours of operation and proposed staffing levels, 7. Other space utilization or services ideas you have for the facility that will help make the training area a successful and profitable business, and
8. Proposed lease payments to the City in the form of a per square foot rate of the area being leased. E. DISCLOSURE All information in the proposal, except for fee analysis, is subject to disclosure under the provisions of Minnesota Statute Chapter 13 - Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. All proposals become the property of the City and the City shall have right to use all ideas, and/or adaptations of those ideas, contained in any proposal received in response to this RFP. Any parts of this proposal or any other material(s) submitted to the City with the proposal that are copyrighted or expressly marked as confidential, proprietary, or trade secret, will be exempted from the open records disclosure requirements. SECTION II: PROJECT OVERVIEW A. GENERAL EXPECTATIONS OF SERVICES 1. Meet with staff as necessary to identify issues and alternatives related to the training operation. 2. Attend meetings as necessary including public presentations. B. PROJECT SCHEDULE October, 2014 Construction phase of training space is completed, Rink 1 re-opens for public use. RFPs are evaluated. November, 2014 Contract is awarded. November, 2014 - January, 2015 February, 2015 Lessee designs, builds, and furnishes training area. Training area opens to the public. SECTION III: WAKOTA CIVIC ARENA INFORMATION A. THE FACILITY Wakota Civic Arena opened in 1962 and remains one of the most historically recognized ice arenas in the State of Minnesota. The ownership of Wakota transitioned from private shareholders to public ownership by the City of South St. Paul in 1977. Wakota houses two ice sheets with the newer sheet, designated as Rink 2, being opened in 1997. Wakota Arena is currently home to South St. Paul High School s boys and girls programs, South St. Paul Youth Hockey, the Ted Brill Great 8 Tournament, and receives ice rental from six area youth hockey and figure skating associations and groups. The success of the February 11, 2014 Park Referendum provided $2.2 million of facility and refrigeration system improvements to Wakota Arena including: renovation of the original rink, designated as Rink 1, and building-wide mechanical system efficiency upgrades. Rink 1 improvements include enlarged
locker rooms and restrooms, public meeting room space, elevated warm-air viewing, and a 3,024 sq. /ft. off-ice training facility addition. The mechanical system is being converted to a highly efficient ammonia system, along with improvements to the dehumidification system of Rink 2. Additional Wakota Arena improvement plans and information are available on the City s website: http://www.southstpaul.org/index.aspx?nid=392 FACILTY USAGE October to March: Wakota routinely attracts anywhere from 150 300 spectators on a given weeknight during the months of November to March for hockey team games. Wakota hosts 22 home high school hockey games with attendance ranging from 150-600 spectators. Games are typically on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays, from 5:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m., and on Saturdays, typically from 1:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Wakota also hosts four to six multi-day, 16 team youth hockey tournaments, which draw teams in from the metro and outstate areas. Each tournament typically will run from Friday through Sunday, with at least six to eight games scheduled per day. Each tournament will draw from 100-200 spectators per game. Wakota also hosts a yearly family celebrations with free skating for the Halloween, Christmas, and Easter seasons which draws 400-600 participants. Wakota is currently home to the contractual Blades N Motion Learn to Skate, Skate School which serve approximately 100 skaters per session. April to September: Wakota hosts several summer hockey training camps and clinics, AAA team practices and games, private rentals and public ice sessions. Programs typically run Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday evenings; drawing about 300 participants per day. B. HOURS OF OPERATION Historically, the hours of operations at Wakota have been dependent upon the facility s schedule. The City is open to suggestions concerning the hours of operation for the training area; they should be set to ensure the business will be successful and will be evaluated periodically. Current typical Wakota hours are: Monday Friday 6:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m. Saturday Sunday 6:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m. During the summer months, Wakota has removed ice from one rink and kept one in operation. The facility is typically closed on the following holidays: Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
SECTION IV: TRAINING AREA REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS A. LEASE AND RENT 1. The selected Lessee will lease the space from the City and pay the City the agreed lease amount on a monthly basis. The City anticipates an initial 3 to 5- year lease with option to renew upon conditions satisfactory to the City and Lessee. The lease format must be acceptable to the office of the City Attorney. The lease amount proposed should be based upon a monthly fixed rate base on the square footage of the area being leased for the training area. 2. The Lessee s proposed fixed lease amount should consider monthly utility bills for electric and trash and recycling service for the training area which will be included in lease. 3. The Lessee shall pay all expenses related to maintenance and cleaning of the training area. 4. The collection of deposits and fees for all services to customers are the sole responsibility of the Lessee. 5. The Lessee shall pay all taxes of whatever character, license fees, permit fees and other charges or fees which may be levied or assessed against the fee title, leased premises, leasehold improvements, operations hereunder, and upon property or leasehold interests. 6. The Lessee may not assign or sub-lease or operate the training area by anyone other than the agreed upon and as listed on the final contract. 7. The City retains the right to monitor utility use and make subsequent adjustments. 8. The City retains the right to operate ice sales, dry floor special events, concessions, vending, and provide vendor retail space during tournaments and special events in the lobby area. 9. The City makes no warranty, promises or representations as to the economic viability of the training area. B. SPACE REQUIREMENTS 1. The Lessee will be responsible for the cost of planning and build-out of the space including all furnishings, fixtures, equipment, electrical fixtures and devices, counters, cabinets, floor, ceiling and wall finishes, signage, locks and security measures. All furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and signage will require City and architectural approval for style, color and design. A City building permit and plans will be required before training area build-out implementation. 2. Desired training elements recommended for the Lessee to operate include: weight equipment, cardio equipment, shooting stations, stick handling area, turf area for plyometrics, and reception area.
3. All furnishings, fixtures and equipment will comply with local and State building code regulations. 4. Any modifications/changes to the space will be approved by the Wakota Arena Manager and the City. C. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS 1. The Lessee shall maintain and clean the training area on a regular daily basis based on customer usage. This includes cleaning, mopping, disinfecting, and depositing trash into proper building receptacles. 2. The Lessee shall cooperate with the City staff assigned to oversee the facility. 3. The Lessee shall provide the City a Certificate of Insurance naming the City as an additional insured and have liability insurance in place in an amount equal to the statutory maximum liability of a government unit with the State of Minnesota as set forth in state law, which is currently $1,500,000 for each occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate. 4. The Lessee shall pay for and provide its own voice and data service. 5. The Lessee shall pay for and provide any security measures necessary to secure their equipment, appliances and space (e.g. locks, gates, etc.) and provide access to the Wakota Arena Manager. Lessee will be provided access to building-wide security system. 6. The Lessee shall be responsible for any losses due to theft, employee errors, vandalism or power failures. 7. The Lessee shall follow the City s no smoking and tobacco policy and premises policies, which regulate permissible activities and does not allow any smoking within the Wakota building or surrounding property. 8. The City retains the right to review and approve any retail items to be sold. The City approval will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. D. PERSONNEL 1. The Lessee shall be responsible to hire, train and supervise appropriate and adequate staffing to operate the training area. 2. The Lessee shall follow City policies regarding age, discrimination policies and guidelines for staff hired to work within the training area. 3. The Lessee shall fully comply with all acts and regulations relating in any way to worker s compensation, social security, unemployment insurance, hours of labor, wages, working conditions, Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and other employer-employee related subjects. 4. The Lessee shall provide all services authorized hereunder to its customers and patrons upon a fair, equal and nondiscriminatory basis and charge fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory prices.
5. The Lessee shall ensure a sufficient number of properly trained personnel are employed to manage and operate the training area at its maximum efficiency. Sufficient number is a number, which consistently provides customers with no unreasonable inconvenience. All personnel shall be clean, neat in appearance and attired in proper uniform, if required. Ensure all employees conform to personal hygiene and can adequately communicate with customers in a professional and courteous manner. E. CITY PARTICIPATION The City will provide an on-site area for trash and recycling, cleaning of adjacent Rink 1 second floor areas including hallways and restrooms, and rough-in electrical for the Lessee build-out. In addition, the City will provide a weekly/monthly schedule of the facility. F. ALTERNATE: CONCESSIONS STAND Proposers are encouraged, but not required to include the operation of Wakota Arena s Concessions Stand as part of its proposal. SECTION V: SELECTION PROCESS The City intends to enter into a contract with the proposal that best satisfies the needs of the City. a. Proposals will be reviewed and finalists will be selected for an interview. b. The finalists will present their proposal to an interview panel of City staff. c. The City may conduct oral or written discussions with proposers after proposals are received, concerning technical aspects of the proposal. d. The interview panel will make a recommendation to the City Council for approval of the lease agreement with the selected operator. e. The City will require a full criminal history background check and credit history for all proposals. f. As part of its evaluation process, the City may conduct investigations to determine the ability of the proposer to perform under this RFP. The City reserves the right to REJECT any proposal if the proposer fails to satisfy the City in that it is properly qualified to carry out the obligations under this RFP. g. Upon selection, the City will negotiate mutually agreeable terms in a lease contract.
Attachment A: Plans also available on the city website http://www.southstpaul.org/index.aspx?nid=392 Rink 1 Upper (top) and Lower (bottom) Floor Plans. Training facility addition is represented in green on Upper Floor Plan. Construction is underway and scheduled for completion in early October.
Rink 1 interior conceptual view of addition. Training facility is located behind middle cantilevered viewing section on the east side of Rink 1. Rink 1 interior conceptual view of upper floor hallway. Entrance to training facility addition is the door represented on the right, opposite the windows.