Request for Approval- CCDC Redesign of 2 prkg lotsPROJECT DESCRIPTION
10th AVENUE PARKING LOT RFP
The City of Hopkins is requesting proposals from qualified firms for the redesign of
two of the city's parking lots.
The services required include:
Refinement of existing concept plans for the parking lots, which
call for consolidation of the two lots into one lot;
Preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications;
meetings with a committee formed to help guide the design process.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
In 1981 the City of Hopkins working with the downtown community and. Barton- Aschman
Associates, prepared a General Development Plan for Downtown. A key component of that
plan was the upgrading of the city parking lots located north of Excelsior Avenue and
accessed from 10th Avenue (see the attached figure). The plan calls for establishing
the area as a "convenience shopping center" by consolidating the two parking lots,
elimination of through traffic on 10th Avenue, improving the visual image of the
parking lots, and providing for easy pedestrian movement between the parking areas,
surrounding stores, and Excelsior Avenue.
The purpose of seeking design proposals at this time, is to begin the process of
implementing this element of the overall Downtown Development Plan.
BASIC PARKING LOT CHARACTERISTICS
The 10th Avenue parking lots occupy 1.6 acres of land and have 196 parking spaces.
The lots are surrounded by existing businesses. The businesses on the north side of the
lots face the lots with their front doors while the buildings on the south side face the
lot with their back doors. The south side businesses face Excelsior Avenue. The location
of the lots in downtown is shown in the attached map.
PARKING LOT DESIGN ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES
In developing the parking lot design, a number of issues should be addressed and
objectives met. They include the following:
A technically sound functional layout of the parking lot needs to be
worked out. Concern has been expressed over the orientation of the parking
aisles. The question raised is whether the aisles should all face the
same way, and whether they should point toward the business doors. Other
concerns include where access points to the lot should be, and vehicle
access to individual businesses.
The lot should present the appearance of being a unified single parking facility.
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Pedestrian movement to, from, and through the parking lot should be given
high priority in the parking lot design In particular concern exists for
maintaining a pedestrian walkway near the present location of 10th Avenue.
Pedestrian safety problems exist in areas where building entrances open
directly onto alleys. Improvements of these problems should be incorporated
into the design.
The parking area should present an attractive appearance. Special attention
will need to be directed to the treatment of the edge between the parking
lot and the rear of adjacent buildings.
Landscaping, lighting, signing, pedestrian ways, and other appropriate features
should be incorporated into the parking lot design. The design theme, materials
and elements developed in this project will be used as the prototype for the
upgrading of the other parking lots in downtown in the future.
Many businesses adjacent to the parking lot receive deliveries and other
service functions from the parking lot. Smooth accomodation of this important
function must be incorporated into the design.
Several mature trees are located in the existing parking lots. Where possible
these trees should be saved and incorporated into the parking lot design.
The number of parking spaces should be maximized but not to the detriment of
achieving the other objectives outlined above.
ANTICIPATED DESIGN PROCESS AND SCHEDULE
The consultant will be under contract with the city and the Hopkins City Council will
have the final say on the parking lot design developed. A design committee consisting
of representatives from the businesses served by the parking lot, representatives of
the downtown as a whole and representatives of the city will be created to work with
the consultant. Four meetings between the consultant and the committee are anticipated.
Proposals will be due December 1, 1982. A firm will be selected and a contract signed
by January 5, 1983. Interviews may be held to help in making the consultant selection.
The design process should last a maximum of three months and working drawings completed
should be completed immediately thereafter to facilitate letting contracts and beginning
construction in the spring of 1983, with construction to be complete by the end of June.
CITY ASSISTANCE
The CCDC will arrange for meetings and serve as the contact person for the consultant.
The city will provide background data including maps showing existing conditions.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposal should include the following items:
A description of the proposed scope of work.
A description of the staff who will do the work.
Description of related recent firm experience.
Project budget
Proposals should be kept brief, ideally not more than 10 pages in length. Those
interested are advised to examine available city maps before submitting proposals.
Proposals should be delivered to the City Manager's office at Hopkins City Hall,
no later than 4 p. m. December 1, 1982. Five copies of the proposal should be
submitted.
CCDC
City Center Development Corporation
924 Excelsior Avenue West
Hopkins, Minnesota 55343
935 -8115
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City Hall
1010 First Street South
Hopkins, Minnesota 55343
935-8474