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The special legislative committee charged with reviewing expressions of interest to redevelop the site of the Old Tompkins County Library recommended last Friday that all four sponsors of active concept proposals submitted to the County be invited to advance to the next stage of the process, response to a detailed Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the County.  The recommendation was supported without dissent by all five members of the Old Library Committee.

The prospective developers are DPI Consultants, LLC; Franklin Properties, MCK Building Associates, STREAM Collaborative, Taitem Engineering, and Dr. Marne O'Shae, MD; Rochester's Cornerstone Group, Ltd. and Cayuga Housing Development Corporation; and Travis Hyde Properties and HOLT Architects.  (Two others had also responded to the RFEI, but over the course of the review period withdrew from consideration.)

The committee's decision came as part of a recommendation to authorize release of the Request for Proposals to redevelop the Old Library site.  The committee went through the Draft RFP last Friday, developed by Planning Commissioner Ed Marx and staff, seeking clarification on some points and suggesting several wording changes.

As part of the selection criteria stated in the document, the County expresses its interest "in selling or leasing the property at fair market value for redevelopment that will make a positive contribution to the community and that is not only compatible with, but also will strengthen and enhance the quality of the surrounding neighborhoods."  It requests that all proposals include mixed uses (at least one other use, such as commercial, public purpose, or not-for-profit, in addition to residential), and that housing be designed to serve a diverse population and provide ownership opportunities, if possible.  Green building proposals that use highly energy-efficient building methods and renewable energy will be favored; and all project proponents will be required to attend a special meeting of the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission, expected to take place in January 2015, to discuss what will be required for the project to obtain a certificate of appropriateness.

Key considerations in selection include energy efficiency and carbon footprint; program quality and conceptual design, including compatibility with the surrounding historic neighborhood and how traffic and parking are addressed; responsiveness to community needs; positive economic/tax base impact; financial/management capability; demonstrated market feasibility; price/lease payments offered for the property; and how neighborhood impacts will be managed during the deconstruction/demolition and construction process.

Under the process, responses to the RFP will be reviewed by the Old Library Committee, with a recommendation made to the full legislature to designate a preferred developer, followed by a coordinated environmental (SEQR) review by the County and City of Ithaca.  The Legislature will consider a resolution to authorize an agreement with the preferred developer, once the SEQR process is completed.

According to the intended schedule, the draft RFP will first be released for a 10-day comment period by invited respondents, and will also be posted, as soon as next week, on the County website, and members of the public may also provide input to the Legislature.

The final RFP would be released in December, responses due by March 2015; County review and selection of the preferred developer by July; coordinated SEQR review and certificate of appropriateness process before the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission between July and October; Legislature authorization of sale or lease by December 2015; and closure of the sale or lease by January 2016.

As decided by the committee last Friday, the Legislature will be introduced to the four proposals at its November 18 meeting, and then will be asked to act on the committee's recommendation at its December 2 meeting.

Chair Mike Lane expressed his thanks to the members of the public who have attended the meetings of the Old Library Committee over its months of deliberations.  He said, "You have made this process better."  He also said he believes the committee's careful deliberations have been worth it.  "Yes, we take a long time," he said, "but we get a better product because of that."

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