REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
The City of Fort Smith, Arkansas is interested in obtaining the services of a professional preservation consultant to evaluate resources and prepare an architectural resource survey of the Hillcrest District and Clifton Court District residential neighborhoods, which includes approximately 215 properties combined. The surveys must be completed by June 17, 2024. Work on the survey must begin by November 1, 2023.  Qualifications should include experience with architectural resource surveys, capacity to perform the work, past record of performance, and familiarity with the area to be surveyed. Depending on experience, the consultant may need to obtain survey training from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program before the work commences.

A.      Hillcrest & Clifton Court Historic Resource Surveys Milestone Schedule
1.         The City will be under contract for consultant's services for the resurvey by August 15, 2023.
2.         The consultant will begin work on the survey by November 1, 2023.
3.          The first ten forms for both areas will be submitted on or before January 8, 2024.
4.         A draft of the survey report and all draft forms for Clifton Court will be submitted by March 25, 2024. A draft of the survey report and all draft forms for Hillcrest will be submitted by April 1, 2024.
5.         Final survey report and forms for Clifton Court will be submitted to AHPP no later than May 20, 2024. Final survey report and forms for Hillcrest will be submitted to AHPP no later than June 17, 2024. When all deliverables are accepted as complete and correct by AHPP, the City may invoice AHPP for the full task amount.
The following will be the requirements of the contractor:
Prior to commencing any work under the contract, any contractor who has not attended a training on the required procedures for historic sites surveys taught by the AHPP National Register Survey staff within five (5) years prior to the survey initiation date must attend a training class on the procedures required for historic site survey. This one-day class, at the offices of AHPP, will train the contractor in the proper and thorough completion of Arkansas Architectural Resources Forms, photography requirements, mapping, and compilation of the finished product.

Prior to commencing any work under the contract, the Contractor, regardless of the date of his or her last training, must contact the AHPP National Register Survey staff to determine whether changes to required historic site survey procedures have changed since the contractor last attended a training. If the AHPP National Register Survey staff determines that the Contractor's attendance at an additional training class is advisable, the contractor must attend a training class on the procedures required for historic sites surveys prior to the initiation of any fieldwork under the contract.

The contractor must comply with the standards and procedures set forth in the AHPP Survey Manual in carrying out the contract work and in completion of the final product.

The contractor must design and complete the survey and produce a survey report in accordance with the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund Grants Manual Chapter 6, Section H, 2a-e and 3b and/or d as applicable and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Identification for Intensive Surveys (see at https://www.nps.gov/historv/local-law/arch stnds ().htm). The survey report should, at minimum, contain the following elements:

Survey methodology
A brief historic context specific to the area surveyed
A brief overview of historic resource types within the area surveyed
Maps outlining the boundaries of the area surveyed
Tables listing addresses or other location information of properties surveyed, resource numbers supplied by AHPP, and data relevant to evaluation of National Register eligibility, such as date of construction, property condition and architectural integrity, vacant lots, etc.
Maps locating properties by resource number and address
Language collected on Arkansas Architectural Resources Forms should be provided with the survey report in an organized, sortable, searchable, digital format, such as a database, spreadsheet, GIS data, or similar data file.

The contractor must complete an Arkansas Architectural Resources Form and provide site plans for each resource in the field.

The contractor must provide, on the Arkansas Architectural Resources Form, information specific to the property for which the survey form is prepared summarizing its history and any obvious changes to the building that appear to have occurred since its construction.

The contractor will take color digital photographs of each resource in the field. At the very minimum, the photographs should show all facades of each building. In addition, representative streetscape photographs will be provided by the Contractor. These photographs will be submitted with the final survey product in both electronic and print form.

To ensure efficient production of a quality product and to reduce the burden of repeated reviews, in projects involving inventory and documentation of more than 30 properties, the contractor will provide drafts of at least 10 completed Arkansas Architectural Resources Forms to the AHPP National Register Survey staff for review prior to completion and submittal of all Arkansas Architectural Resources Forms. AHPP staff will review draft forms and return comments to the contractor within 14 business days of receipt of the draft forms.

The contractor will provide copies of any ancillary work product or information compiled or generated by the contractor in the course of carrying out the historic site survey or form completion, including but not limited to archival research, and photographs, to AHPP on request.

The contractor will grant the City, the State of Arkansas, and the United States of America a royalty-free, non-exclusive and irrevocable license to publish, reproduce and use, and dispose of in any manner and for any purpose without limitation, and to authorize or ratify publication, reproduction or use by others, of all copyrightable material first produced or composed under this Agreement by the contractor, its employees or any individual or concern specifically employed or assigned to originate and prepare such material. The contractor must be able to adhere to set deadlines and provide initial and completed surveys by the dates set forth in contract documents.

The contractor will provide their own transportation and equipment.

For resurvey work, a copy of the previous survey form must be attached to the new survey form for each property.

The contractor will provide one full-color copy and one digital copy of the final survey report and forms to the City and one full-color printed copy and two digital copies of the survey report and forms to AHPP.

A Letter of Interest and qualifications will be accepted by the City of Fort Smith, Planning Department, P.O. Box 1908, Fort Smith, AR 72902, until 5:00 p.m., June 16, 2023, or, by email at megan.bailey@fortsmithar.gov. If additional information is needed, contact Megan Bailey at 479-784-2216.

Megan Bailey, City Planner
City of Fort Smith, AR