TOWN OF NEW CANAAN

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

For the Acquisition of Vine Cottage Located At 61 Main

Street, New Canaan, Connecticut

RFP Issued: June 24, 2019

Proposals Due: August 30, 2019

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I - Administrative Information

II - Background

Ill - Proposal Format

IV - Selection Criteria

V - Reservation of Rights

VI - Conflict of Interest Clause

Exhibit A - Photograph of Vine Cottage

Exhibit B -Assessor's Map OOOT and Annotated GIS Image

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TOWN OF NEW CANAAN

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR THE ACQUISITION OF VINE COTIAGE

LOCATED AT 61 MAIN STREET, NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT

I. Administrative Information

Purpose - The purpose of this Request for Proposals ("RFP") is to invite qualified

parties (each, a "Proposer") to submit proposals to acquire the Town-owned

property known as Vine Cottage, located at 61 Main Street, New Canaan, CT

06840. The Town contemplates that the acquisition may be accomplished by

means of either a cash purchase or a ground lease. The Town desires to transfer

the building to a private purchaser/investor who will preserve its historic

character. The Town desires the preservation of the historic landmark under the

ownership of a private purchaser/investor who will pay a cash purchase price (or

rent under a ground lease) and real estate taxes. The purchaser/investor will

benefit by the ownership of a historic landmark which can be occupied and/or

sublet for commercial or residential use. This RFP is intended to encourage and

allow each Proposer the flexibility to come up with a proposal that will be

beneficial to both the purchaser/investor and the Town.

Questions - Questions and clarifications about this RFP should be directed to Bill

Oestmann, Town Buildings Superintendent at 203-594-3710

william.oestmann@newcanaanct.gov, no later than July 3, 2019 (the "Questions

Deadline"). Answers to questions will be disseminated to all prospective

Proposers who have indicated to the Town an interest in responding to this RFP.

Proposals - All proposals shall be received no later than 10:00 A.M. EDT on

August 30, 2019 (the "Proposal Deadline"). Please deliver a signed original and

four (4) paper copies of your proposal to the address shown below:

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First Selectman's Office

77 Main Street, 2nd Floor - Town Hall

New Canaan, CT 06840

Attention: Pam Flynn

and one (1) electronic copy to Pam Flynn in care of First Selectman at

pam.flynn@newcanaanct.gov. Acceptable electronic formats include either PDF

or Microsoft WORD. All proposals will become the property of the Town once

received.

Confidentiality and Costs - If a Proposer believes that any information in its

proposal should be treated as confidential, that material must be clearly marked.

The Town will endeavor to protect confidential material from disclosure to non­

Town employees to the extent permitted by state and federal law. In no event

will the Town be responsible for the inadvertent disclosure of proposals. All costs

for proposals are the responsibility of the Proposers.

Procurement Schedule - The tentative procurement schedule is as follows.

RFP Release: June 24, 2019 - Site Visit and Tour (optional): July 25, 2019 at 10 a.m.- Questions Deadline: July 31, 2019

Answers to Questions by: August 8, 2019

Proposal Deadline: August 30, 2019

Notice of Proposed Short List Selection: September 19 2019

Proposer Presentations and Interviews: Week of September 23, 2019

Notice of Proposed Award: September 30, 2019

II. Background

Vine Cottage is a large transitional high Victorian gothic revival / Queen Anne

building located next to New Canaan Town Hall, in the Town's central business

district. The building's construction dates back to circa 1860. Vine Cottage was

owned by a series of private landowners until 1997 when the Town acquired the

parcel and added it to the Town Hall campus. The building is currently occupied

by the New Canaan Department of Human Services. The Town plans to relocate

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the Department of Human Services prior to the closing of the transaction contemplated by this RFP. A photograph of Vine Cottage is attached as Exhibit A.

Until January 26, 2014, Vine Cottage sat on a parcel of 0.47 acres of land identified by the New Canaan Assessor as Map OOOT, Block 0043, Lot 0823. On or about January 27, 2014, Lot 0823 was merged with Lot 0839, the adjacent larger parcel on which the Town Hall building is located. A copy of Map OOOT indicating the location of the Vine Cottage parcel and an annotated GIS image are attached as Exhibit B.

Vine Cottage is located within the B Residence Zone. Proposers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Town's Zoning Regulations, paying particular attention to minimum lot size requirements, coverage restrictions and permitted uses. Proposals should include a narrative description of any zoning compliance issues associated with the proposed use of Vine Cottage and what, if any, zoning permits and/or variances will be required. The Town will give preference to proposals that accurately describe any zoning compliance issues and present a well-thought-out approach to resolution of those issues.

The Town contemplates that the acquisition will take the form of a sale or ground lease of either: Option A, a parcel of land limited to the building footprint; or Option B, a parcel of land equal to the minimum lot size permitted under the Town's Zoning Regulations. (Minimum lot size will likely depend upon the nature of the proposed use of the building.) Proposals should indicate whether Option A or Option B is selected. If the Town accepts a Proposal for Option B, the lot lines of the new parcel will be subject to negotiation.

Notwithstanding, the Town will consider a proposal for a sale or ground lease of a parcel of land that is larger than the minimum lot size permitted under the Town's Zoning Regulations, provided that the proposal describes why the transfer of a larger parcel would be in the best interest of the Town.

Vine Cottage has clapboard shingle exterior siding and an asphalt shingle roof. Vine Cottage has a total of eight rooms, including two bathrooms. The building is heated by oil/hot water. The building is cooled by central air conditioning. The building includes an unfinished basement and an open porch. The building's square footage is approximately 2,334.

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Vine Cottage is located adjacent to the Town's Historic District. (The parcel to the

north (51 Main Street) is within the Historic District.) The Town may take action

to add Vine Cottage to the Town's Historic District prior to the closing of the sale

or ground lease.

Because Vine Cottage is adjacent to the Town's Historic District and is regarded as

an iconic part of the character of downtown New Canaan, the successful Proposer

will be required to agree to a restrictive covenant for historic preservation (the

"Restrictive Covenant").

The Restrictive Covenant will run with the land in perpetuity and be recorded on

the New Canaan Land Records. The Restrictive Covenant will apply only to the

building's exterior. The Restrictive Covenant will require the successful Proposer

and future owners to preserve the building's appearance, historic features and

architectural elements. Actions prohibited by the Restrictive Covenant will

include, without limitation, changing the building's color scheme without the

approval of the Town, demolition of the building, impairing the visibility of the

building, and construction of additions and outbuildings. The Restrictive

Covenant will require that the building's exterior be well-maintained at all times.

The Restrictive Covenant may include maintenance and repair standards for items

such as peeling and cracking paint, and deteriorated trim, siding and roofing

materials. The Restrictive Covenant will permit the Town to inspect the building

for purposes of monitoring compliance. The New Canaan Historic District

Commission will be the Town's agent for monitoring compliance with the

Restrictive Covenant, and recommending enforcement actions to the Board of

Selectman.

The Town believes that Vine Cottage will require near-term exterior renovations.

The Town will give preference to Proposers that commit a specific sum within a

definite period of time to exterior renovations consistent with the building's

historic character. Each proposal should include the timeframe and dollar

amount committed.

A site visit and tour of Vine Cottage will be led by the Town's Superintendent of

Buildings, as indicated in the Procurement Schedule. Attendance at the site visit

and tour is recommended but not mandatory.

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Property maintenance records, a capital needs assessment and architectural

drawings for proposed renovations are available for inspection by appointment at

the Building Superintendent's office.

The Town may require the purchaser (or ground tenant, as applicable) to grant to

the Town an easement or right of way for the public to pass and repass over a

walkway to be constructed between Vine Cottage and the adjacent (51 Main

Street) parcel. Whether or not an easement or right of way will be required will

likely depend, in part, on the terms of the successful proposal.

The successful Proposer will be expected to enter into a purchase and sale

agreement or a ground lease, as applicable, in a form prepared by the Town

Attorney. Notwithstanding, if a Proposer desires to use a specific form of

contract to effectuate the transaction (i. e., a form of purchase and sale

agreement or a form of ground lease), the Town will give reasonable

consideration to the Proposer's form, provided that the Proposer includes the

form in the proposal.

The Town will not provide financing for the acquisition.

IV. Proposal Format

Proposals should include the following.

1. Letter of Interest. Each Proposer should submit a letter of interest signed by a

person authorized to contractually bind the Proposer. The letter of interest

should include the Proposer's name and address, contact information (i. e.,

name, mailing address, email address and telephone number of the person

that the Town should contact regarding the proposal).

2. Proposal Summary. Each Proposer should summarize its proposal, including

legal structure of the transaction (i. e., purchase or ground lease), Option A or

Option B, financial terms (i. e., purchase price or ground lease rent). Proposals

should include a description of the contractual documents that will be

required to effectuate the transaction. Proposals should describe the scope of

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planned renovations and proposed use (e. g., professional office, retail,

residential). Proposals should describe parking requirements and the

Proposer's plans for parking. If funds will be required from investors or

lenders, the proposal should disclose the amount of investment or loan funds

that will be required and identify the principal investors and/or prospective

lenders.

3. Qualifications. Each Proposer that is a business entity should describe its

organizational structure, financial standing, industry and include resumes of

key personnel. Each Proposer that is an individual may disregard the

organizational structure item and provide only a personal resume.

4. Experience With Similar Projects. Each Proposer should include a summary of

experience and examples of previous similar projects, including references for

business and property development and/or leasing experience.

5. Recommendations and Timelines. Proposers should include creative solutions,

appropriate suggestions and any recommendations that further the interests

of the Town. Each Proposer should include a timeline that reasonably

represents its intentions.

IV. Selection Criteria

The Town will review each proposal and evaluate the proposals based upon the

following criteria (not necessarily listed in order of importance).

1. Legal structure of transaction and financial terms.

2. Proposer's commitment to historic preservation.

3. Compatibility of proposed uses with nearby properties.

4. Proposer's financial strength and creditworthiness.

5. Proposer's experience with similar projects.

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6. Implementation schedule.

7. Overall benefits to the Town.

The Town may make such investigations as it deems necessary to determine the

ability of the Proposer to consummate the transaction and preserve the building.

Each Proposer shall furnish to the Town all information and data reasonably

requested by the Town.

Proposers will be ranked based on the above criteria. Short-listed Proposers will

be selected based on the above criteria and invited to interview in advance of a

final selection. Presentations may include alternative proposals, discussions and

suggestions.

Contract award will be subject to approval by the Town's elected bodies, as

required by applicable State statutes and the Town's Charter and Code.

VII. Reservation of Rights

The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any defect or

informality in a proposal or in the RFP process, or to terminate the RFP process at

any time, if deemed to be in the Town's best interest. In addition, the Town

expressly reserves the following rights.

1. Not to award a contract pursuant to this RFP.

2. To retain all proposals submitted and not permit withdrawal for a period of

90 days subsequent to the Proposal Deadline without the Town's written

consent.

3. To negotiate the purchase price or rent, as applicable, proposed by all

Proposers. If negotiations are not, in the opinion of Town, successfully

concluded within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the Town, the

Town reserves the right to suspend negotiations.

4. To reject and not consider any proposal that does not meet the

requirements of this RFP, including, without limitation, incomplete

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proposals and/or proposals offering alternate or non-requested services

and proposals that are deemed non-responsive.

5. Prior to award, to revise, change, alter or amend any of the instructions,

terms, conditions and/or specifications of this RFP or any exhibits or

attachments to this RFP. Proposers are responsible for any posted addenda

to this RFP. Addenda that are issued before the Proposal Deadline will be

binding upon all prospective Proposers.

6. In the case of rejection of all proposals, the Town reserves the right to

advertise for new proposals or to proceed otherwise.

7. To cancel the award of any proposal at any time before the execution of

the contract documents by the Town.

VI - Conflict of Interest Clause

By submitting a proposal or entering into a transaction with the Town of New

Canaan, the Proposer certifies that no payment, gift or thing of value of any kind

was given or promised to or received by any person holding office or employment

with the Town for the purpose of gaining acceptance of the proposal or bringing

about the transaction. A false certification shall void the proposal and shall be

deemed a material breach of any contract covering the transaction.

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EXHIBIT A

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EXHIBIT B

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6/21/2019 2:04:47 PM

Scale: 1 "=300'

Scale is approximate

The information depicted on this map is for planning purposes only. It 1s not ad

.equate for legal boundary definition, regulatory

1nterpretat1on, or parcel-level analyses.