Below is a link to download a current list containing all respondents to NOFA regarding the Federal City Project. The list was created to assure that all firms have the opportunity to consider the formulation of teams. NOFA does not foresee any problem if individual firms would like to become a part of more than one proposal group as each firm determines it appropriate.
» Interested Industry EntitiesThe New Orleans Federal Alliance (NOFA) seeks to identify private sector developers interested in partnering with NOFA to successfully implement the Federal City Project. To obtain information from interested parties, NOFA requests written responses to the attached questionnaire from Master Developer candidates by the 7th of February, 2007. A lack of response to this Request for Information (RFI) will not negate a developer’s eligibility to respond to any subsequent requests for qualifications or proposals. Participation in this process will, however, give respondents a head start on gathering information on which to base a subsequent response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). The information NOFA obtains during this RFI process will be used to further refine the project concept and help shape subsequent solicitation documents. After submission of responses to this RFI, all respondents will be given the opportunity to have a telephonic or face-to-face meeting with key members of the NOFA team. The final RFP for the Federal City Project is currently anticipated to be released in June 2007.
The Federal City Project offers an approach that could make it a National Model for the future configuration and operation of small to mid-sized DOD installations. The state of Louisiana has expressed that it is committed to provide some of the capital funding required to construct new facilities at Federal City and the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 provides tax incentives for developments in the region. It is anticipated that DOD and civilian federal agencies, as well as contractors and suppliers who support them, will be housed at Federal City and all will share Federal City’s amenities and will gain advantage of the force protection features that will be provided. Federal City is intended to be a more cost-effective and sustainable facility that offers tenants outstanding quality of life and provides vital economic development and job creation opportunities for the New Orleans community. Federal City will create energizing synergies with additional anticipated private sector development while incorporating the latest in sustainable design, great visual aesthetics, energy efficiency, and hurricane and flood protection for its tenants. The Federal City Project also provides a means for community recovery and progress in New Orleans and throughout the Gulf Coast.
The 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC Commission) recommended realigning rather than closing the Naval Support Activity, New Orleans, Louisiana (NSA). The Commission’s recommendation was based on the community’s initiative to create Federal City and the Commission’s recognition of the opportunity to save the Department of the Navy (DON) the capital cost of new construction while providing long-term maintenance and operational efficiencies.
The community also has other important interests. The community believes that the potential to consolidate other federal agencies within Federal City, as well as complementary private sector office and other mixed uses, will create a location that will contribute to a more diversified employment base in Algiers. Federal City is intended to complement other economic development activities already being planned in the Algiers area.
The State of Louisiana is strongly supportive of the Federal City concept. With the cooperation of the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, NOFA was created to execute the project. NOFA is a registered 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization.
As presented to the 2005 BRAC Commission, Federal City is envisioned to be a type of public-private venture that develops and operates a modern small to mid-size federal facility that is much more cost effective and efficient than current installations built during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Federal City Project’s goal is to create state-of-the-art facilities that will attract thousands of federal and private sector workers. New construction of facilities will allow Federal City to offer its tenants both energy and maintenance efficient facilities and the latest hurricane and flood protection factors and standards. The operator of Federal City may also be requested to provide support services to Federal City tenants. The location of the current property offers spectacular views of the Mississippi River that can likely be exploited by the successful developer.
The 2005 BRAC Commission recommendation (which has the force of law) requires the Marine Corps units now located on the East Bank of NSA New Orleans along with the functions at Marine Corps Support Activity, Kansas City, Missouri to relocate to Federal City on the West Bank of NSA. The Commission recommended that Federal City Project financing be in place and construction begin no later than September 30th, 2008. It is currently NOFA’s goal to complete construction of the realigning Marine Corps’ facilities before the end of calendar year 2009.
NOFA anticipates that the realigning Marine Corps units will be the “anchor tenants” for the initial phase of Federal City. The identified Marine Corps’ organizations include approximately 1600 members and require about 350,000 sq. ft. of facilities and improvements. As portrayed by the State and the City of New Orleans to the BRAC Commission, other tenants could include elements of the Army Reserve, the Army Corps of Engineers, other federal agencies, and federal contractors or suppliers. NOFA is currently involved in soliciting as many of these potential tenants as possible and seeks support from a private-sector developer to determine the best tenant recruiting strategy for Federal City. NOFA is also dedicated to offering the most cost-effective support services possible to its tenants and seeks private-sector developer input on how to achieve this outcome as part of this RFI.
NOFA and the DON have conferred on approaches that could be used to implement the Federal City Project. The DON has a variety of enabling real property use and reuse statutory authorities that could be used to implement the Federal City Project. These authorities include, but are not limited to enhanced use leasing (EUL), conveyance of land for construction exchange, and the Economic Development Conveyance. Under these authorities, the DON would execute a long-term lease or convey fee title to property at NSA and receive the future Marine Corps’ facilities as some or all of its fair market value consideration.
NOFA is open to any number of development scenarios and land uses that achieve the desired outcomes of a sustainable military/federal installation together with other private development that creates jobs and promotes local economic development. To achieve this vision, NOFA’s development partner will have the unique opportunity to shape, not only the terms of the transaction between NOFA and DON, but the property interest to be conveyed as well as the final scope of the development. The West Bank of NSA is comprised of approximately 193 acres with improvements and is located in the Algiers district of the City of New Orleans. A portion of this property, however, is already under a long-term lease for military family housing. The DON is willing to consider either a lease or conveyance of fee interest in virtually all of the remaining acreage (141 acres+/).
The available acreage at NSA provides a tremendous development opportunity in a highly-favorable location. The recovery of New Orleans is accelerating and is beginning to achieve beneficial results. In addition to the full support of the State and the City of New Orleans, Federal City enjoys the bipartisan sponsorship and active support of the entire Louisiana congressional delegation. As mentioned, NOFA has been energetically engaged in identifying potential Federal City tenants in addition to the Marine Corps units directed to Federal City by the BRAC law and prospects for additional tenants are very promising. NOFA intends to continue these efforts in coordination with the selected master developer.
NOFA seeks a private sector master developer to plan, finance, develop, maintain, and operate Federal City and environs. We are seeking a long term partner for NOFA who would continue on through the development of all Phases of Federal City. Upon selection of a master developer (“the Developer”), NOFA and the Developer will work together to develop a Business Plan covering the business structure between it and NOFA, and the preferred property transfer arrangement (lease or fee simple title) between the DON and NOFA that is necessary to make Federal City and the surrounding environs a success. It is anticipated that development of the Business Plan will include the Master Developer’s participation with NOFA in discussions with the DON. The Master Developer selected will be expected to thoroughly, creatively, and professionally identify issues, analyze solutions, and determine entrepreneurial processes to ensure the successful implementation of the Business Plan.
The Master Developer’s team is expected to have extensive previous experience and to have demonstrated successful performance in planning, financing, developing, operating and managing large complex projects involving military properties or equivalent private property development. The Master Developer’s capability to perform these functions in the context of a similar public/private venture in a historically-unique local market will be important to the viability of the project.
NOFA plans to publish a Request for Proposal (RFP) for this project. It is currently envisioned that a draft RFP will be released in May with the final RFP released in June 2007. These RFPs will provide further details on the project, as well as submission and evaluation requirements. An industry forum, which will be scheduled after the release of the draft RFP, will provide industry with the opportunity to identify any issues or questions related to the solicitation. Identified issues and questions will be addressed, and, if necessary, a modification to the solicitation will be issued.
NOFA’s goal is to select a Master Developer by no later than late summer of 2007. It is further planned that NOFA will reach agreement concerning a viable real estate transaction with the DON in the fall of 2007.
The submission of an expression of interest is not required to participate later in the Federal City developer selection process. The expressions of interest received as a result of this solicitation will allow NOFA to ensure that developers who respond to this RFI will receive future update information and solicitations in connection with the Federal City Project. Responses to this RFI will also be used to obtain information from prospective Master Developers for the purposes of further maturating the Federal City Project and the Master Developer selection process.
Respond to this RFI by answering the attached questionnaire and returning it to Mr. Marek Izydorczyk by 7 February 2007. Mr. Izydorczyk’s contact information is as follows: info@nolafederalcity.com, phone number, 504-310-4706.
After these RFI’s are received, NOFA will offer to conduct individual telephone or face-to-face interviews with all interested Master Developers from the 12th to the 23rd of February, 2007. Once RFI responses are received, the schedule for interviews will be arranged by NOFA. Please ensure NOFA is provided your appropriate contact information in your response.
BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS, DEVELOPERS AGREE TO HOLD HARMLESS NOFA, ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS AND ADVISORS (“RELEASED PARTIES”) AND TO DEFEND AND INDEMNIFY RELEASED PARTIES IN CONNECTION WITH ALL CLAIMS, SUITS OR DEMANDS RELATED TO ALL ASPECTS OF THE FEDERAL CITY PROJECT, THE BIDDING PROCESS, THE RFI PROCESS, AND THIS SITE.
ADDITIONALLY, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL RELEASED PARTIES BE LIABLE FOR ANY REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE COMMISSIONS, FINDER’S FEES, OR OTHER FORMS OF COMPENSATION RELATED IN ANY WAY TO ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY ANY PERSON RELATED TO THE FEDERAL CITY PROJECT.
The New Orleans Federal Alliance wishes to obtain information from prospective developers that will be used in the further maturation of the Federal City project concept and the developer solicitation process. Please provide succinct responses, no more than one page of text for each question, to the following queries.
BY SUBMITTING THE RESPONSE TO THE DEVELOPER QUESTIONNAIRE, AND IN ENTERING THE RFI PROCESS, YOU AGREE TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE SECTION HEREINABOVE ENTITLED “HOLD HARMLESS.”
(H.R. 4440 passed by Congress on Dec. 16, 2005, and signed by President Bush on Dec. 21, 2005).
