NATHAN HALE SCHOOL REUSE/REPURPOSING

Post InformationPosted At:Wed, May 3, 2023 12:00 AMSealed Bid Process:Yes (Bids Sealed / Pricing Sealed)Private Bid:No1. INTRODUCTION1.1. SummaryThe Town of Manchester is requesting proposals from qualified entities or teams interested in executing a transformative project. The Town Board of Directors' intent is to repurpose the Nathan Hale School as a community asset and to bring renewed energy, vitality and pride to the neighborhood through a combination of uses that take advantage of the varied character of the space. We are looking for the qualified entity to either purchase the property or a portion of the property or enter into a long-term lease of the property and redevelop it for housing, office space, mixed-use, nonprofit use, educational opportunities, creative space, or a combination of these uses, or other uses that are compatible with the Town's goals and objectives and reflect the themes of reuse generated through community engagement processes. 1.2. BackgroundManchester

is a forward-thinking community of 60,000 residents and the commercial, entertainment and residential hub of the east-of-the-river Greater Hartford region. This Request for Proposals outlines important information regarding the site, the context for this project, the qualification documentation and other information to be submitted.Nathan Hale Elementary School, located at 160 Spruce Street in Manchester, Connecticut, was built in 1922 by the Cheney Brothers. It is a contributing property to the Manchester Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school closed in June 2012, however parts of the building have remained in use by the Town’s Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation for recreational purposes. The building is 58,960 Square Feet and includes a baseball field, full size basketball court, playground, and open space. Nathan Hale is located on a 3.8 acre site on the East Side. Surrounding land use immediately adjacent to the site is largely residential (one to four family homes, and larger multi units), with some neighborhood commercial uses. The downtown central business district is less than one quarter mile from the site. Zoning is primarily Residence B, Central Business District, and Neighborhood Business.Manchester is 27.7 square miles with a population density of 2000+ persons per square mile. Comparatively, the East Side has a population density of 7,399 within its half square mile area. The Town's Plan of Conservation and Development classifies the neighborhood around Nathan Hale as a core neighborhood or a mixed use center.In recent years, the Town has made an effort to decide on the best reuse of the space. Below are examples/reports pertaining to these efforts.Nathan Hale NEXTGEN Report: In March of 2014, the Board of Directors adopted a resolution to develop a process to generate and gather ideas for the reuse of Nathan Hale School. In that resolution, the Board stated its intent to "encourage and support the redevelopment of the former Nathan Hale School as a community asset with the goal of bringing renewed energy, vitality, and pride to the neighborhood through a combination of uses that take advantage of the varied and different character of the spaces within and outside of the building." The Board resolution stated a preference for an economically sustainable model for any reuse project, and for activities that would build on the connection between the East Side neighborhood and Downtown Manchester. In response to this resolution, the Manchester Planning Department conducted two public meetings to explore the possibilities of the reuse of Nathan Hale School, attended by over 100 residents: the first to brainstorm ideas, the second to receive comment on the most promising scenarios. The NEXTGEN report outlines staff's recommended two development options for consideration based on the public input. (see Nathan Hale NEXTGEN Report, Sept. 2014)Adaptive Reuse Feasibility Study, May 2015 (conducted by Bartram & Cochran): following the NEXTGEN Report, next steps included hiring Bartram & Cochran National Real Estate Consultants and Crosskey Architects, LLC to evaluate the economic feasibility of the preferred alternatives developed by staff after conducting two well attended public forums during the NEXTGEN Report phase. (see report) Nathan Hale/Odyssey School Facility Needs Assessment, September 2018: In response to the NEXTGEN Report and Adaptive Reuse Report, Odyssey School of Manchester, CT a local charter school, proposed to the Town of Manchester, a partnership to occupy the former Nathan Hale School. Odyssey had outgrown its space and was ready to expand and increase its footprint in the community to better accommodate student's educational, recreational and social and emotional needs and to create a stronger connection to the community they serve which was not achievable in its current location. The Town contracted with Silver/Petrucelli and Associates, Inc. to conduct a facility needs assessment in preparation for Odyssey's proposal to Manchester Board of Directors in January of 2019. No official action was taken on Odyssey's proposal. (see reports)In early 2020, the Board of Directors passed a resolution to establish the Repurposed Schools Committee. The committee was comprised of 22 members from various areas of the community. The committee was charged to explore options for reuse of up to four decommissioned schools, with a term ending June 30, 2021. During the initial appointment period and with the onset of COVID- 19 progress stalled and as a result, the structure of the committee suffered, requiring reorganization into a smaller taskforce that would hone in on reuse.In 2022, the new task force engaged the services of Meraj Consulting to provide an analysis on the community’s vision for the project. Meraj Consulting engaged the community in a variety of ways, including public English and Spanish language town halls, attending town events, and one on one interviews with members of the public. The purpose of their research was to gauge community input to form a recommendation for the reuse of the Nathan Hale School Building. The results from their study found that the recurring themes that Manchester residents asked for throughout the community engagement process included housing, a community recreational/cultural center, a school, and direct services/support ( see Manchester School Repurposing Report, Transforming Manchester). Additionally, residents asked for affordable housing, transitional housing, and housing for seniors and disabled people. For Nathan Hale School specifically, the two major themes recommended included school and housing, however the spaces would also need to be created with the function of a community space.The Town has identified the following programming that currently takes place at the Nathan Hale School. It is envisioned that this property will remain available for community use and for programs that are operated by the Department of Leisure, Family and Recreation. Adult Pickleball (weekday evenings, year- round)Indoor Badminton (weekday evenings, October-May)Indoor Markets (monthly, December-May)Family Fun Nights (monthly, October- April)Election Site (annually- November)The project site is directly across the street from the Town’s Office of Neighborhood and Family Services, including community gardens and a vibrant Farmer’s Market that occurs on Wednesdays from June 1 to August 31 of each year, attracting, on average weekly, 445 visitors to the location. This neighborhood market provides access to healthy and fresh locally grown produce and offers double SNAP benefits. This neighborhood has been identified as a food desert, solidifying the market as a positive asset in the neighborhood. In addition to the market, the site also hosts 40 community raised garden beds, offering access to neighborhood residents more space to grow healthy foods in a very densely populated neighborhood.This project site is also within half a mile of Manchester’s vibrant Downtown, located on Main Street. Main Street runs north and south from I-384 to Routes 6 and 44. Manchester’s Downtown is in the midst of a positive transformation with millions of dollars in public and private funds over the past five years. In the Fall of 2022, voters overwhelmingly approved a $39 million referendum to construct a new 75,000 sf public library and to reuse the current Mary Cheney Library building. The plans for this project are underway and we hope to open the new library in coming years. Downtown has endured several shifts in retail activity to other areas of town, first to the Broad Street area with the development of the Manchester Parkade shopping center in the 1960's. The opening of the Buckland Hills Mall in 1989 began the rapid development of the Buckland Hills area into a superregional shopping, entertainment and residential destination. Despite these shifts, Downtown’s access to Interstate 384 and State Routes 6 and 44, its historic significance, unique architecture, central location and flexible zoning regulations have allowed it to continue to remain a viable center of activity in the community. Recent interest in supporting local businesses, downtown living, walkability and vibrant quality of life have burgeoned Downtown as a true, center of commerce, culture, and community.Today, Downtown includes restaurants, specialty retail shops, and financial and personal service offices. Newer businesses including Silk City Coffee, Urban Lodge Brewing, and the Firestone Art Studio and Café, which have opened in recent years and along with older, established businesses, draw customers both locally and from the surrounding region. The Town-owned-and-operated WORK_SPACE is a unique co-working and meeting space with multiple public art galleries that hosts entrepreneurs and small businesses while driving additional visitors to the area. The district is served by CT Transit bus service and currently has over 800 public parking spaces. The Town’s planned $10-15 million dollar streetscape improvement project will result in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements, additional outdoor dining opportunities and public spaces and amenities.1.3. Contact InformationCora NarracciPurchasing Agent 494 Main Street Purchasing Department Manchester, CT 06040 Email: cnarracci@manchesterct.govPhone: (860) 647-3033Department:Town ManagerDepartment Head:Steve Stephanou Town Manager1.4. TimelineRelease Project Date:May 3, 2023Pre-Bid Meeting (Mandatory):June 6, 2023, 10:30am Nathan Hale School 160 Spruce Street Manchester, CT 06045Question Submission Deadline:June 8, 2023, 4:00pmSubmission Deadline:June 21, 2023, 11:00am