Request For Proposals

Honoring Black History at Pease Park

Austin, Texas

Issue Date: May 26, 2021

Due Date: June 30, 2021

Issued by: Pease Park Conservancy

MISSION
Pease Park Conservancy celebrates the diverse ecology and history that make Austin’s first public park valuable and unique. The Conservancy works to restore, enhance and maintain this 84-acre public green space for the sustainable use and enjoyment of all.

VISION
Pease Park will be known as an accessible urban green space for play, adventure and connectivity, where land stewardship, environmental innovation and inclusive programming embrace the community’s history and inspire its future.

BACKGROUND
With accessibility and inclusion integral to its mission and vision, Pease Park Conservancy worked with MuseWork and the City of Austin to develop an Interpretive Plan that was completed in June of 2020. This plan identifies the park’s most important themes and stories, as well as opportunities and techniques to make its resources more relevant to the public.

One of the three primary themes identified is:

“Pease Park is emblematic of racial and economic injustice in Austin and presents a unique opportunity to acknowledge our history of slavery, segregation, and exclusion in order to create a public space that is welcoming and accessible to all.”

The history of slavery, segregation and exclusion on the land that is now Pease Park includes:

  • Enslaved people lived and labored on Governor Elisha M. and Mrs. Lucadia Pease’s land before Pease donated part of it to the City of Austin to become parkland.

  • After Emancipation, Black people formed freedom colonies, including Clarksville and Wheatville, and lived near Pease Park and along Shoal Creek.

  • Then, the City of Austin’s 1928 Master Plan included policies that forced residents of color out of the area and segregated the park for whites only.

Pease Park Conservancy wants to make sure the history of enslavement, segregation and exclusion of Black Austinites is acknowledged and shared at Pease Park in ways that ensure Black people are seen, honored and welcomed.

The Interpretive Plan includes recommendations for accomplishing these goals:

  • Create a contemplative space - an outdoor, open-air exhibit - that provides both education about this history and a place for reflection.

  • Offer programming in the park that is both informative and accessible.

Pease Park Conservancy recognizes that community conversations about a contemplative space and programming cannot happen without also having conversations about the park being named after an enslaver.

Accordingly, the Conservancy is also seeking community input to address:

  • public sentiment about the park’s name (Pease Park Conservancy does not have the authority to name the park and would share public input with the City of Austin)

  • suggestions to formally name the “rooms” of the park (16 different areas within the park that were assigned placeholder names in the 2014 Pease Park Vision Plan)

Pease Park Conservancy recognizes that implementation of the park’s Interpretive Plan with regard to enslavement, segregation and exclusion must be a collaborative effort with Austin’s Black community. This community engagement effort is just the beginning of a larger and longer-term partnership.

SUMMARY OF REQUEST
Pease Park Conservancy is seeking a Facilitator to lead an effort to obtain input, feedback, stories and perspectives from Austin’s Black community that will help shape plans for implementing recommendations from the Pease Park Interpretive Plan and other ideas for sharing and acknowledging this storied history with the public.

SCOPE OF WORK
Expectations for the Facilitator’s work include the following:

  • Perform a thorough study to understand the history of Pease Park land and the work completed for the Interpretive Plan.

  • Develop and implement a Public Community Engagement Plan. This would include:

    • coordinating between Pease Park Conservancy and the City of Austin

    • identifying key stakeholders and contributors

    • identifying the best way to reach these stakeholders and contributors and obtain their input

    • holding focus groups and meetings

    • distributing surveys

    • implementing other ideas for proactively obtaining input and feedback from the community

  • Deliver findings through a Public Engagement Input Summary Analysis.

  • Recommend short term and long term action plans.

Deliverables should include (but not be limited to):

  • overall project schedule and plan

  • Public Community Engagement Plan

  • Public Engagement Input Summary and Analysis

  • recommended immediate next steps

  • long term recommendations

REPORTING STRUCTURE
The Facilitator will report to Chuck Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Pease Park Conservancy.

CONSULTANT PROPOSAL
Interested consultants are asked to submit their proposal by June 30, 2021 with the following information included.

Planned Project Approach

  • Include the consultant’s understanding of the details and importance of this project.

  • Describe how the consultant’s values and experience align with the mission and vision of Pease Park Conservancy.

  • Share any expected challenges the consultant and Pease Park Conservancy will face when embarking on this work and how the consultant will work to overcome these obstacles.

  • Include a detailed plan for accomplishing the goals of this project.

  • Summarize the consultant’s qualifications, years of experience and areas of expertise.

  • Include expected project timeline including anticipated milestones and deliverables.

Comparable Project Experience

  • Submit a list of and descriptions of relevant projects or contracts that have been similar in mission and scope to this project.

  • Submit three references who are familiar with the consultant’s previous experience.

Cost Proposal

  • Prepare a detailed, not-to-exceed cost proposal for the project.

  • Cost proposals should include billing rates and expected reimbursables and fees.

BUDGET AND TIMELINE
The budget for this work is approximately $25,000-$50,000. Pease Park Conservancy expects this project to be completed by December 31, 2021.

SELECTION PROCESS
The process for selection involves these steps.

RFP Distribution: May 26, 2021
Questions Due: June 15, 2021
Proposals Due: June 30, 2021
Short-List Selection: July 9, 2021
Short-List Interviews: July 12-23, 2021
Final Selection: July 26, 2021
Final Scope Due: August 16, 2021
Notice to Proceed: August 30, 2021

Following the Short-List Selection, Pease Park Conservancy will notify all consultants. Consultants that are considered qualified to perform the work, on the basis of their written proposal, will be invited for interviews with selected representatives from Pease Park Conservancy staff and board.

SUBMITTAL
Interested consultants should submit a hard copy and an electronic copy of their proposal to:

Pease Park Conservancy
c/o Chuck Smith, Chief Operating Officer
PO Box 50065
Austin, Texas 78763
chuck@peasepark.org

Electronic proposals must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on June 30, 2021.

Questions related to this RFP can be directed to Chuck Smith at chuck@peasepark.org.

Learn more about the Pease Park Conservancy Interpretive Plan here: https://peasepark.org/interpretive-plan.