RFP for an Economic Development Consultant – City of Powell, Ohio

REQUESTED WORK:
The City of Powell, Ohio Community Improvement Corporation (the “CIC”) is seeking proposals from firms experienced and knowledgeable in developing economic development strategies and plans for municipalities and community improvement corporations.

ISSUED BY:
The City of Powell Community Improvement Corporation
47 Hall Street
Powell, Ohio 43065

DATE DUE:
Proposals will be received by the CIC until 2 pm E.S.T. on Friday, March 25, 2022

Introduction to the City of Powell
The City of Powell encompasses a geographic area of approximately six (6) square miles within a major US metropolitan footprint, located 30 minutes north of downtown Columbus. Money Magazine has included the City of Powell as the 18th Best Place to live in the United States. Powell’s proximity to the Capital City of City of Columbus, and The Ohio State University, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Memorial Tournament Muirfield Village Golf Club offers an excellent balance between a smaller city’s sense of place and access to opportunity and amenities associated with a vibrant, urban, metropolitan center.

Powell provides its residents the best of both worlds – it is small enough to maintain a level of familiarity and true sense of place, yet still large enough to have the feel, opportunity and amenities associated with a vibrant urban center.

Major, class-leading health care systems maintain a significant physical presence in the City in the form of the future OSU Wexner Medical Center, the Ohio Health Network, and Mount Carmel.

The City provides a full complement of local government services including an extensive parks network, a world class police department, and comprehensive street and pedestrian thoroughfares.

The City of Powell is a Council-Manager form of local government and the organization consists of approximately 50 full-time employees.

The City is benefitting from a significant and consistent period of public and private sector investment. Powell’s population is estimated at 14,000 in 2021 compared to 2,100 in 1990.

Background
The City of Powell adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 2015 to serve as the principal guiding document when addressing long-term goals, growth and development issues: (https://cityofpowell.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/15-1006-Powell-Comprehensive-Plan-ADOPTED-LR.pdf ). This policy document was designed to outline land use character, transportation and connectivity concerns, broad economic conditions and proposed initiatives, environment and resiliency strategies, and civic spaces and places needs and opportunities. Aimed at setting broad parameters, objectives and implementation strategies to protect, preserve and enhance our community’s physical character and quality of life, this document established the need for further investment in strategic economic development planning. The services that the CIC is seeking is the first comprehensive review of an economic development strategy that the City has undertaken. The City anticipates this effort will take into account the special character, opportunities and goals of the City of Powell.

Having faced challenging years as a result of mostly unplanned development patterns, the City currently maintains a AAA bond rating from S&P and Moody’s. As a small full-service city, Powell has sought to diversify its economic base in pursuit of robust and resilient revenue streams to support high quality City services and capacity to invest in needed infrastructure and City facilities. In light of recent and ongoing changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City seeks to continue to build on past successes, even though unplanned, to manage expected tax revenue impacts, and to develop strategies for continued economic success into the future.

Powell is at the nexus of or immediately adjacent to areas that are vibrant and growing, with envisioned or planned improvements and potential infrastructure changes happening all around us, including those outlined within the City of Dublin’s Bridge Street Plan and subsequent implementation, and the continued development of The OSU Wexner Medical Center in neighboring suburban communities.

The CIC was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) corporation on Feb. 16, 2010, as allowed by the Ohio Revised Code. The purpose of the Powell CIC is to promote the industrial, commercial, distribution and research development within the City of Powell that will improve the normal growth, employment opportunities and stability of employment within these sectors. The CIC also works to advance the industrial and commercial life of the community and to stabilize the general economy of the area; to develop methods for or to assist in the development of methods to further enhance these purposes; and to furnish assistance to projects and undertakings concerning these purposes.

Economic development planning should result in strategies that capitalize on these ongoing and future opportunities and synergies to continue our evolution and growth as a community rich in character, with a high quality of life and a desire to amplify diversity and inclusion within our City.

Responses to this RFP shall be submitted to the City of Powell CIC, to the attention of:
Jason Nahvi – HR Business Partner
E: jnahvi@cityofpowell.us
Submissions should be made via email, in a single, combined PDF.

Website: https://cityofpowell.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/RFP-Economic-Development-Consultant_CIC-002.pdf