The following questions and answers about the Lake Arlington/Berry/Stalcup RFEI are from individual submissions as of Jan. 22, 2021 and the Pre-Submittal Conference Call on Jan. 15, 2021.
Q: What is some background on the site? What are the desired outcomes for the site?
A: The Local Development Corporation (LDC) has owned the site since 2013. A Dairy Queen was located on the site with the building demolished in 2013. The LDC is particularly interested in creative development programs and a compelling vision that features a mix of uses at the site and design elements which maximize the potential of this urban infill site.
Q: What kind of housing programming is expected for the project site? What are the desired outcomes for the housing stock in the development?
A: The project site is zone MU-1. MU-1 includes higher density, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development for designated mixed-use growth centers and urban villages, so as to concentrate a variety of housing types among neighborhood-serving commercial and institutional uses. A range of price options are encouraged with 20% being affordable.
Q: Would you be able to provide an update on the FEMA Letter of Map Revisions?
A: The Wildcat Branch LOMR was submitted to FEMA on Dec. 30, 2020, as a follow up to questions from FEMA. The LOMR was accepted by FEMA and assigned LOMR Case Number 21-06-0854P. FEMA has 90 days to provide any comments back to us. Given that the review process had already been undertaken and that this submission was a follow up to those efforts, we do not anticipate the review to take 90 days.
Q: Understanding that the FEMA map revisions are still in progress, have there been an estimate made about the percentage of the site that will be impacted? Will the entirety of the site remain developable?
A: If approved, the Letter of Map Revision (LOMAR) would increase the developable percentage of the project site (3.77 acres). In the RFEI document, Appendices F and G (pages 20-21) show the differences in the amount of area that would be considered in the floodplain per FEMA; Appendix G is the revised map and represents more developable land and less of the area being considered a floodplain.
Q: Has the City completed a geotechnical analysis of the site? If so, will this be made available?
A: No, a geotechnical analysis has not been conducted on the site. Currently there are no plans to have a geotechnical analysis conducted on the site.
Q: The RFEI references the ‘2009 Proposed Design Standards and Guidelines’. Where can we locate this document?
A: The History and Vision section should not have included reference to the 2009 Proposed Design Standards and Guidelines and only reference the Master Plan. The link to the Master Plan is available on the website as well as within the RFEI - Appendix J.
Q: With the Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Initiative, may the full report be shared in addition to the executive summary provided?
A: The Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan is available online.
Q: What is your approach on assessing submissions from developers and scoring submissions?
A: We will follow the timeline and process as outlined in the RFEI document. The assessment will focus on the project goals outlined in the RFEI and the scoring sheet.
Q: In your assessment of financial strength, are there any specific financial metrics you are reviewing? Will the team be required to submit financials at this stage of the process?
A: We will be looking at the overall financial strength and ability of the firm or team to obtain and sustain project financing, both debt and equity. We will also be looking at the developer’s experience in completing other similar projects, including the funding structure. Respondents are encouraged to discuss financing options that they can bring or would like the LDC or City of Fort Worth to sponsor, obstacles they have encountered in the past, and creative financing strategies that may be available to the organization and how to best manage the project to ensure success.
Q: For the financial/incentive resources listed, are there any constraints on available funding from the local government? For example, is the cap on CDBG funding in District 5, $1 million?
A: The limits that are on the City’s incentives that would apply (Chapter 380 Economic Development Program Grants, Tax Abatement Program, and Neighborhood Empowerment Zones (NEZ)) are governed by associated policies; available on the City of Fort Worth’s Economic Development Department’s webpage, or Neighborhood Services’ webpage.
There are no caps on CDBG funding in the district. Information about the City’s 2020-2021 HYD Annual Action Plan and 2018-2022 Consolidated Plan, as well as other resources, is available online on the city's Grant Fund Proposals & Reports page.
View a PDF of the RFEI Addendum and Q&A(PDF, 48KB)