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Downtown Development RFQ

BACKGROUND:

The incorporated Town of Upper Marlboro is 0.4 square miles, less than one mile across and half a mile wide. 4.65% (0.04 square miles) of that is water. Once a port town, the Town is on the Western Branch of the Patuxent River. The main stem of the Patuxent River, not far from the Town, forms the eastern boarder of Prince George’s County. The Town is among the oldest of the surviving southern Maryland towns with a history dating back to colonial times. The area was settled around 1695 and named after the first Duke of Marlborough — an ancestor of Winston Churchill. It was established as a port town for tobacco shipments in 1706, when the western branch of the Patuxent River was still navigable for tobacco vessels.  It has been the county seat of Prince George’s County since 1721.

Currently the Town is home to the state’s second-largest courthouse, which attracts over 1.5 million visitors annually. Town traffic data shows almost 15,000 vehicles travel into the Town every week-day.

RFQ DESCRIPTION:

The Town of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is seeking a professional and qualified Development Firm to prepare an Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP) that not only builds on the economic growth work already completed or underway, but one that furthers the efforts of our community and introduces new strategies of proven success. in the downtown corridor of the Town.

The Development Firm will work with the community to understand economic development concerns and interests and to help guide the discussion about what is feasible in the downtown district of the Town of Upper Marlboro with respect to economic development and the available resources. It is expected that the selected Firm will prepare an EDSP that contains specific economic development goals, strategies and an implementation plan, outlining timing, anticipated costs, funding sources, and who will be responsible for each implementation action. The Development Firm will be one that has demonstrated experience in the preparation of economic development strategic plans for local jurisdictions. In this era of economic vitality, the Town views effective public and business community outreach, and high-quality, user friendly, graphic design documents, as important to the creation of this plan.

As the seat of Prince of Prince George’s County, the EDSP will provide a framework to increase the tax base of the Town of Upper Marlboro by enhancing the business climate and creating jobs.  The ultimate goal is to sustain and expand the economic base in order to provide for a high quality of life for all residents, including individuals visiting the nation’s Capital, the Prince George’s County Courthouse and the Showplace Arena. In addition, it is anticipated that the plan will present a key set of strategies, with action items, that build upon the current asset base of the Town of Upper Marlboro.

In closing, a well-conceived EDSP will identify how to overcome current challenges and facilitate economic growth in an emerging location within the Mid-Atlantic Region.  The strategies developed must also address both the needs and impediments for existing business while defining methods for attracting and growing new business areas of opportunity.  Identifying and maintaining a balance between the two is necessary to ensure success.

The plan should at minimum answer these core questions:

  1. What are the opportunities for economic base expansion in the region that the Town can look to capitalize on?
  2. What must we do in a coordinated effort to take advantage of all opportunities?
  3. How can we most effectively deploy human and financial capital to achieve the economic goals?
  4. What are recommended improvements to the transportation infrastructure corridor to enhance growth?

All RFQs can be mailed to Town Hall located at 14211 School Lane, Upper Marlboro MD 20772

All RFQs are due by Monday October 1, 2018.

Please contact Chief of Staff Kyle Snyder with any questions or concerns at ksnyder@uppermarlboromd.gov or 301-627-6095 ex 1104. 

Additional Information Resources: 

MNCPPC Upper Marlboro Town Action Plan
 The Upper Marlboro Town Action Plan comprises text, maps, illustrations, and pictures. Developed with broad public participation, including a citizen's advisory committee in addition to outreach to the general citizens and business community, this document presents background information and recommends goals, strategies, and action pertaining to land use, parks and recreation, transportation, trails, public facilities, historic preservation.

Upper Marlboro Design Guidelines 
This document updates the 1981 Upper Marlboro Design Guidelines and refines urban design and public realm design recommendations from the 2009 Upper Marlboro Town Action Plan. The written and graphic design guidelines of this pattern book are intended to create a shared vision for the physical form of the town core buildings and the public realm. This document is meant to be used as a reference manual in making public, private, and non-profit development decisions involving new construction, additions, alterations, renovations, restoration, signs, street furniture, and landscaping.