ISSUED SEPTEMBER 2014

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The Barack Obama Foundation
THE BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY 2
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
Request for Proposal
Overview & Background
In March of 2014, The Barack Obama Foundation (Foundation) released a Request for Qualifcations (RFQ) intended primarily
to solicit responses from institutions of higher learning, not-for-proft organizations, private developers or municipalities that
wish to sponsor, develop and maintain a multi-unit facility consisting of the Barack Obama Presidential Library (Library),
the Barack Obama Presidential Museum (Museum), the Foundation offces, an academic institute (Institute) and a broader
campus. This multi-unit facility is hereinafter referred to as the Project.
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is for the Foundation to review formal proposals and qualifcations in order
to select a site and partner for the Project.
This is not a formal solicitation and the Foundation reserves the right to enter into negotiations with one or more partners
based on their responses to this RFP or to request that one or more partners respond as part of a formal solicitation process.
This RFP does not commit the Foundation to enter into negotiations and/or select any partner. This RFP does not create a
binding obligation on the part of the Foundation with any partner or others involved in their RFP response.
The Foundation, offcially established as an operating, 501(c)(3) nonproft corporation in January of 2014, will both plan
and develop the Project and engage in activities refecting President Obamas values and priorities throughout his career
in public service: expanding economic opportunity, inspiring an ethic of American citizenship and promoting peace, justice
and dignity throughout the world. The Project will be an anchor for economic development and help cultivate a strong
relationship in the surrounding community. In addition to the Library and Museum, it will include an Institute that will enhance
the pursuit of the Presidents initiatives beyond 2017 and have local, regional and global impacts. The Foundation will
raise private funds, convene partners who share the Presidents goals and vision, serve as a repository of information and
otherwise marshal resources to address present and future global and domestic challenges of interest to the President. The
Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors and chaired by civic leader Martin Nesbitt.
The Foundation will serve as the vehicle by which the Library, Museum and Foundation offces are constructed, and, in
accordance with the statutory requirements outlined in the Presidential Libraries Act, by which the endowment necessary
for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to operate the Library is created and funded. The Foundation
anticipates negotiating a joint use agreement with NARA in the future that will outline the responsibilities of both the
Foundation and the federal government.
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Guiding
Principles
As initially articulated in the RFQ, the following are guiding principles that inform
and refect the overarching vision for the Project. The principles are organized into
three distinct, but interrelated, sections.
CORE addresses tangible
components of site and facility;
it also deals with economic
development impacts of site
selection.
PROGRAM attends to principles
most closely associated with
President Obamas time in offce
and the work of the Foundation.
CONTEXT situates the project
in relation to host institution and
other community stakeholders.
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Core
The Core principles apply mostly to the site and physical facility of the Library. They are concerned with factors that impact
space planning, character and quality of architectural design, site plan, ongoing operations and maintenance and economic
impact.
Guiding
Principles (Contd)
ECONOMIC ENGINE
Encourages smart and sustainable
economic growth
Anchors public and private
investment
Celebrates and leverages existing
community assets
Civic identity is shaped by
community
Identifed as part of the fabric of the
community
FLEXIBLE & FORWARD-THINKING
Agile, fexible, and relevant
continually reinventing itself
Accommodates a variety of uses
Is technologically responsive
Uses best practices in sustainability,
technology, and operations
Exercises leadership and foresight,
anticipating change
FUNCTIONAL
Rational, purpose-driven design
Attentive to site, infrastructure,
existing urban fabric
Effcient in systems, materials,
and operations
State-of-the-art archives and
museum
Cost-effective
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TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED
Extends digital footprint
Next-generation platform
New models for social interaction
Can adapt with changes in
technology
ACCOUNTABLE & PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN
Responsible steward of the
environment immediate and
global
Energy-effcient building
Exceeds LEED Platinum standards
Sustainable practices
Embodies principles of biomimicry to
create a living building
UNIFIED DESIGN VISION
Consistently expresses design
principles, mission, and vision
Aligns with programmatic goals
Communicates a clear and
coherent message
Integration of site and building
design
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Program
Principles in the Program section pertain to the mission and vision of the Library and Foundation. They consider the ways
in which the Presidential Offce and, more specifcally, the legacy of President Obama, may be manifested through the
Library.
Guiding
Principles (Contd)
AUTHENTIC
Represents ideals of the Obama
campaign: respect, empowerment,
inclusivity
Represents and explains the
presidential legacy
Inspires an ethic of citizenship
Tells a compelling, accurate story
about the Presidents life, service,
and vision
Approachable and immediately
resonating with visitors
Reveals the complexity and
inspiration of the offce of the
President
Empathetic and respectful of other
viewpoints
CIVIC
Communicates the ideals of
democracy
Celebrates community character
Articulates a compelling, shared
vision
Generates discourse and dialogue
Informs and engages policy debates
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Promotes a healthy, wholesome
environment
Contributes to a cleaner, safer planet
Supports a healthy lifestyle
Nurtures the next generation
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GLOBAL
Creates a new international
destination
Serves as a gateway to other
cultural, civic, and academic
resources in the region
Establishes a global network to
communicate ideas and aspirations
Collaborates with like-minded
institutions around the world
INSPIRATIONAL
Emotionally resonates with visitors
and the surrounding community
Ethically forthright
Refects and reinforces the Obama
legacy
Emits a spirit of optimism and hope
Empowers visitors to create change
and make a difference
PURPOSEFUL
Attuned to programmatic needs and
symbolic signifcance
Each element responds to a central
idea
Accommodates refection,
exploration, learning, and
conversation
Focused on service to visitors,
local and international communities,
and the nation
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Context
Principles in the Context section deal with the interface between the Library and the community it serves at the immediate,
regional, and global scales. This set of principles considers the function of the potential host and the myriad connections
between the Library and the community.
Guiding
Principles (Contd)
ENGAGEMENT
Accessible to people of all ages,
abilities, backgrounds and
socioeconomic status
Fosters intellectual discourse and
disagreement
Prizes and responds to audience
needs
Provides real-time, immediate
connection
Partners with other organizations to
share ideas, resources and
audiences
WELCOMING & TRANSPARENT
Open and welcoming to all visitors,
physical and virtual
Clear and accessible communication
with constituents
Actively advances intellectual and
cultural openness
Uses collective intelligence and
social media to collaborate with
people
INNOVATIVE
Incubates new ideas and
approaches
Nurtures thinkers, artists, activists
and change agents
Creates a space for investigation
and experimentation civic,
technological and academic
Interfaces with social sector startups
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CONNECTED
Hub of physical and technological
networks that enable exchange and
collaboration
Serves as a dynamic visitor
destination for national and
international visitors
Extends a compelling virtual
presence through digital media
Sited in an easily accessible,
multimodal transportation
environment
INQUIRY
Welcomes individual expression and
multimodal learning
Intellectually honest and rigorous
Expects and promotes academic
excellence
Facilitates scholarly research as well
as Informal learning
Fosters a climate of intellectual
curiosity and openness
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Response
Address the questions in this section fully, using as much space as necessary. Include images and diagrams as needed.
Responses should be in the same numerical order as the corresponding questions. If you believe that your RFQ response
adequately addressed any of these questions, please note so in your response.
A. ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
1. An executive summary articulating the long-term strategic vision for the university, including its global footprint and
vision, as well as any existing or projected expansion plans. Detail any complementary relationship with the Project.
2. Biographies of administrators, faculty and staff assigned to the Project, including a summary of responsibilities and an
organizational chart indicating reporting relationships both internally and with appropriate personnel of the Foundation.
Information should include staffng for academics, fundraising, communications, marketing, real estate development
and construction and facilities management.
3. List of external consultants engaged by you in support of the Project. Please provide their qualifcations, responsibilities
and projected fee structure.
4. Summary of any formal or community-based partnerships with the university that are relevant to the Project.
5. Summary of the diversity of the universitys employees, including demographic composition (e.g., race, gender) allocated
by role (e.g., administrative board, secretarial, tenured faculty, associate faculty).
6. Description of the universitys long-term diversity goals and the plan to achieve them.
7. Description of the universitys level of experience and success with work similar to the Project:
i. Include detailed presentations of the most relevant projects demonstrating success in large-scale, multi-use
development.
ii. Emphasize developments where the proposed team members have worked together and had primary
involvement in leading the project.
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Response (Contd)
B. SITE AND DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION
1. Provide the following with respect to the site(s) under consideration:
i. Existing title reports of the proposed site(s), together with documents specifed therein.
ii. Existing ALTA plat of survey with clearly delineated easements, food zones and/or designated wetlands.
iii. Existing environmental reports including, but not limited to, phase I and phase II reports, No Further Action
Letters, geotechnical studies and topographic maps.
iv. Plan for land assembly, including anticipated costs for preparing the site for development (e.g., remediation,
demolition of existing structures).
v. Circulation and traffc study highlighting how the Project will interact with existing uses, facilities and the
neighborhood. Include information regarding ingress/egress and traffc mitigation.
vi. Estimated parking needs for both personal vehicles and tour buses, and any existing proposed availability for
vehicles and buses in the surrounding area.
vii. Explanation of tax status of each site. If site is currently tax exempt, specify the basis for tax exempt status. If
a site is taxable, specify the taxes imposed.
viii. Analysis as to whether the proposed use of the site(s) will be taxable. If so, please specify the taxes to be
imposed.
ix. Current zoning applicable to the site(s), including set-backs, FAR, the specifcation of height and other similar
restrictions on limitations.
x. Analysis as to whether the Project is permitted under current zoning. If not, provide a detailed explanation of
rezoning process and timing.
xi. Assessment of public transportation alternatives serving the site(s) as well as any recommendations for
improvement, if necessary, to support the proposed development. Assessment should include transit time by
vehicle, bus rapid transit, train, boat, bike, etc. from central downtown location in your city.
2. Detailed proposed process to obtain control of the site and convey it to the Foundation.
3. Affrmation that the proposed site(s) will meet NARAs Architectural and Design Standards, as revised in July, 2014,
related to site conditions. A copy of such standards will be emailed to you and concurrently posted on the website.
4. Analysis of site-specifc development risks and identifed mitigation plans.
5. Summary of other specifc characteristics of the site(s) or immediately adjacent property that will beneft or hinder the
construction, development or operation of the Project.
6. Projected timeline listing activities and timeframes required to plan, design, develop and open the Project.
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Response (Contd)
C. SURROUNDING COMMUNITY INFORMATION
1. Information about the surrounding neighborhood most connected to the proposed site(s) and/or the area within a 1, 3
and 5-mile radius of the proposed site(s):
i. Inventory of existing complementary facilities or operations. For each, describe any existing relationship and
potential partnership opportunities.
ii. Outline of existing community demographics, as well as future trends (e.g., population density, employment,
home ownership, income level, age).
iii. Inventory of university partnerships with community organizations and other relevant affliations. Describe
these existing relationships and include any information that would impact the Project.
2. Details regarding zoning, ownership and current use of properties within a mile radius.
3. Assessment of the economic beneft of the Project to the community. Include the positive and negative impacts of the
development on the community.
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Response (Contd)
D. ACADEMIC COLLABORATION
1. Vision for academic collaboration that will enhance the pursuit of the Presidents initiatives beyond 2017. The academic
collaboration will include an Institute and possibly a degree-seeking program. An Institute may include academic
research, undergraduate coursework offered in collaboration with existing academic departments, infrastructure to
achieve real world impact and/or collaboration with partner universities.
2. Overview of existing institutes and centers at the university. Please detail the following:
i. Institute focus (i.e., departmental-focus, inter-disciplinary)
ii. Faculty composition (e.g., home university professors, partner university professors, private sector and public
sector leaders)
iii. Student opportunities (e.g., coursework, research)
iv. Funding mechanism (e.g., privately funded, university funded)
v. Collaboration with other universities
vi. Governance (include any external advisory councils or boards)
3. Outline of your proposal for an Institute:
i. Institute focus (i.e., departmental-focus, inter-disciplinary)
ii. Faculty composition (e.g., home university professors, partner university professors, private sector and public
sector leaders)
iii. Student opportunities (e.g., coursework, research)
iv. Funding mechanism (e.g., privately funded, university funded)
v. Collaboration with other universities
vi. Governance (include any external advisory councils or boards)
4. If proposing a degree-seeking program, please provide the following:
i. Which (if any) current academic disciplines could be part of a degree program.
ii. List any ideas for new degrees or a combination of existing degrees.
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Response (Contd)
E. MARKETING AND ATTRACTION STRATEGY
1. Proposed strategy to attract visitors leading up to the Project opening and long-term to sustain attendance.
2. List of signifcant local attractions that may complement and help bolster attendance for the Project. For each, list:
i. Detailed historical attendance fgures, including segmentation by demographics (e.g., local vs. tourist) and
attendance over time.
ii. Proximity to the proposed site(s).
iii. Means and method of attracting the visitors to the Project from the attraction.
3. Projected attendance, both in the short-term (i.e., frst fve years of operation) and long-term (i.e., 20 years after opening).
Include underlying assumptions and your method for reaching these projections.
4. Proposed plan for supporting the ongoing marketing and communications efforts of the Project.
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Response (Contd)
F. UNIVERSITY CAPITAL COMMITMENTS AND OTHER SERVICES
1. Details regarding the capital commitment by the university to the development and construction of the Project, as well
as funds available to support the annual operations of the Project.
2. Detailed master development plan for the surrounding community (academic and otherwise) that will drive economic
revitalization, as well as increase connectivity to the university. Include any capital resources available for the plan.
3. Description of any plans to provide offce space to the President, First Lady and staff beginning in 2017 until the opening
of the Project.
4. Summary of services that the university will make available to enhance the Project, including but not limited to the items
listed below:
i. Internal transportation (shuttle services)
ii. Security
iii. Parking
iv. Utilities
v. Technology
vi. Other facilities available to visitors
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G. CITY, COUNTY AND STATE CAPITAL COMMITMENTS AND OTHER SERVICES
Summary of commitments the university believes it will be able to obtain from local, regional and state governments to
enhance the development including, but not limited to, the following items:
i. Funding, support and opportunities for educational partnerships with local schools
ii. Park improvements
iii. Streetscapes and landscapes in and around the Project and surrounding community
iv. Other investments in surrounding area that will create jobs and spur economic development
v. Tax Increment Financing (TIF)/other fnancing recommendations
vi. Public safety
vii. Multimodal transportation improvements (road, pedestrian and bicycle, transit opportunities)
H. DRAFT LEGAL DOCUMENTS
It is our intention to present draft legal documents for your review and comments prior to the RFP submission deadline.
These documents will cover, among other things, the land transfer, development obligations and Institute structure and
governance.
I. COLLABORATIVE PROCESS
We anticipate this will be a collaborative process, and as such, expect to have discussions with each of the respondents
during the submission period.
Response (Contd)
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RESPONSES RECEIVED AT:
MS. ROBBIN COHEN
ACTING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
THE BARACK OBAMA FOUNDATION
300 EAST RANDOLPH STREET, SUITE 4030
CHICAGO, IL 60601
* [email protected]
Key Information
Summary Sheet
RFP Issue Date September 15, 2014
Issuing Offce The Barack Obama Foundation
Point of Contact Ms. Robbin Cohen
RFP Response Due Date December 11, 2014 5:00 p.m. Central Time
RFP Response Format 4 hard-copies of all materials addressed as outlined below. Electronic
versions of all materials should be included as part of the response.
Electronic versions should be sent as a URL with a secure location
containing a digital copy of the response book.
Further Reference: Included on the Foundation website is the updated NARA Directive
1571: Architecture and Design Standards for Presidential Libraries,
Revised July 2014. The standards can also be found at http://www.
archives.gov/foia/libraries.html#design. For additional questions re-
garding NARA Standards, contact [email protected].
The Barack Obama Foundation. All Rights Reserved.