S -- REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF INTEREST, LAND LEASE FOR DEVELOPMENT; U. S. SOLDIERS' & AIRMEN'S HOME 49 (PLUS OR MINUS) ACRE, NORTH CAPITOL CAMPUS

Notice Date

September 18, 2000

Contracting Office

Department of the Army, Baltimore District, Corps of Engineer, 10 South Howard Street, Room 7000, Baltimore, MD 21201-1715

ZIP Code

21201-1715

Solicitation Number

N/A

Response Due

January 2, 2001

Point of Contact

Ms. Renata Shaffner or Ms. Donna Smith at 202-730-3003

Description

The Government is seeking responsible potential sources interested in entering into a long term lease, with an option to purchase at lease expiration, of a 49 (plus or minus) acre parcel fronting on North Capitol Street at Irving Street. The parcel is part of the campus of the United States Soldiers' & Airmen's Home (USSAH), 3700 North Capital Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20317, as described in the legal description found within the CD-R (please see Appendices at end of this document) titled USSAH Development Opportunity. BACKGROUND: Nearly 170 years ago, Congress established a home for Navy officers, sailors and Marines in Philadelphia. Some twenty years later in 1851, with money demanded as reparation from the Mexican War, Congress established a home for "old and disabled soldiers" in Washington, D.C. Over these many years, the U.S. Naval Home (USNH), now in Gulfport, Mississippi, and the U.S. Soldiers' & Airmen's Home in Washington, D.C., have operated under separate legislation, evolving and changing as the needs of our retired soldiers changed. One of the largest administrative changes for both institutions came as a result of the Armed Forces Retirement Home Act (Public Law 101-510), which took effect 1991. This new law established the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), which combined the USSAH and the USNH under the unified management of the Armed Forces Retirement Home Board. Regulations such as resident eligibility/resident fee, operating funds, oversight, etc. now are standardized and apply equally to both Homes. The AFRH is an independent Federal agency. Each Home is under the operational control of a local board of trustees with policy oversight exercised by the AFRH Board appointed by the Secretary of Defense. Financing for the Homes comes from a Congressional trust fund that is supported by monthly, active-duty payroll deductions of 50 cents from enlisted personnel and warrant officers, fines and forfeitures from military disciplinary actions, interest earned on the trust, and resident fees. Today, the United States Soldiers' & Airmen's Home, in the heart of Washington, D.C., is a model continuing care retirement community where residents can maintain an independent lifestyle in an environment designed for safety, comfort and personal enrichment. The home is a living memorial to those who served, and exemplifies how the Armed Forces "takes care of its own," even after military service is completed. The USSAH is a community of friendship and camaraderie made possible by the residents' common background of military service. In order to supplement trust fund income, Congress has authorized the Armed Forces Retirement Home through Section 384 of Public Law 106-65, to convey by sale or lease, at an amount not less than the approved appraised value, the 49 (plus or minus) acre parcel. The site is bordered on the east by Harewood Road and on the west by North Capitol Street. There is a private road that bisects the northerly end of the site known as Scale Gate Road. This road connects North Capitol Street and Harewood Road. There are two cottages located on the property. that front Harewood Road. Both are listed as historic structures. A copy of the legislation and the approved appraisal (with redaction) are available within the CD-R titled USSAH Development Opportunity. Over the past several years, USSAH has focused its attention on a long-term plan to fund operations of the Home in the face of declining income from their traditional sources. Issuance of this Request for Potential Sources is the first step in offering one of only a few known remaining major development opportunities in Washington, D.C. The site is unimproved based upon discussions with City officials and a Supply/ Demand and Market Analysis (please see The Redacted Appraisal). USSAH envisions a mixed use development with a significant residential component and commercial uses that compliment a residential community and the existing major institutions that encompass the neighborhood. An aerial location map annotated with the proposed development site and major points of interest that surround it, is available within the CD-R titled USSAH Development Opportunity. Responses to this Request for Potential Sources will be carefully reviewed to ascertain the level of interest and the quality of respondents. A Request For Proposal (RFP) is anticipated to be issued in January, 2001. All respondents to this request will receive a timely mailing of the RFP solicitation package. The letter of transmittal from respondents shall be submitted on letterhead stationery and signed by the applicant and all associates, other than limited partners, who will have a financial interest in the project. The statement of interest shall address the capability and legal right to provide development and long term management services. To the extent a capability or legal right would involve the cooperation or involvement of a third party, the basis for such involvement shall be described and assurances that the cooperation or involvement would be forthcoming shall be provided. A statement of interest shall not exceed 30 pages in length. In order to assess the capability and resources of development team members, USSAH requires the information specified below. Developers may submit additional material that they believe will assist USSAH in evaluating the ability of any development team participant. Should USSAH need additional information, it will request an authorized representative (agent) to submit the necessary material. Submissions that are deemed incomplete and/or do not include all requested information will be judged not acceptable. None the less, this will not disqualify the respondents from receiving a RFP. Where a request for information by USSAH does not apply or evokes a negative response, the respondent shall provide a brief narrative addressing the reasons. Information about Development Team Members In order to assess the capability and resources of the development team members to carry out the proposed development, USSAH requires the following information:  The name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of each principal, partner, or co-venturer participating in the development entity, of the architect, and of each of the other professionals associated with the development team; the name of a representative (agent) authorized to act on behalf of the development entity; and for each professional associated with the development team, the name of a representative (agent) authorized to act on its behalf;  Identification of any affiliation or other relationship between any of the members of the development team responding to this offering and any development company, partner company, or subsidiary; and  Identification of any relationship between any member of a respondent to this Request and any member of USSAH's staff or its agents, Armed Forces Retirement Home including staff, any other government agency staff that provides oversight and/ or services to said agency and any private firm with which a member of Armed Forces Retirement Board member is affiliated. Experience and Qualifications of the Developer To evaluate the capability of each developer submitting a statement of interest, USSAH requires the following information:  If the developer is not an individual doing business under his own name, a description of the status of his organization (whether a corporation, a non-profit or charitable institution, a partnership, a business association, or a joint venture) indicating the jurisdiction under whose laws it is organized and operating, and a brief history of the organization and its principals;  Identification of the principals, partners, or co-venturers participating in the development who have entered into a written agreement to be part of the development entity, and a copy of the written agreement;  The nature and share of each participant's financial investment in the project or the development entity and financial interest in the project or the development entity and the role each has in the development project;  Identification of all relevant developments with which each principal, partner, or co-venturer participating in the development entity has been involved;  Illustrative material of projects undertaken by each participating principal, partner, or co-venturer that demonstrates his ability to develop the site, and the name and address for each project identified, the name and telephone number of persons familiar with the development who will respond to inquiries from USSAH, and the developer's role in each project;  The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least four references for each participating principal, partner, or co-venturer, and a letter authorizing each reference to respond to inquires from USSAH; for the developer, two of the references should be employees of lending institutions from which the developer previously obtained permanent financing and one of the references should be a staff member of a public agency who has reviewed a proposal from the developer or who has negotiated an agreement with the developer;  If available, the most current report from Dun & Bradstreet or other recognized reporting service for each participating principal, partner, or co-venturer, or any relevant business entity; and  A description of the applicant's staff capability to carry out the project, including resumes of all staff who would be assigned to the project and their roles on the project, and, if the developer intends to hire additional staff, an estimated timetable for doing so. Experience and Qualifications of the Design Professionals To evaluate the capability of the design professionals who will be involved, USSAH requires the following information:  The name of the principal designer in each firm who will be directly responsible for work on the project.  Illustrative material of projects designed by each of the design professionals, including the name and address of each project as well as the name and telephone number of the client and other persons familiar with the development who would respond to inquiries from USSAH, and, for each project, the firm's role as well as the role of the principal designer who will be directly responsible for work on the project; and, USSAH requires the following information for each person or organization:  A copy of any written agreement between the development entity and each design firm that describes the nature and extent of the work to be performed by each design firm and that describes the responsibilities of each design firm. Experience and Qualifications of Other Associated Professionals To understand the scope of work to be performed and to evaluate the experience and qualifications of other professionals participating in the proposed development:  Identification of each person or firm, the nature and extent of the work each will perform, and the relationship of each person or firm to the development entity, as well as a copy of any written agreement between the development entity and each person or firm that describes the responsibilities of each party; and  A description of the past experience of each person or firm and, where applicable, illustrative material that demonstrates the quality of the firm's performance. Each applicant is invited to submit additional material believed to be pertinent in order to evaluate the ability of each participant in the proposed development. Should USSAH require additional information, it will request the authorized representative to submit the necessary material. STATEMENT OF LIMITATIONS USSAH represents that this request, submissions from developers responding to this request, and any relationship between USSAH and developers arising from this request are subject to the specific limitations and representations expressed below, as well as the terms contained elsewhere in this document.  The Armed Forces Retirement Home, including the U.S. Soldiers' & Airmen's Home, is a Federal agency created by an Act of Congress (Public Law 101 510 and authorized by Public Law 106-65 to convey said 49 (plus or minus) acre East Campus (North Capital Street Campus) by lease or sale pursuant to the approved appraisal  This Request does not constitute an offer by USSAH to sell or lease property. This Request is an invitation to solicit private development interest with respect to the described 49+ acre site.  Notwithstanding prior contacts with developers, USSAH represents that it has made no commitments to developers regarding any potential development of the site. Any future selection as a result of a Request For Proposals, if any, of a developer for this parcel will be made solely on the basis of responses to that Request for Proposals and on any additional information USSAH obtains through this request and any future selection process.  Each person or entity submitting a statement of interest is herewith informed that USSAH will be conducting an open and frank inquiry of the representations made in the submissions. If any party's reputation for veracity or professional competence is brought into question as a result of such inquiry, USSAH and its agents will not be subject to liability or any claim for damages. Further, USSAH will not be liable for any disruption that may result with any on-going negotiation(s) between a respondent to this Request and any other party that could inadvertently be disturbed by USSAH's inquiry.  This Request requires all development team members to disclose any relationship with members of Armed Forces Retirement Home including staff, any other government agency staff that provides oversight and/ or services to said agency and with any private firm with which a member of Armed Forces Retirement Home Board is affiliated. Upon review of this information, if it appears that there is a mutual affiliation, USSAH will notify the Armed Forces Retirement Home Board and the applicable respondent/ individual. The respondent/ individual must then take the necessary steps to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. The Federal conflict of interest law (18 U.S.C. 201) applies to this competition.  USSAH's policies and procedures do not permit substantive discussions or communications between respondents and members of the Armed Forces Retirement Home Board as well as its agents prior to completion of any selection process.  USSAH reserves the right to retain all materials submitted in response to this Request.  By responding to this Request, the respondent acknowledges and accepts USSAH's rights as set forth in the Request, including this Statement of Limitations. Request means all the documents included in this Request, including Appendices and drawings provided through hard copy and digital means.  USSAH recommends that developers inspect the site and surrounding areas, compare the economic components of the transaction with those of other investments currently operating or being offered, and consult with their tax advisors or attorneys concerning the tax implications of the transaction. Developers should rely only on their own observations, investigations and conclusions in deciding to submit a statement of interest.  Respondents are advised to obtain local counsel.  As a Federal agency, USSAH is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) (FOIA). Under the FOIA, the public, upon request, has access to all records of USSAH except those that fall within the narrow exceptions the law provides. One exception permits USSAH to refuse to disclose confidential financial and commercial information received from private sources. Any such information that the developer provides shall be so marked. USSAH will endeavor to maintain the confidentiality of all information received in response to this Request, consistent with the requirements of the FOIA. Each respondent to this Request will be advised if USSAH receives a FOIA request for records containing information supplied. The respondent will then be afforded an opportunity to object to the release and to respond in a manner deemed to be appropriate (See 36 CFR 902 for further information.)  USSAH is also subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) (the Privacy Act). Individuals (but not proprietorships, businesses, corporations, or other entities) are afforded protection under the Privacy Act. Accordingly, individuals who provide information by means of this Request are advised of the following: Pursuant to Section 384 of Public Law106-65, USSAH has broad authority and a mandate to prepare and implement a plan to lease and/or sell the 49 (plus or minus) acre tract easterly of North Capitol Street. Integral to carrying out the plan is the need to solicit from prospective developers relevant information necessary to evaluate development proposals submitted to USSAH. USSAH considers solicitation of information necessary for that determination. Information submitted will not become part of any system of records established and maintained by USSAH pursuant to the Privacy Act. Failure to provide relevant and necessary information may make the submission incomplete and judged not acceptable.  All material considered proprietary and/ or trade secret(s) as related to the operation of a corporation/ business in a competitive climate shall be annotated accordingly by the respondent to advise USSAH of its sensitivity; that disclosure is inimical to the named respondent's business operations; and that its ability to compete would be compromised if disclosure occurred. LINKURL: www.AFRH.com APPENDICES: The CD-R titled USSAH Development Opportunity containing the below referenced materials is available by calling (202) 730-3003 or writing USSAH Development Opportunity, U.S. Soldiers' & Airmen's Home, 3700 North Capitol Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20317 1. The Appraisal, Millenium Real Estate Advisors, LLP (redacted) 2. Report of Title, Schedules A & B only, Chicago Title 3. Legal Description, LAWGIBB GROUP 4. Phase II Environmental Survey Executive Summary, Letter of Transmittal & Report on Fill Material, LAWGIBB GROUP 5. Enabling Legislation 6. Applicable Enterprise Zone Description 7. Digital Map with Annotated Major Existing Institutions & Uses

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20000920/SSOL009.HTM (W-262 SN497691)