Project Information

Bid Title

Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan - RFQ

Issuing Agency

Liberal city

Location

Kansas

Published Date

Dec 11, 2025

Closing Date

Jan 30, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan - RFQ
Category:	City Projects
Status:	Open
Bid Recipient:	Q

Description: The City of Liberal is seeking qualified planning, urban design and/or economic development consulting firms to create a Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan. The community of Liberal envisions a vibrant, mixed-use downtown corridor that is the economic and social heart of the community. The Plan will develop a well-defined future vision for Downtown Liberal, with an executable strategy ensuring its sustainability and success for future generations. As part of the planning activities, the consultant shall develop and implement a plan to engage the community and downtown stakeholders and incorporate their feedback into the Plan meaningfully, equitably and regularly. The Plan will consider and evaluate past efforts and studies in order to produce a Master Plan which assesses current economic and market data; identifies market opportunities for additional retail, office, civic, and residential uses; and provides visual design depictions for transportation systems, infrastructure, streetscape, and public space components which support redevelopment goals. The final plan will be utilized by the City, developers, and Downtown stakeholders as a guide towards achieving the future vision. Please refer to the document provided for details on the scope of services expected to be completed by the selected Consultants. Publication Date/Time: 12/11/2025 8:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 1/30/2026 11:00 AM Submittal Information: Submit one (1) digital file copy to: scarlette.diseker@cityofliberal.org. Contact Person: All inquiries regarding the RFQ may be directed to: Keeley Young, Chief Communications Officer (620) 626-2257 keeley.young@cityofliberal.org Qualifications: RFQ Requirements A qualified firm must include the following information with their submitted qualifications profile: •        A resume sampling of personnel to be assigned to the City along with an indication of their roles and responsibilities. Please highlight leadership personnel information for your firm and any firms that you should team or partner with. •        A description of all services available to the City from the firm. •        At least three (3) professional client references for the firm as a whole. If submitting as a partnership or team, please include specific work examples and references of where you have worked together. •        A copy of two downtown master plans prepared by, or with the aid of, your firm for communities with similar traits as Downtown Liberal. •        An example of successful engagement strategies from past projects, including the use of interactive tools. •        Provide your proposed detailed work plan schedule timeline. •        Any additional information that the firm considers pertinent for consideration in the response to this Request for Qualifications. •        Any and all conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest shall be disclosed, including any work being done for any landowner or developer in Liberal, Kansas. Special Requirements: Qualification profiles should be submitted to the City of Liberal Administration office no later than January 30, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (Central Standard Time). The consultant shall prepare one (1) digital file copy of the qualification profile and email it to City Manager, Scarlette Diseker (scarlette.diseker@cityofliberal.org), by the submission deadline. All qualification submissions shall become property of the City of Liberal. The City of Liberal is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondent in preparation of a profile submitted in response to this RFQ, conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to this RFQ. The City reserves to right to approve or deny any and all profiles submitted. Miscellaneous: A qualified firm should demonstrate the following minimum qualifications for consideration: •        Significant experience in development of comprehensive downtown master plans. •        Significant experience in surveying downtown property owners, tenants, various downtown citizen groups and facilitating public information forums and developing tools for citizen participation in the planning process. •        Evidence to demonstrate a depth of knowledge of and experience in developing funding strategies, including local and national incentive programs. •        Evidence to demonstrate a depth of knowledge of and experience in developing downtown design themes. •        Applicable experience in and knowledge of basic legal issues related to land use planning. •        Experience in landscape architecture and development of landscaping related designs and plans. •        Experience in analysis of traffic flow and parking logistics as it relates to downtown planning. Related Documents: Downtown Liberal Redevelopment RFQ

Attachment Preview

DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

ISSUED DECEMBER 11, 2025

General Information & Overview

The City of Liberal is seeking qualified planning, urban design and/or economic development consulting firms to create a

Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan. The community of Liberal envisions a vibrant, mixed-use downtown corridor that is the

economic and social heart of the community. The Plan will develop a well-defined future vision for Downtown Liberal, with an

executable strategy ensuring its sustainability and success for future generations. As part of the planning activities, the

consultant shall develop and implement a plan to engage the community and downtown stakeholders and incorporate their

feedback into the Plan meaningfully, equitably and regularly. The Plan will consider and evaluate past efforts and studies in

order to produce a Master Plan which assesses current economic and market data; identifies market opportunities for additional

retail, office, civic, and residential uses; and provides visual design depictions for transportation systems, infrastructure,

streetscape, and public space components which support redevelopment goals. The final plan will be utilized by the City,

developers, and Downtown stakeholders as a guide towards achieving the future vision. The City of Liberal; hereinafter referred

to as the City, will accept requests for qualifications in the Administrative offices at City Hall, 324 N. Kansas Ave., Liberal,

Kansas, until 11:00 a.m. CDT, January 30, 2026.

City/Downtown Background

The City of Liberal was founded in 1888 and is home to nearly 20,000 residents. The city is located in Seward County at the

intersection of Highway 54 and Highway 83 in Southwest Kansas. There are approximately 6,386 households in our community

with 11.4 square miles of land within city limits. Our population is young, with a median age of 30.9 years. The 2023 median

household income was $61,875. Liberal is a culturally diverse community, with more than 29% of our population being born

outside of the country. More than 68% of residents in our community are Hispanic/Latino. The largest employer in the city is a

beef processing and packing plant. Liberal High School is classified as a 6A school with nearly 1,400 students enrolled. Seward

County Community College serves as a critical postsecondary education institution with a variety of programs, including several

technical trades, healthcare occupations, business, education agriculture, and more. The primary economic drivers in our

community consist of agricultural, transportation, and light manufacturing industries.

Downtown Liberal is home to numerous historical buildings and locally owned retail shops, eateries, and service-based

businesses. A Core Commercial District delineates the Downtown zone as the area north of the Union Pacific rail-line from Trail

Street to 6th Street between Grant Ave. and Pennsylvania Ave. Kansas Avenue serves as Liberal’s “main street” and is a heavily

traveled arterial road and former highway. Significant infrastructure improvements and business revitalization has occurred on

Second Street in this district in recent years. The historic cornerstone of our Downtown district includes the side-by-side Grier

House and Depot buildings, which are registered historic sites. These buildings served travelers along the Rock Island Railroad

and were a welcoming space for newcomers to our city. Both buildings are owned and maintained by the City of Liberal. A map

of the Core Commercial District has been provided as a related document. The City desires to have the Consultant use

community feedback and studies to define the boundaries and identify which areas should be included in our Downtown

Redevelopment project.

Current Plans

Downtown redevelopment needs were identified in the “Launch Liberal 2035 Comprehensive Plan which was adopted in 2025.

A copy of this plan is available at www.cityofliberal.org/launchliberal. The City wishes to incorporate many of the goals and

action items identified in this plan to guide the Downtown Redevelopment vision.

Steering Committee

A steering committee may be formed with Downtown stakeholders for feedback on the development of the Plan. The composition

or role of the steering committee may be determined by the consultant, in coordination with the City of Liberal.

Project Management Team

City Administration staff will be assigned to managing the City’s role in this project and assisting the Consultant with gathering

local data and coordinating with the Steering Committee and Stakeholders.

Scope of Services

The objective of this process is to prepare a comprehensive Downtown Redevelopment Master Plan which creates a vision for

Downtown Liberal and includes a detailed strategic implementation program with prioritized actions. The final Plan will be used

as a guide by the City and other stakeholders to promote redevelopment, enhance the downtown retail market, increase

business opportunities, improve pedestrian and bicycle accessibility and safety, and ensure consistency in development and

design standards to create a distinct downtown identity that is unique to Liberal. With oversight from City staff as well as guidance

from a project steering committee, the selected Consultant team will lead the planning process and develop project deliverables

as outlined within this RFQ. The intent of the Scope of Services provided below is to serve as a framework, which consultants

can use to develop a more detailed qualification profile and scope of services based on their professional expertise and

knowledge. The City asks Consultants to present an efficient, effective scope of services, which ensures the project objectives

are met. The final scope of services and costs will be negotiated with the selected Consultants in conjunction with City staff prior

to contract approval. The anticipated budget range for services performed is between $70,000 to $95,000. The Consultant is

expected to provide interpretation and identification of deliverables or milestones it believes are integral to the project in the

submitted proposal. The following Scope of Services are provided as a general framework and are to be incorporated into the

Consultant’s proposed scope of work. However, the proposed scope of work is not limited to these elements.

• Project Management – The Consultant will take the lead in managing their time, staff, resources, budget, and related

activities to ensure that the project objectives are met. The Consultant will be in close communication with assigned

City staff throughout the life of the project. City staff will provide general oversight of the Consultant and will help to

facilitate interactions with City staff, board/committee members, the general public, and project stakeholders.

• Public & Stakeholder Participation – The Consultant shall be responsible for developing and implementing a

comprehensive public and stakeholder participation strategy that is best suited to meet project objectives. Special

arrangements will need to be included to facilitate multilingual outreach for our Spanish-speaking residents and

stakeholders. The Consultant should facilitate conversation amongst all stakeholders in order to build consensus and

clarity around preferred strategy and associated action steps necessary to strengthen Downtown Liberal. The City will

assist in establishing a project steering committee, which should be incorporated into the proposed engagement

process. The project engagement strategy should be geared towards successful plan implementation, and not just

Plan creation.

• Market Analysis, Existing Conditions, & Data Analysis – The Consultant will work to understand the market

conditions, context, trends, and related information applicable to the Downtown area in relation to the larger community.

This information and data will be used to inform the study and to ground the study in objectivity.

• Vision & Goal Setting – The Consultant will work with the City and project stakeholders to develop a broadly supported

and achievable vision and related goals for Downtown Liberal. The vision and goals shall build upon the “Launch Liberal

2035” Comprehensive Plan goals and related action items.

• Plan Focus Areas – While other focus areas may be identified during the planning process, the City desires for the

Master Plan to focus on the following interrelated topics areas:

o Placemaking (including Urban Design, Activity, & Public Art): The City desires to integrate placemaking

efforts as part of the larger Downtown planning effort. It is anticipated that placemaking (in its many forms)

will blend seamlessly with all elements of the project scope, including the other focus areas listed below.

o Business & Economic Development: In recent years, the City has seen some success in the redevelopment

of Downtown through implementation of new policies to activate public events, façade improvement grants

awarded, and rebuilding infrastructure (street, sidewalk, and curb replacements) in pockets of the Downtown

area. The City is interested in exploring the market dynamics affecting current and future downtown business

and development, and in working to maximize the effectiveness of its economic development incentive

programs being offered. The City is also interested in exploring new policy concepts which can help reduce

the number of inactive storefronts in Downtown Liberal.

o Parking & Mobility: Lack of safe and convenient parking has been cited as a deterrent to visitors and potential

developers alike. Kansas Avenue is a four-lane main arterial road through the city with an at-grade railroad

crossing located at the Southern boundary of the Downtown area. The City is interested in exploring traffic

data studies in the plan which show the impact of possible parking and transportation configurations on vehicle

traffic in the Downtown area. Safe, ADA accessible pedestrian access and alternative modes of transportation

should also be explored in conjunction with parking and street configuration options.

o Streetscape/Infrastructure: A very important part of the Downtown Master Plan will be to develop a visually

appealing style for Downtown Liberal which features unique spaces that build community pride. The Plan

must include a proposed aesthetic design scheme for unique and long-lasting streetscape components

including hardscape elements, light fixtures, seating, litter receptacles, bike racks, public art, and landscape

plantings which create a cohesive and distinct space. Another component of this is to enhance crosswalks,

pedestrian refuge islands, and sidewalks to improve downtown’s walkability as well as visual appeal. New

paving, seating, and pedestrian scale lighting will improve the sense of safety and facilitate use.

• Plan Development – The Consultant shall document the planning process and outcomes within a final report. The

final report will include an executive summary (or similarly concise overview) in addition to all other relevant information

necessary to effectively convey relative project information.

• Action Plan/Detailed Implementation Strategy – The Consultant will develop a practical action plan for long- and

short-term implementation strategies to achieve study goals and project objectives. The Consultant will be innovative

and proactive in their approach to implementation, in order to ensure the highest chance for success.

• Presentations & Communications – The Consultant will present the final plan and implementation strategy to the

Planning & Zoning Board, Seward County Economic Development Board, the Liberal City Commission, and other

applicable committees as requested. Additionally, the Consultant will work with staff to communicate with project

stakeholders throughout the process, and to present intermediate deliverables and related information to help keep the

community informed.

Project Deliverables

Although the Consultant and/or City may identify additional intermediate deliverables when the final scope of work is negotiated,

it is anticipated that the Downtown Development Master Plan will result in the following primary deliverables. Within their

proposal, Consultants are encouraged to include any additional or alternative deliverables, and the dates/deadlines they feel

would be achievable based on their professional expertise and knowledge.

Primary deliverable:

• A Downtown Development Master Plan document delivered in PDF file format. The Plan should be delivered as an

engaging document, rich with images conveying exciting case studies, diagrams and renderings. Written and graphic

methods are not limited by this RFP. The Plan must help move Liberal towards community goals as identified through

public engagement and steering committee review. At a minimum, the Plan must include the following sections:

o An executive summary of the plan’s findings.

o An overview of the findings of the public involvement phase.

o A summary of the data collection and analysis phase. This summary must include detailed traffic impact studies.

o Findings from economic development studies conducted.

o Review of redevelopment sites including visual concept plans identifying potential development layouts. The

identification of high priority sites to serve as catalyst sites is required. Potential public private partnership

opportunities, and other potential funding scenarios, should be explored for catalyst sites.

o A proposal of public realm improvements, inclusive of roadway and streetscape design improvements (including

visuals) to be made in Downtown Liberal. Identification of common and/or recommended capital funding sources

and cost impacts on operations and maintenance is also required and should be reflected in the implementation

plan as appropriate.

o A summary of findings, including maps, graphics, charts, and photos identifying a unified vision for Downtown

Liberal. This section shall also include goals, objectives and strategies for achieving the overall vision.

o A detailed implementation plan and schedule with measurable benchmarks split between short-term

implementation strategies (0-5 years) and long-term strategies (5-10 years). The implementation plan should

identify specific action items, the party responsible for implementing them, and estimated cost magnitudes.

The items in this list are intended to be the minimum required. The selected consultant may add more information to this list if

they find it valuable to the overall success of the Plan.

RFQ Requirements

A qualified firm must include the following information with their submitted qualifications profile:

• A resume sampling of personnel to be assigned to the City along with an indication of their roles and responsibilities.

Please highlight leadership personnel information for your firm and any firms that you should team or partner with.

• A description of all services available to the City from the firm.

• At least three (3) professional client references for the firm as a whole. If submitting as a partnership or team, please

include specific work examples and references of where you have worked together.

• A copy of two downtown master plans prepared by, or with the aid of, your firm for communities with similar traits as

Downtown Liberal.

• An example of successful engagement strategies from past projects, including the use of interactive tools.

• Provide your proposed detailed work plan schedule timeline.

• Any additional information that the firm considers pertinent for consideration in the response to this Request for

Qualifications.

• Any and all conflicts of interest or potential conflicts of interest shall be disclosed, including any work being done for

any landowner or developer in Liberal, Kansas.

Submission of Qualifications

Qualification profiles should be submitted to the City of Liberal Administration office no later than January 30, 2026, at 11:00

a.m. (Central Standard Time). The consultant shall prepare one (1) digital file copy of the qualification profile and email it to

City Manager, Scarlette Diseker (scarlette.diseker@cityofliberal.org), by the submission deadline.

All qualification submissions shall become property of the City of Liberal. The City of Liberal is not responsible for any costs

incurred by the respondent in preparation of a profile submitted in response to this RFQ, conduct of a presentation, or any other

activities related to this RFQ. The City reserves to right to approve or deny any and all profiles submitted.

Evaluation of Qualifications

A qualified firm should demonstrate the following minimum qualifications for consideration:

• Significant experience in development of comprehensive downtown master plans.

• Significant experience in surveying downtown property owners, tenants, various downtown citizen groups and

facilitating public information forums and developing tools for citizen participation in the planning process.

• Evidence to demonstrate a depth of knowledge of and experience in developing funding strategies, including local and

national incentive programs.

• Evidence to demonstrate a depth of knowledge of and experience in developing downtown design themes.

• Applicable experience in and knowledge of basic legal issues related to land use planning.

• Experience in landscape architecture and development of landscaping related designs and plans.

• Experience in analysis of traffic flow and parking logistics as it relates to downtown planning.

Contact for Questions Regarding RFQ

All inquiries regarding the RFQ may be directed to:

Keeley Young, Chief Communications Officer

(620) 626-2257

keeley.young@cityofliberal.org

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541310Architectural Services
• NAICS 541320Landscape Architectural Services

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