Project Information

Bid Title

Public - Private Partnership for the Design, Construction, and Operation of a New Hotel (Lodge) at Cumberland Mountain State Park- UPDATED

Issuing Agency

State Government of Tennessee

Location

Tennessee

Published Date

Nov 6, 2025

Closing Date

Nov 21, 2025

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

RFI 32701-26-089

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Document ID & Hyperlink:	RFI 32701-26-089 Amendment 1
Event Start - Response Due:	10/10/2025 11/21/2025
Event Name:	Public - Private Partnership for the Design, Construction, and Operation of a New Hotel (Lodge) at Cumberland Mountain State Park- UPDATED
Last Updated:	11/06/2025

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STATE OF TENNESSEE

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

FOR

Public - Private Partnership for the Design, Construction, and Operation of a New

Hotel (Lodge) at Cumberland Mountain State Park

1. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

RFI # 32701-26-089

October 10, 2025

The State of Tennessee, Department of Environment and Conservation issues this Request for

Information (“RFI”) for the purpose of gathering market insight, understanding vendor capabilities,

and learning how similar successful partnerships have been structured. Respondents must have

interest and experience in public private partnerships for hotel design, construction and

operations. Responses to this RFI will help inform a future Request for Proposals (RFP). We

appreciate your input and participation in this process.

2. BACKGROUND:

Tennessee State Parks is seeking information from experienced vendors interested in entering

into a public-private partnership (P3) for the design, construction, and operation of a new select

service boutique style hotel at Cumberland Mountain State Park. Located minutes off I-40, just

West of Knoxville, the Cumberland Mountain State Park exists as a testament to the beauty and

architectural achievements of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Byrd Lake forms the central

feature of the park. With cabin and campground facilities and activities like fishing, paddling,

mountain biking, hiking, and golfing on a Jack Nicklaus signature course make this a wonderful

vacation destination for any traveler. Cumberland Mountain State Park also serves as a great

launch point for other adventures in the area, like waterfall chasing at Ozone Falls or rock

climbing at Black Mountain. More information on Cumberland Mountain State Park can be found

here: Cumberland Mountain State Park — Tennessee State Parks.

3. COMMUNICATIONS:

3.1. Please submit your response to this RFI via email to:

Lindsay Oliveras, Senior Sourcing Advisor

Department of Environment and Conservation

Davy Crockett Tower, 6th Floor

500 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37243

(629) 219-6003

Lindsay.Oliveras@TN.gov

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RFI # 32701-26-089

3.2. Please feel free to contact the Department of Environment and Conservation with any

questions regarding this RFI. The main point of contact will be:

Lindsay Oliveras, Senior Sourcing Advisor

Department of Environment and Conservation

Davy Crockett Tower, 6th Floor

500 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37243

(629) 219-6003

Lindsay.Oliveras@TN.gov

3.3. Please reference RFI # 32701-26-089 with all communications to this RFI.

4. RFI SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

EVENT

1. RFI Issued

2. RFI Response Deadline

TIME

DATE

(Central Time (all dates are State

Zone)

business days)

October 10, 2025

2:00 p.m.

November 7, 2025

5. GENERAL INFORMATION:

5.1. Please note that responding to this RFI is not a prerequisite for responding to any future

solicitations related to this project and a response to this RFI will not create any contract

rights. Responses to this RFI will become property of the State.

5.2. The information gathered during this RFI is part of an ongoing procurement. In order to

prevent an unfair advantage among potential respondents, the RFI responses will not be

available until after the completion of evaluation of any responses, proposals, or bids

resulting from a Request for Qualifications, Request for Proposals, Invitation to Bid or other

procurement method. In the event that the state chooses not to go further in the

procurement process and responses are never evaluated, the responses to the

procurement including the responses to the RFI, will be considered confidential by the

State.

5.3. The State will not pay for any costs associated with responding to this RFI.

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RFI # 32701-26-089

6. INFORMATIONAL FORMS:

The State is requesting the following information from all interested parties. Please fill out the

following forms:

RFI #32701-26-089

TECHNICAL INFORMATIONAL FORM

1. RESPONDENT LEGAL ENTITY NAME:

2. RESPONDENT CONTACT PERSON:

Name, Title:

Address:

Phone Number:

Email:

3. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EXPERIENCE PROVIDING SIMILAR SCOPE OF

SERVICES/PRODUCTS

4. Provide number of years in operation.

5. Provide ownership structure and parent or subsidiary relationships.

6. Provide an overview of relevant business lines including lodging, hospitality, construction, and

private public partnerships (P3).

7. Provide a description of lodging construction and/or operations on public lands or with

government agencies.

8. Provide a description of any experience as a long-term leaseholder or concessionaire on public

lands.

9. Provide a typical time frame for site due diligence, design development, preconstruction

approvals, construction, and preopening preparations including staffing and training. Identify

any risks or bottlenecks in the timeline from past experience.

10. Identify potential risks, common roadblocks, and mitigation strategies for a successful P3.

11. Describe your approach to site analysis and environmental sensitivity. Include how your design

and scale recommendations are informed by the unique characteristics of rural, tourism-driven

destinations.

12. Describe the technology and tools used to monitor guest experience and track performance

metrics. Include details on data collection methods, reporting capabilities, and how insights are

used to improve customer service.

13. Describe willingness and ability to utilize or interface with the current and/or future reservation

system(s) used by Tennessee State Parks. Include your experience with API integrations and

the ability to connect with tnstateparks.com.

14. Describe your approach to ensuring alignment with current and/or future Tennessee State

Parks branding across both physical environments and digital platforms. Include examples of

how brand standards will be incorporated into signage, materials, websites, and guest

interactions.

15. Describe your approach to integrating outdoor recreation opportunities into operations and

guest experiences.

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RFI # 32701-26-089

16. Provide examples of KPI-based compensation or accountability mechanisms in other

partnerships.

17. Describe your general approach to structuring P3 arrangements including:

- Ground lease, concession, or management contract models

- Base rent vs. percentage-of-revenue payments

- Capital investment responsibilities (entirely private or shared)

- Length of partnership

- Approach to the transfer of partnership at the end of the agreement.

- Other

18. Provide your level of interest in submitting a proposal if an RFP is issued. Please include a

preferred partnership model and include conditions or support that would make a proposal

more likely.

19. Optional Attachments/Exhibits

- Pro forma financial model (optional)

- Sample lease or concession agreement used in prior P3

- Organizational chart

- Sustainability certifications or green construction experience

- Letters of recommendation or references from public agencies

- Links to similar project portfolios

COST INFORMATIONAL FORM

1. Describe what pricing units you typically utilize for similar services or goods (e.g., per hour, each,

etc.:

2. Describe the typical price range for similar services or goods

3. Provide financial structure and preferred compensation models.

4. Provide examples of past compensation terms, length of terms and renewal options.

5. Provide estimated cost-per-key for lodge construction, and soft cost ranges.

6. Provide preferred pricing model for guests, operating cost benchmarks and return on investment

expectations or an internal rate of return target.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Please provide input on alternative approaches or additional things to consider that might benefit

the State:

2. Please provide a site analysis of potential locations for the lodge, with the understanding final site

location will be determined by the state.

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RFI # 32701-26-089

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 236220Commercial and Institutional Building Construction

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