Project Information

Bid Title

Blaine Comprehensive Plan Technical Assistance and Engagement Services

Issuing Agency

City of Blaine

Location

Minnesota

Published Date

May 15, 2026

Closing Date

Jun 24, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	Blaine Comprehensive Plan Technical Assistance and Engagement Services
Category:	Community Development
Status:	Open

Description: The City of Blaine is seeking qualified consultants to provide technical assistance and engagement services in support of a staff-lead comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan must comply with all minimum requirements as published by the Metropolitan Council and will also include an Economic Development chapter. Consulting teams should have experience in land use, housing, and transportation planning and experience working on comprehensive plans for developing communities. City staff will prepare all maps, and draft all plan text, except as specifically identified in the scope of work. All questions must be submitted in writing to For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. by June 5, 2026 and responses will be posted no later than June 10, 2026. Responses must be submitted via email to For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. no later than Wednesday June 24 at 4:00 PM. Publication Date/Time: 5/15/2026 8:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 6/24/2026 4:00 PM Related Documents: Blaine Comprehensive Plan RFP

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Request for Proposal

2050 Comprehensive Plan

Technical Assistance and Engagement Services

Proposal due date: June 24, 2026 4:00 PM

Closing date for all questions: June 5, 2026 4:00 PM

Tentative approval of contract date: July 20, 2026

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2

Scope of Services.......................................................................................................................................... 3

Proposal format and content...................................................................................................................... 5

General rules................................................................................................................................................. 5

Evaluation and selection ............................................................................................................................. 6

Legal Notices................................................................................................................................................. 8

Reference Documents ................................................................................................................................. 9

Introduction

Project overview

The City of Blaine is seeking qualified consultants to provide technical assistance and

engagement services in support of a staff-lead comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan

must comply with all minimum requirements as published by the Metropolitan Council and will

also include an Economic Development chapter. Consulting teams should have experience in

land use, housing, and transportation planning and experience working on comprehensive plans

for developing communities. City staff will prepare all maps, and draft all plan text, except as

specifically identified in the scope of work.

An overall budget for the project has not been established. The 2026 budget allots $30,000 for

Comprehensive Plan Preparation. Additional budget will be allocated for 2027 and 2028.

City Background

Blaine is a municipality located in Anoka County in the Northern Twin Cities Metropolitan Area

with a population of approximately 75,000, currently ranking as the 10th largest city in the state,

and is one of the fastest growing cities in Minnesota and the largest in Anoka County. Since its

incorporation in 1964, Blaine has grown steadily with an increase of approximately 10,000

residents per decade, resulting in a community with diverse housing stock with single family

homes, townhomes/twin homes, and apartment buildings built in each decade. The City has

approximately 2,300 manufactured homes, across six land lease communities, the largest

number in the Twin Cities metro by a large margin. Approximately 800 acres of greenfield

residential development remain in addition to scattered infill residential development sites.

The City has commercial development typical of second and third ring suburbs with limited

undeveloped commercial land. The City has a strong industrial sector including small scale

industrial parks dating to the 1960s and 70s, large speculative office/warehouse construction

currently underway, and everything in between. Due to the age of the community, several

opportunities for redevelopment of obsolete commercial and industrial sites exist. A plan for the

redevelopment and revitalization of the Northtown Mall area was approved by the City Council

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in 2022 and implementation of the plan in partnership with private landowners remains a

priority over the upcoming regional planning cycle.

Unique features include the Anoka County Airport (the second busiest reliever airport in the

metro area), the National Sports Center, a PGA golf course (Tournament Players Club), and a

521-acre city owned wetland sanctuary.

Scope of Services

The City of Blaine is seeking a consultant to provide technical assistance on components of the

comprehensive plan and to lead community engagement for the plan. City staff will complete

the drafting of the plan with that technical assistance. All maps listed in the minimum

requirements will be created by staff.

Technical Assistance with Land Use Map

Development of the land use map will be staff led, with technical assistance from the selected

consultant. Staff expects several changes to the land use map, including:

1. Review and modification of the land use categories to simplify and provide flexibility

2. Review of developed parcels and correction to land use classification to align with

developed condition

3. Review of undeveloped parcels and redevelopment targets for potential classification

changes due to changing conditions, goals, and compliance with Met Council density

requirements.

4. No changes to the MUSA are expected. If a MUSA change is proposed, additional services

may be sought under the contract with the selected vendor.

Technical assistance with establishing simple, yet flexible, land use categories and review of

iterations of land use maps for compliance with density requirements is sought under this

proposal. Proposal should account for:

1. One brainstorming meeting with city staff

2. Three rounds of iterative review of land use map scenarios (each review may include

multiple scenarios). Review should include calculations necessary to determine compliance

with density requirements and LGAH requirements and suggestions to achieve

compliance, if applicable.

3. Technical assistance responding to Met Council comments on land use map following plan

submission.

4. Adjustments to Transportation Analysis Zones based on the land use map

City Council Facilitation

The majority of City Council discussions related to the Comprehensive Plan will be lead by staff,

however consultant assistance is being sought for facilitation of three 30-60 minute discussions

in a workshop or retreat setting on high impact or controversial topics. Workshop meetings are

held at 5:30 on the first three Mondays of the month. Consultant schedules can be

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accommodated when scheduling workshop sessions within the available meeting dates.

Expected topics include land use map changes and identification of housing needs and

strategies.

Community Engagement

Community engagement is expected to be consultant lead and staff supported. Community

engagement goals and opportunities should be established between the consultant and staff.

Written summaries of all completed engagement activities and findings for each must be

prepared by the consultant.

Proposal should account for six different engagement activities reaching a variety of groups.

Expected groups/events for in person engagement include, but are not limited to:

• Sizzlin’ Summer and Oktoberfest events hosted by the City of Blaine

• Blaine Business Council and/or MetroNorth Chamber

• Middle or high school students

• Mary Ann Young Center (senior programs)

• Manufactured home park residents

• Standard open house events

Proposal should account for two of each of the following:

• Half day tabling events (1 city staff, 1 or 2 consultant staff)

• Two standard 2 hour open house events (2 city staff, 2 consultant staff)

• Two 60-90 minute targeted engagement activities (2 consultant staff)

Consultant will be responsible for preparing materials and program for engagement activities, in

consultation with city staff. Maps that are required elements of the comprehensive plan will be

provided to the consultant by City staff for use in engagement materials. Consultant will prepare

a written summary of findings from each event.

If budget allows, additional targeted engagement activities will be included in the contract.

Please specify the cost of additional targeted engagement activities.

Consultant will prepare and manage two online surveys to be promoted by the City

communications staff and through established community relationships with City staff.

Consultant to provide raw survey data and a written summary of findings. The City may also

utilize FlashVote for short topic specific surveys in addition to the two larger consultant managed

surveys.

The City will also utilize an advisory committee, however no consultant support for that

committee is requested.

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Plan Components:

Depending on cost, the City expects to include the following technical components in the

contract with the selected vendor. If costs do not allow, one or more of the technical

components will be removed from the scope of work.

1. Recommendations for natural systems improvement strategies including:

a. Review of applicable subdivision and zoning code language for opportunities to

improve protection of high quality terrestrial resources identified by staff.

b. Review of open space management plan and tree survey of public property and

recommend improvement initiatives for natural systems improvement on the

following City owned open spaces:

i. Laddie Lake Park (Site 1)

ii. Lochness Park (Site 3)

iii. Legacy Creek Open Space (Site 5 and adjacent 10 acres not included in

original plan)

iv. Kane Meadows Park and Open Space (Sites 8, 9, 10, 11)

2. Preparation of data for maps and required text for minimum requirements 2 and 4-8 of

the Transportation minimum requirements. Maps will be prepared by City Staff with data

provided by consultant.

Proposal format and content

Complete proposals must include:

1. Cover letter

2. Firm and team description, including relevant experience

3. Project understanding and approach, including approach to supporting comprehensive

plan preparation in a technical assistance capacity

4. Scope of work and deliverables

5. Project budget and fee proposal

6. References from at least two municipal clients

7. Examples of relevant, recent comprehensive planning projects

General rules

RFP overview

This Request for Proposals ("RFP") is an invitation for Proposers to submit a proposal to the City.

It is not to be construed as an official and customary request for bids, but as a means by which

the City canfacilitate the acquisition of information related to the purchase of services. Any

proposal submitted is a suggestion to negotiate and NOT A BID.

Estimated timeline and extension of time

Friday May 15

Friday June 5

City publishes Request for Proposals

Deadline for submitting written questions

5

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
• NAICS 541690Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
• NAICS 541990All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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