NEW ROCHELLE, NY (August 28, 2025) — The City of New Rochelle issued a request for proposals last month seeking consulting services to develop recommendations for a revitalization and future activation plan for the former historic barn property at Ward Acres Park. The city hopes to eventually transform the current property into a functional space for programming and public special events.
SEE: New Rochelle Seeks Consultants for Site of Demolished Barn at Ward Acres Park
Ward Acres Nature Preserve in New Rochelle, NY, is a 62-acre park that was acquired by the city in 1962 with state funding assistance, and it includes deed restrictions designating the property specifically for passive recreation
A pre-proposal site visit was hosted on September 9 and questions submitted to the city.
Questions and Answers from Potential Bidders
As of September 19, 2025, the City of New Rochelle has released two sets of questions and answers from potential bidders on RFP 5818. These Q&As provide additional clarity on the project’s scope, expectations, and logistical details. Below is a compilation of the questions and the city’s responses, drawn from official documents.
First Set of Q&A (September 19, 2025)
- Will the city be doing any additional demolition or clearing of existing structures on the site other than what has been done to date?
Way down the line if we ever go to bid one day for renovations. Has nothing to do with this proposal. - Will the project scoping meeting (task 1) include any of the external/community stakeholders identified in task 2, or is the scoping meeting intended only between the consultant and City personnel?
We would meet internally before they start meeting with public stakeholders. - Task 2 requests ‘updated aerial photographs.’ Is aerial photography from publicly available resources acceptable, or is the City looking for the consultant to provide services to develop new aerial photography of the site?
I’m okay with publicly available aerial photography, as long as it’s updated. - Are GIS-level mapping from publicly available and city supplied resources appropriate for mapping existing boundaries and juxtaposing potential uses? Or is the City looking for the consultant to provide a boundary and/or topographic survey to develop the mapping?
Not necessary. - For Task 2, can we assume meetings will be required with all of the agencies/community stakeholders identified in the RFP? Is it also expected that the consultant meet with the agencies/community stakeholders identified in the 2022 master plan?
Master plan stakeholders was different — we would identify and control the stakeholder meetings and who is relevant and important now. - For Task 2, what support can the consultant expect from the City in acquiring public input? (communications, facilitation of meetings, etc.)?
We will definitely assist as best we can — parks, dept, communications dept, etc. Chosen firm will not be expected to handle the marketing & public relations/communication for the public input phases. - Does the City have any existing environmental assessments of the site? Is it anticipated that the consultant will perform an environmental assessment to identify any necessary environmental remediation?
This is a creative ideas phase — I think this would be relevant for the next phase — when work actually commenced on the site. - Is there any existing traffic data (traffic volume, crash studies, site line issues or constraints) available for Quaker Ridge Road, Pinebrook Blvd, Broadfield Road, or any other roadways adjacent to the site?
There is a 2019 traffic study from Barton & LoGiudice that we would share. - Regarding the financial model for the potential program development in Task 3, the RFP states that it is looking for ‘net operating income’. Is the City looking for income-producing proposals for the site, or is the City open to all ideas for uses of the site? Can the City provide examples and/or fee tables for the use of park amenities?
Net income and revenue from the site would eventually be long term goal — the first goal, is to have productive plans/ideas/game-plans to activate the site in the near future. - As we understand, stakeholders would like the project’s programming to be of a more passive use. Can you please define ‘passive’ with regard to stakeholder intent and/or the property’s deed restrictions?
Passive recreation refers to leisure activities that are low-impact and do not require significant physical exertion, allowing individuals to relax and enjoy their surroundings. It is generally unorganized and noncompetitive. These activities are characterized by their low physical demands and focus on relaxation and enjoyment of the environment. - Is there a set budget for this phase of the project or its overall design and construction?
There will be an evaluation of all submittals that are turned in, dependent upon the quality, and what our approved current budget is at the time. Please remember that this is the creative / reimagination phase and does not require any construction. - Is archaeology needed to develop the site?
This is just the creative design phase – this may be relevant for the next steps. - What is the property entitlement process? What is the approval process for developing the site, i.e. SHPO, etc.?
The City owns the property. - Is there a topographic survey of the barn site? If so, when was it done?
Survey was done in 2025 – waiting on results. - How far away are the bathrooms from the site and what is the capacity of the bathrooms in construction?
The bathrooms are going to be on the corner of Quaker Ridge Rd and Broadfield – more along side Quaker Ridge. There will be 2 unisex ADA individual bathrooms. - Are we able to submit our proposal as double-paged spreads, each page 11×8.5in, or are we only allowed to submit it as separate single-pages of 11×8.5in?
Single sided please.
These Q&As highlight the city’s emphasis on this being an initial creative and planning phase, with more technical assessments (like environmental or archaeological work) deferred to future stages.
Photo credit: https://www.wardacresconservancy.org/
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.
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