HomeMy WebLinkAboutOpening of Proposals - RAISE Planning Project – The Market District Proj No. 123-053 - Abonmarche Consultants, Inc.
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Project #: 123-053
Affirmative Action Certification (AAC) for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE)
I hereby certify that my company intends to affirmatively seek out and consider Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) certified
by the State of Indiana’s DBE Program and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) DBE Program to participate as part of this
proposal. An Agreement between INDOT and KYTC established reciprocal acceptance of certification of DBE firms in their
respective states under the Unified Certification Program (UCP) pursuant to 49 CFR §26.81(e) and (f).
I acknowledge that this certification is to be made an integral part of this proposal. I understand and agree that the submission of a
blank certification may cause the proposal to be rejected. I certify that I have consulted the following DBE websites to confirm that
the firms listed below are currently certified DBEs:
INDOT: https://entapps.indot.in.gov/DBELocator/
KYTC: https://transportation.ky.gov/Civil-Rights-and-Small-Business-Development/Pages/Certified-DBE-Directory.aspx
I certify that I have contacted the certified DBE’s listed below, and if my company becomes the CONSULTANT, these DBEs have
tentatively agreed to perform the services as indicated. I understand that neither my company nor I will be penalized for DBE
utilization that exceeds the goal. After contract award, any change to the firms listed in this Affirmative Action Certification to be
applied toward the DBE goal must have prior approval by INDOT’s Economic Opportunity Division.
I. DBE Subconsultants to be applied toward DBE goal for the RFP item:
Certified DBE Name Service Planned Estimated Percentage to
be Paid*
%
%
%
%
II. DBE Subconsultants to be utilized beyond the advertised DBE goal for the RFP item:
Certified DBE Name Service Planned Estimated Percentage to
be Paid*
%
%
%
%
Estimated Total Percentage Credited toward DBE Goal:___________
Estimated Percentage of Voluntary DBE Work Anticipated over DBE Goal:__________
Company Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Signature: ___________________________________________ Date: ________________________
∗ It is understood that these individual firm percentages are estimates only and that percentages paid may be greater or less as a result
of negotiation of contract scope of work. My firm will use good faith efforts to meet the overall DBE goal through the use of these
or other certified and approved DBE firms.
JQOL, Inc.
Metric Environmental, LLC
8.1, 16.1
5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.9, 5.10, 5.13
5
2
7%
Abonmarche Consultants, Inc.
May 18, 2023
CITY OF SOUTH BEND – THE MARKET DISTRICT
IMPROVEMENT PROJECT- 123-053
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
MAY 18, 2023
Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
COVER LETTER
May 18, 2023
Ms. Leslie Biek, P.E.
Assistant City Engineer
227 W. Jefferson Blvd., St. 1316
South Bend, IN 46601
(via e-mail to bpwbids@southbendin.gov)
RE: LOI RESPONSE FOR: The Market District Improvement Project
City of South Bend Project No: 123-053
Dear Ms. Biek:
The City of South Bend has established itself as a regional leader in developing and adopting complete
street principles to replace aging and outdated roadways that once served the City. These outdated,
vehicular focused roadways are no longer acceptable at serving the needs of the public or the adjacent
neighborhoods. Instead, the City has taken the initiative to discover, discuss, design, and document the needs
of its residents in developing a set of standards that address the current and future demands of the City’s
population. Abonmarche worked with the City on one of its first projects that implemented such principles;
Jefferson Boulevard near Howard Park. These complete street concepts that have been adopted and
implemented provide multimodal connections, spur economic growth and reinvestment, and develop places
people generally just want to be.
When constructed, the Lincolnway/Mishawaka Avenue/SR23 interchange isolated previously interconnected
neighborhoods. This project will use complete street methodology and placemaking to stitch the
neighborhoods back together and create a destination that will continue to foster growth and quality of life in
the entire Market District area. It will create opportunities for residential growth, commercial growth, multimodal
connectivity to the City’s vibrant trail system and river, employment opportunities and create a regional
destination for residents in the entire region.
We believe our team’s qualifications, as well as our national, regional, and local experience will be difficult
to match and the irresistible choice for the success of the Market District. Having our office rooted in this very
neighborhood (Monroe Park) for over 20 years gives us a vested interest in the success of this project.
We very much look forward to working with you on this successful and transformative project. If you have any
questions regarding this proposal, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 574.232-8700.
Sincerely,
Abonmarche Consultants, Inc.
John Linn, PE
Principal & Chairman of the Board
Daryl Knip, CEO, PE
Chief Executive Officer
Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
FIRM INTRODUCTION & ORG CHART
Abonmarche began shaping communities for the better 44 years ago in
the Midwest, providing clients with surveying, civil engineering, and marina
development services. Today, we work across 10 offices on some of the
most transformative projects in the region, in engineering, architecture, land
surveying, site development, landscape architecture, coastal & waterfront,
planning, financing strategies, and digital solutions.
Through our wide array of professional services we provide superior customer
value, improving communities for a variety of private- and public-sector
clients. This often includes grant and loan applications in coordination with
state funding agencies.
Rather than telling our clients what to do, we work closely with them to
understand what they need to accomplish and what they hope to achieve.
Then, we put our expert technical and creative skills to work, helping you create
exceptional places. We harness the talents of our principals and staff so that we
bring our best to each project, no matter the size. We are constantly honing our
work processes and advancing our teams’ skillset so that our clients are always
getting the best. Our strategy is to form a skilled project team that will add value
to your project by providing excellent communication, ingenuity, and customer
service paired with knowledge and experience.
We undertake every project with our client’s best interests in mind and truly seek
to become partners during the course of the project. Our business strategy is
centered upon building long-term client relationships. During our proud history,
we have attracted and retained clients by providing superior customer value; in
fact, the majority of our work is repeat business from loyal clients.
CHAD A. KNIP, PE, ACI
Senior Project Engineer
CHAD A. KNIP, PE
Contract Oversight
IAN LOCKWOOD, PE
Livable Transp. Engineer
Neighborhood &
Transportation Planning
Environmental Survey &
Geotech
Right-of-way &
Utility Coordination
Roadway & Bridge Design
JARVIS JOINTER, PE
President, JQO
MICHAEL J. GUZIK, PE
Principal & QA/QC
KEVIN LUECKE
Multimodal Transp. Planner
HANNAH FLECK, PE, LEED
AP BD+C
MARK FOSTER, PE
Bridge Design Lead
ADDIE WEBER, AICP
Senior Principal Planner
MICHAEL ROZYCKI, PS JOSEPH D. DUNBAR, PEERICA GUIDOBONI,
PE, ENV SP
ZACHARY HAUERSPERGERMICHAEL J. GUZIK, PE
JARVIS JOINTER, PE
President, JQOL
TERRACONTIMOTHY R. DREWS, PE,
PTOE, RSP, LEED AP
ETICA GROUP
CHAD A. KNIP, PE
MICHAEL ROZYCKI, PS
JOHN W. LINN, PE, LEED
Principal & QA/QC
CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
South Bend Board of Public Works
abonmarche.com
Engineering
Architecture
Land Surveying
Digital Solutions
Landscape Architecture
Coastal & Waterfront
Planning
Site Development
Financing Assistance
MICHIGAN
BENTON HARBOR
KALAMAZOO
GRAND HAVEN
GRAND RAPIDS
INDIANA
SOUTH BEND
VALPARAISO
GOSHEN
LAFAYETTE
HOBART
FORT WAYNE
RESPONSIBLE OFFICE
ABONMARCHE
315 W. Jefferson Blvd
South Bend, IN 46601
abonmarche.com
CONTACT
John Linn, COB, PE:
Abonmarche
574.220.4510
dknip@abonmarche.com
Kevin Luecke:
Toole Design
608.663.8081
kluecke@tooledesign.com
Michael J. Guzik, PE , VP:
Lawson-Fisher Associates P.C.
574.234.3167
mguzik@lawson-fisher.com
Jarvis Jointer, PE ,
President: JQOL
317.661.1964
jjointer@jqolusa.com
Luella Beth Hillen,
Director of NEPA Services:
Metric Engineering
317.218.4728
bethh@metricenv.com
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
TEAM OVERVIEW: SUB CONSULTANTS
TOOLE DESIGN
Jennifer Toole founded Toole Design in 2003 with a mission to create dynamic communities where walking, biking, and
using transit are possible for people of all ages and abilities. Since then, she has assembled a talented group of planners,
engineers, urban designers, and landscape architects who share her passion for producing the highest quality work as well
as her commitment to improving community health and quality of life.
Toole Design is a leader in multimodal design services, including alternatives analysis and concept design, traffic analysis
and signal design, cost estimates, final design and construction documents, project coordination, and construction
administration services. We have a keen understanding of the design details associated with the interactions between
various travel modes, and in all of our design work, we pair a Complete Streets philosophy—that streets should provide safe,
comfortable, and convenient travel for everyone in the community, regardless of mode and with particular concern for
those who are the most vulnerable—with a reverence for local context.
LAWSON FISHER ASSOCIATES, P.C.
Lawson Fisher Associates, P.C. (LFA) has been providing civil engineering consulting services to an array of clients since
the Firm’s establishment in 1971. LFA provides a wide range of civil engineering services including transportation planning
and design, survey, structures, water resources, and construction observation. This broad range of engineering services is
oriented toward serving primarily governmental entities. These range from small towns, cities and counties to various Indiana
state agencies including INDOT.
LFA provides the above services by leveraging the skills and experience of our technically diverse staff. The design personnel
at LFA are exposed to a broad scope of projects which provides our team with the experience to take a project from
planning to construction. Another important aspect to LFA is that the professionals involved in helping to define a client’s
needs or project scope are also intimately involved in the engineering work on the project. These same team members
personally provide contact with the client throughout the execution of the work to assure that the results of their efforts will
be technically correct, and also particularly appropriate for the client’s present and long-term needs.
The LFA office, located in South Bend, Indiana, allows the firm to readily provide engineering services for projects located
throughout Northern Indiana.
JQOL
The mission of JQOL is to improve the Quality of Life through engineering. Established in 2019 by Jarvis Jointer, PE, JQOL
is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE/DBE) with offices in Indiana and Kentucky. We offer a range of professional
engineering services. JQOL Global provides Structural Engineering.
METRIC
Metric Environmental (Metric) is a regional DBE/MBE environmental consulting firm with headquarters in Indianapolis and
offices in Cincinnati, OH and Gary, IN. We work with local and regional government agencies and private industry to
minimize the environmental impact of their core businesses and planned activity or to remediate legacy impacts to the soil,
groundwater, air or the built environment. Our scientists, engineers and geologists provide specialty services in several areas
including Environmental Site Assessment and Remediation; NEPA documentation (CE, EA, EIS); Industrial Hygiene Services
(asbestos, lead, mold and indoor air quality); Natural Resource/Ecological Management, Environmental Permitting and
Cultural Resources including Archeological and Historical studies. Our personnel include licensed professional engineers;
licensed professional geologists; certified hazardous materials managers; LEED® Accredited Professionals; wetland scientists;
ENV Sustainability Professionals; licensed asbestos inspectors and asbestos project designers; historians and archaeologists.
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
KEY TEAM MEMBERS - ABONMARCHE
JOHN W. LINN, PE,
LEED GREEN ASSOCIATION.
PRINCIPAL, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
From feasibility studies to final production and execution of designs, John is responsible for development,
implementation and coordination of all design and construction services. Duties include project
planning, design oversight, and client and government relations, and he is responsible for monitoring the
quality of work and assuring that the client’s needs are satisfied.
John’s extensive background in the engineering design and construction field, along with his skills in
facilitation, make him indispensable in projects involving inter-organizational cooperation or public/
private partnerships. His special areas of interest include land planning, utility planning, transportation
planning, building massing, streetscape planning, and storm-water quality initiatives. Recently John
completed the management of a $60 million multi-faceted planning and engineering project for
Spectrum Health (Blodgett Hospital) in Grand Rapids, MI. The project successfully used multiple public
input sessions to accommodate a new campus master plan and expansion that seamlessly blended
the renovated hospital and campus with the surrounding historic neighborhood.
CHAD A. KNIP, PE
SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER
Chad has over 20 years of experience in design and management of civil engineering projects. He
has been involved with several local and Federal Aid LPA projects that include roadway design,
streetscape improvements, water and sewer design, multi-use paths, and recreational projects.
Chad has prepared various Categorical Exclusions in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) for the LPA projects. His involvement with the document preparation includes
evaluating the project and surroundings and sending Early Coordination packets to the
appropriate agencies. A Red Flag Investigation has been performed for each of the Categorical
Exclusions to identify sensitive areas to investigate in more detail. Each potential alternative for the
projects are analyzed to determine a preferred alternative to investigate further.
The Categorical Exclusions that Chad has performed range for CE Level 1 to CE Level 4.
TIMOTHY R. DREWS, PE, PTOE,
RSP, LEED AP
TRAFFIC ENGINEER
Tim is a licensed professional engineer with over 30 years of experience with public agencies
and consulting firms. He is responsible for Abonmarche operations, quality assurance and quality
control, project management, design and construction administration for municipal and private
development projects.
Tim is a Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) and Road Safety Professional (RSP), one
of the few in the United States. He is also an accredited professional in Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED AP) and strives to enhance projects through sustainable design
practices. His expertise includes traffic and transportation engineering design, analysis and studies,
roadway safety, geometrics, and infrastructure design, non-motorized trail design, residential
development planning, design and approvals, and commercial site planning, design, and approvals.
ZACHARY HAUERSPERGER
STAFF ENGINEER
Zach began working for Abonmarche in 2015 . He is an experienced engineer who has
designed several municipal and private projects that have included site layouts, subdivision
layouts, roadway designs, streetscape improvements, water and sewer designs, and multi-use
paths. He is also well versed in ADA compliance standards for sidewalks and curb ramps as well
as preparing permit applications for IDEM. Zach takes pride in providing high quality designs
and plans to our clients.
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
KEY TEAM MEMBERS - TOOLE DESIGN
ADDIE WEBER, AICP
PRINCIPAL URBAN DESIGNER
Addie Weber, AICP leads Toole Design’s Atlanta office. She is an urban designer and planner
with extensive experience leading and collaborating on interdisciplinary teams. Addie has
worked with numerous communities across North America on livable transportation projects
that rebalance the public realm for all users – regardless of mode. Addie has worked on first of
their kind projects around the country including as the Project Manager for the first Aerotropolis
Atlanta Blueprint to guide growth and development around the world’s largest airport; the
Dallas, TX Framework Plan which examined the feasibility of removing I-345 in downtown to
create a more equitable, resilient, multimodal, and people-centric city; and the Peachtree
Street Shared Space Study to redesign a portion of Peachtree Street to function for the next
generation of mobility and public life. Addie has served as a national and local panelist for
the Urban Land Institute and as resource member for the 69th National Session of the Mayors’
Institute on City Design. She recently spoke at the 2022 National Planning Association’s
conference on “Removing Highways from Cities: Correcting America’s Failed Experiment”
IAN LOCKWOOD, PE
LIVABLE TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER
Ian Lockwood is a recognized national leader in sustainable transportation policy and urban
design. He has led a wide variety of transportation projects aimed at making communities
more walkable, bikeable, equitable, and economically resilient. Ian describes this foundational
level of city-making and place-making as “getting the bones right.” As an early step of all his
projects, Ian does a quick “X-ray” to determine if a structural problem exists. He finds that if
these problems are found and corrected, their symptoms tend to vanish. Three examples of
the power of getting the bones right include: the huge gains in walkability, cycling comfort,
and livability around the Mount Baker transit station in Seattle, Washington; the large network
and urbanization projects occurring around the White Flint Metro station in suburban Maryland;
and the revitalization of downtown South Bend, Indiana. Ian has taught several courses on the
structure of cities and places. Ian is Harvard University Loeb Fellow, a national guest speaker,
lecturer, and author on Complete Streets and livable transportation. Most recently he was
interviewed by Strong Towns on his work to build safer and more walkable streets
(https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/5/1/ian-lockwood-thoughts-from-an-engineer).
KEVIN LUECKE
PRINCIPAL PLANNER
Kevin is the Director of Toole Design’s Madison, Wisconsin, office. He is a multimodal
transportation planner with a broad background in active transportation planning and
policy. Kevin has worked with communities large and small, as well as state departments of
transportation, and federal agencies to improve bicycling and walking plans and policies. He
is adept at facilitating community engagement and developing solutions that are tailored
to and appropriate for each community or region he works with. At Toole Design, Kevin has
managed projects that have recommended hundreds of miles of bicycle and pedestrian
facilities, researched pedestrian and bicycle issues for the Federal Highway Administration, and
conducted numerous public outreach events to engage citizens in various planning activities.
ERICA GUIDOBONI, PE, ENV SP
PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER
Erica is Toole Design’s Engineering Director for the Northeastern U.S. and is based in Boston. She
is a registered Professional Engineer with extensive experience in transportation engineering and
project management. Erica maintains a depth of diverse experience in designing multimodal
transportation solutions to support safety and equity objectives. This experience most notably
involves the application of Complete Streets standards in the redesign of intersections and corridors
in urban settings, enhancing both the vehicular and non-vehicular environments. Erica’s design
experience integrates the design principles of the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide and the
MassDOT Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide into progressive bicycle, pedestrian, and
transit user accommodations, enhancing safety and comfort for all roadway users. She led the
traffic study and conceptual design effort for Ann Arbor’s Downtown Development Authority’s
two-way restoration project along with the William Street Complete Street effort. Both projects
rebalanced these key streets for people.
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
KEY TEAM MEMBERS - LFA
MICHAEL J. GUZIK, PE.
INDOT TRANSPORTATION PLANNING / LPA PROJECT DEVELOPMENT QA/QC
Mike’s past direct design experience delivering INDOT project work over the past two decades
will be an invaluable asset for reconfiguring these two interchanges and planning for SR
23 future. He has been directly engaged on numerous projects ranging from new divided
highways to interchange modifications to intersection improvements or roundabout designs.
Mike is well versed in INDOT, FHWA and AASHTO standards, policies, and procedures. He will be
aiding and providing guidance to our design team, assisting with INDOT(?) matters, identifying
problems with a collaborative approach to address potential risks though development.
MARK FOSTER, PE, LEED BD+C, CPSWQ
LEVEL 1 BRIDGE DESIGN LEAD (9.1)
Mark has over 27 years of experience working with INDOT on many project types including
bridge preventative maintenance, bridge rehabilitation, new bridge design, and culvert
design, and construction. He has strong leadership and communication skills, exceptional
technical expertise, and a firm understanding of INDOT project development processes and
procedures. Mark has had extensive project management experience with complex and
multi-disciplined projects. His experience includes projects for INDOT, Local Public Agencies, the
Indiana Toll Road, and other state DOTs.
HANNAH FLECK, PE, LEED AP BD+C
DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING & SUSTAINABILITY
Hannah is a civil engineer and sustainability consultant who works with building and site owners
to develop land in a holistic way. Hannah believes that every project is an opportunity to
incorporate ownership goals with environmental design principles. Hannah has led project
teams through the integrated design process which resulted in buildings that have lower energy
consumption, higher occupant satisfaction, and reduced site disturbance. Hannah’s work with
creating publicly available green infrastructure templates was recognized with an Engineering
Excellence award from ACEC Indiana. Hannah holds a B.S. in Civil and Environmental
Engineering and a M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning both from the University of Iowa.
JARVIS JOINTER, PE
PRESIDENT
Jarvis is an Indianapolis native who earned his Civil Engineering Degree from Purdue University.
Before starting JQOL in 2019, Jarvis spent his career in various roles, with numerous experiences
within the Civil Engineering world including Construction Administration, Site Engineering,
Transportation Engineering, and Environmental Engineering. Jarvis has held principal roles and
led companies to substantial growth in the local and national marketplace.
JOSEPH D. DUNBAR, PE
ROAD DESIGN LEAD / ROUNDABOUT DESIGN
Joe has been the project manager for several preventive maintenance projects, small structure
replacements, and several local public agency projects. He has also been technical lead on
several complex intersection improvements, roundabout designs, lighting designs, ADA ramp
various, and several municipal projects involving both sanitary and water main improvements.
He is well-versed in Traffic Management Plans, Roadway Preventive Maintenance Projects,
Intersection Improvement, Small Structure Design, Drainage, and utility coordination across a
wide array of past project work.
KEY TEAM MEMBERS - JQOL
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
PROJECT UNDERSTANDING
PROJECT UNDERSTANDING
The Market District in South Bend is a collection
of varied neighborhoods dominated by divisive
freeways like interchange ramps that connect
the surrounding streets to SR23 (Area shown
graphically). These ramps were constructed to
facilitate the employee vehicle traffic going
to and from the Studebaker factory. While the
Studebaker factory closed its doors in 1963, the
lasting impacts of the ramps on the adjacent
communities can still be felt.
Despite this challenge the neighborhood
continues to thrive. In the southeast quadrant of
the Mishawaka Avenue and SR23 intersection
the South Bend Farmers Market – over 100
years old and located for 95 years in its current
location – supports a diverse variety of local
businesses located along Northside Boulevard
and Mishawaka Avenue. These businesses
include local supermarkets, event centers, bars,
restaurants, and other small local retailers. The
northeast quadrant of the Mishawaka Avenue
and SR23 intersection includes the charming
Sunnymede neighborhood and Jefferson
School. North of the SR23 ramps, along the
north bank of the river, the area is ripe with
residential redevelopment including the
Riverwalk Townhomes and the former TRANSPO
Site redevelopment. The riverwalk connects this
area to the beautifully reimagined Howard Park
and Jefferson Street neighborhood providing
easy access to all the amenities offered in downtown South Bend. Along the south side of the river in the southeast and
southwest quadrants of the district include tired commercial, industrial and residential areas ripe for redevelopment.
Creating a new street grid in the Market District that balances all modes will create opportunities for redevelopment and
improve access and mobility for all transit modes to community destinations. This new opportunity for connections will allow
the residents and their families in the adjacent neighborhoods a safe, comfortable, and efficient route to travel to the river
(and to downtown) without crossing busy interchange ramps (either by vehicle, bike, or by foot); all while being able to stop
and support the local businesses along the way.
And by removing the ramps and creating opportunity areas for the development of mixed income housing choices
consistent with the duplexes, multifamily developments, and “cottage courts” currently located in and near the area. These
opportunities will allow the segmented neighborhoods to be tied back together, and also encourage infill housing and
revitalization of the existing residential neighborhoods in and near the district.
It is the hope that all these development opportunities eventually create a regional destination sought out for its rich and
diverse mix of businesses and residential neighborhoods. This placemaking will spur the growth and expansion of places
like the Farmers Market creating the premier destination for people wanting to travel to purchase produce, support local
restaurants and other small businesses, all while being able to spend the day along the river and in one of South Bend’s
premier parks – all while being able to walk or bike between all of the places.
Restoring the Neighborhood: The Market District Improvement Project, 2022 Raise
Grant Application, South Bend, IN April 2022
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
PROJECT APPROACH
PROJECT APPROACH
Our approach to this project begins with building a team that brings
unparalleled local knowledge and national expertise redesigning streets and
neighborhoods to be vibrant, people-centered spaces.
Our team is led by Abonmarche. With our office located within the study
area for over 25 years, we bring a detailed understanding of the conditions
and issues in the study area. Abonmarche successfully designed one of the
City’s first constructed Complete Street projects along Jefferson Boulevard
east of the river. This design tied into the site design (also by Abonmarche)
and reimagination of Howard Park and Niles Avenue in the East Bank.
Abonmarche was also instrumental in the conceptual design of the
Riverwalk neighborhood in conjunction with our developer client Century
Builders. Currently ACI is under contract to design a shared multi-use path
from the University of Notre Dame to downtown that was conceptualized by
our team member, Toole Design.
Toole Design has been instrumental in reimagining and redesigning many
South Bend streets as places for people, not just cars. Toole Design led the
concept design and community engagement that became the Smart
Streets imitative – an approximately $25 million downtown two-way street
conversion project that reinvigorated downtown. Toole has also worked with
the City (and the University of Notre Dame) to develop concept designs
for another half-dozen projects that will shift the transportation paradigm
in South Bend to design streets that provide multimodal connections, spur
economic development and reinvestment, and are places where people
want to be. This includes the original concept design for the Market District
as well as the upcoming LaSalle Avenue reconstruction and the future
Colfax Avenue Streetscape projects. Toole Design also developed the City’s
unpublished guidelines for tactile guidance for conventional streets, raised
crossings and intersections, and flush streets (guidelines to be implemented
in our team member Lawson Fisher’s design of Mishawaka Avenue). These
projects reinforce Toole’s experience and knowledge of the area and
how these projects will coalesce with all aspects of the Market District and
concepts adopted by the City of South Bend.
Lawson Fisher also brings a breadth of local knowledge and experience to
the project. They bring their extensive knowledge of the INDOT design and
construction process that will enable us to smoothly navigate the INDOT
coordination aspect of this project required to remove and reconstruct
intersections along the two state routes in the project area. Lawson Fisher
also brings expertise in waterway permitting and hydraulics along the St.
Joseph River which is second to none in the area. Additionally, they are
currently under contract to design the first phase of the Market District along
Mishawaka Avenue directly east of Belmont Avenue using the concepts
developed by Toole Design and the University of Notre Dame in conjunction
with the City.
To capitalize on the expertise of all of our team members we propose the
following approach to ensure the successful design and the implementation
of all of the Market District projects in the years to come. The first stage of
the project will include a comprehensive right of way, topographic, and
utility survey of the area. In addition to the collection of new data we will
use our collection of existing surveys in the area to supplement the new
survey data to gain both efficiency in time as well as an increased level of
accuracy. Concurrently, we will perform a comprehensive collection of
existing traffic data in the area. We will perform counts at all pertinent streets
and intersections that will be crucial to the conceptual design of alternatives
for the street network in the area. We will use this data in conjunction with
already available data from MACOG for traffic forecasting and modeling
to ensure that design concepts are viable based on current and forecasted
traffic.
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
PROJECT APPROACH
As the concept plan and alternatives are developed for the
Market District, we propose that most community engagement
happen during a charrette process, as was done for the Smart
Streets Initiative. While we outline a charette process below,
the beauty of a charrette is its flexibility: we will always modify
this to meet the community’s needs.
Our team’s charrette process builds upon the National
Charrette Institute’s standards as a foundation and will be
tailored to the needs of this project. We pride ourselves on our
ability to couple community and stakeholder input with our
urban design, public realm, and transportation expertise to
develop concepts that communities embrace.
The process we use is comprised of what we call the
Four Ds: discovery, discussion, design, and documentation.
We have found this process to be effective for projects
when there is a desire to craft a design solution for spaces
that need to serve multiple stakeholders, interests, and
functions. Discovery is focused on analysis and learning
about the community issues, opportunities, and constraints
through meaningful discussions and shared experiences
in the study area. What we learn in discovery leads us
to a deeper dive with community members and staff
about design ideas and concepts that can work for
the community. Documentation of the concepts and
supplementary materials become the foundation for
communities to see the project through to implementation.
We recommend a two-part charrette for this project. The
first four-day event, the Discovery Charrette, will be focused
on discovery and developing some initial “starter ideas”
based on feedback and the work previously conducted.
The second four-day event, the Design Charrette, will be
focused on diving into design concepts and generating
content that will become part of the recommendations.
During the charrettes we will conduct stakeholder meetings,
needs assessment, and develop conceptual design options
for the multiple components of the Market District Plan
including street layout and configurations, streetscape
recommendations and concepts, gateways, wayfinding,
and all elements pertaining to public realm design.
As we develop alternatives, we will also perform an equity
study to ensure that all data is being considered for the
development of viable concepts.
These analyses and charrettes will lead to a set of
recommended concepts for presentation to the public
through an informed, collaborative process. We envision
this process being very similar to the process used by
Toole during the development of the downtown two-way
street conversion process. With this input we will create
a final concept to be used moving forward with a right
of way plan, preliminary environmental, and 20% design
documents.
After the consensus on the final design concept we will
conduct an extensive geotechnical investigation by Terracon
to enable us to accurately design and develop a viable
pavement design, utility plans, and a hydraulically feasible
storm sewer design that does not compromise the City’s
consent decree for the combined sewer system located
within the area. We will rely heavily on JQOL’s extensive utility
experience to develop an accurate utility coordination plan to
implement all phases of the project. Contact with all pertinent
local utilities will be made early and often throughout the
process to ensure there are no unknown issues or concerns
that are a surprise to the design team.
For the environmental requirements of the project we anticipate
this project will require an Environmental Assessment (EA) level
document. Because the funding comes directly from FHWA,
this won’t be completed under the INDOT umbrella, thus their
processes and procedures will not be available. However, there
are still many US DOT/ FHWA Programmatic Agreements which
can be used to streamline the process. These process are briefly
outlined as follows:
The project will require a full Section 106 review to document
those properties over 50 years of age within the project Area
of Potential Effects (APE), including both aboveground and
archaeological investigation. And once specific project impacts
are determined, a Finding of Effect will be prepared for the
project, detailing the impact to individually-eligible properties, or
districts, as appropriate.
Coordination with the South Bend Parks and Recreation
Department will also be required. It may be possible to negotiate
some impacts to Section 4(f) resources as Section 4(f) Temporary
Occupancy Exceptions. We have de minimis findings, as well as
several Programmatic Evaluations such as Minor Involvement with
Historic Sites; Minor Involvement with Public Parks, Recreational
Lands, and Wildlife and Waterfowl Refuges; and Transportation
Projects that have a Net Benefit to Section 4(f) Property in our
toolbox to navigate possible Section 4(f) impacts to parks or
historic resources.
And finally an Environmental Justice Analysis will need
to be completed to determine if the project will have a
disproportionate impact to low income or minority populations.
All efforts should be made to avoid disproportionate impacts, or if
those impacts occur, mitigative measures would be appropriate.
Those measures might need to be negotiated with the
community at large, as well as with those residents or businesses
specifically impacted.
All of these various environmental studies will be compiled,
summarized, and the conclusions presented in the Environmental
Assessment, which will be presented to the FHWA for approval,
and to the public through a public hearing.
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
PROJECT APPROACH
Abonmarche LFA Toole Metric JQOL Etica Terracon
35%20%30%4%7%2%2%
2.1 - Traffic Data Collection
2.2 - Traffic Forecasting
3.1 - Traffic Capacity and Opns Analysis
4.1 - Traffic Safety Analysis
5.2 - Document Preparation -- CE
5.3 - Document Preparation -- Section
5.4 - Ecological Surveys
5.5 - Wetland Mitigation
5.6 - Waterway Permits
5.9 - Archeological Investigations
5.10 - Historical / Architectural
5.13 - ESA Screening and Phase I ESA
6.1 - Topographical Survey Data
7.1 - Geotechnical Engineering
8.1 - Non-complex Roadway Design
8.3 - Roadabout Design
9.1 - Level 1 Bridge Design
10.1 - Traffic Signal Design
10.4 - Lighting Design
11.1 - Right-of-Way Plan
12.2 - Title Research
16.1 - Utility Coordinantion
17.2 - Small Structure and Pipe
17.3 - Storm Sewer and Detention
18.1 - Pavement Analysis - Design
Prequalified Work Catergories
⚫Lead ⚫Support
PERCENTAGE OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED BY PRIME CONSULTANT & EACH SUB CONSULTANT
Upon completion of the environmental documents plansets
and documents will be developed to allow a phased and
cost-effective construction schedule for the area. It will be
critical to ensure coordination with the Indiana Department
of Transportation during the development of all phases of the
project. From conceptual design, through the environmental
process, and 20% design documents INDOT’s concurrence
will be crucial. The project will likely propose major intersection
design changes, removal of existing INDOT facilities, potential
modification of INDOT owned bridges, and relinquishment of
INDOT ramp ROW to the City. Without INDOT’s documented
involvement and concurrence the project will not be
successful.
To illustrate our past experience and knowledge of the area
we’ve included a possible concept we developed early
in the process of working with our developer client within
the area. The concept illustrates an alternative that would
take into account the City’s complete street concepts that
allow pedestrian and vehicular connectivity throughout
the Market District. The concept also establishes a series of
at-grade intersections (depicted currently as roundabouts)
that utilize the existing bridges over the river and eliminate
the interchange ramps. It is our intent to develop design
concepts such as these for consideration in developing
viable alternatives – concepts that function correctly based
on current traffic counts and future demand.
In addition to our experience we intend to provide backup
and support on all pre-qualification categories required
by this proposal. By providing each consultant backup on
resources as well QC/QA review for their respective parts
our team will be able to ensure a quality and timely delivery
of all deliverables as required. This flexibility allows us to use
the resources available by all team members allowing us the
depth required to complete the project. The following chart
illustrates how our team intends to work cohesively together
in delivering a quality product.
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
PROJECT EXPERIENCE: TOOLE DESIGN
SOUTH BEND TWO-WAY RESTORATION, SOUTH BEND, IN
Ian served as the Project Manager and led
several design charrettes involving a multitude of
stakeholders and the public in order to develop a
feasible strategy to attract people and investment
back to the downtown area. Ian oversaw the
consulting team; conducted most of the stakeholder
interviews; helped develop the one-way to two-way
restoration and Complete Street plans, roundabout
concepts, waterfront park plans; and worked with
the developers on integrating their land use plans
with the future streets. Ian also did most of the public
presentations, media interviews, and conducted the
educational and awareness work with select City staff, State Department of Transportation (DOT) officials, and the public.
HARTFORD DOWNTOWN HIGHWAY RAMP PROJECT, HARTFORD, CT
Toole Design was part of a team working with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) to revisit the
placement and the design of the highway ramps for I-84 and I-91 in downtown Hartford. Ian participated in a multi-day
brainstorming session. The result was a strategy to remove the ramps from the City’s downtown core, while increasing
development potential in downtown and providing access between the river and the downtown. The result would be a
much more accessible, more attractive, safer, and more valuable downtown. The early phases of the project were planned
to allow for the complete removal of the highways from the downtown if desired in the future.
INDIANA STATE BICYCLE AND TRAIL REPORT, IN
As a Senior Planner, Kevin managed Toole Design’s work on this report for the Indiana Department of Transportation.
The Indiana State Bicycle and Trail Report provides recommendations for enhancing bicycling and walking facilities and
opportunities throughout the state. Kevin led research into existing plans, policies, and demographic trends statewide that
impact walking and bicycling in Indiana. Kevin also developed policy recommendations to enhance the walking and
bicycling environment, including facility selection guidance and updates to the State of Indiana Design Manual.
PEOPLE-FRIENDLY STREETS INITIATIVE, ANN ARBOR, MI
Since 2017, Toole Design has had a prominent role in Ann Arbor’s Downtown Development Authority’s People-Friendly
Streets Initiative. We were a key partner in leading a robust stakeholder and community charrette process to restore a one-
way street pair to two-way, and create Michigan’s first two-way bicycle facility along a rebalanced Complete Street in
downtown. Toole Design developed the conceptual designs and feasibility analysis using Synchro and SIMtraffic to evaluate
29 intersections. This included evaluating the capacity analysis, bicycle level of traffic stress, measures of effectiveness,
and safety analysis. The process led to a successful implementation increased economic vitality, safety, and bicycle and
pedestrian usage along 3 corridor key corridors in downtown Ann Arbor.
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
PROJECT EXPERIENCE: ABONMARCHE
GOVERNOR JOE KERNAN TRAIL, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
CLIENT: CITY OF SOUTH BEND; CONSTRUCTION COST: $3.2 MILLION
Abonmarche worked with the City’s Engineering, Community Development, and
Venues Parks & Arts Departments. This project links Downtown South Bend and
Downtown Mishawaka by a non-motorized trail, it connected Governor Joe Kernan
Park with Howard Park, and provides safe bicycle and pedestrian access to the
Indiana University at South Bend campus from the Downtown area, while adding ADA
compliance and safety for bicycles.
Abonmarche’s role in the project included field survey, design, permitting, river
overlook nodes, and the historic river wall restoration.
WESTERN AVENUE STREETSCAPE, INDIANA
CLIENT: CITY OF SOUTH BEND; CONSTRUCTION COST: $7,300,000
Abonmarche collaborated with the South Bend Engineering Department and
Community Investment staff to enhance Western Avenue corridor, from Falcon Street
to Olive Street. The project aimed to improve accessibility and cater to the needs of all
users, including vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Steps, ramps, and other obstacles
were eliminated to establish ADA routes along the business corridor.
Key features of the project included reducing the previous four/five-lane state road
to three lanes with on-street parking. Intersections were modified with bump outs to
calm traffic, define parking areas, and shorten crosswalks, enhancing the corridor’s
appearance. Concrete overlay was used to revitalize sections of the street with a solid
road base, while some areas underwent full concrete pavement reconstruction. The
project also involved lining the sanitary sewer main and replacing the water main and
lead services.
To manage stormwater runoff, permeable pavers were installed in the parking lanes, capturing and filtering runoff into a stone storage
chamber before releasing it into the ground. Abonmarche secured easements from property owners to construct wider concrete
sidewalks, extending them to each store front where feasible, creating a welcoming pedestrian environment. Streetlights and trees were
added along the corridor to ensure a well-lit and safe street and sidewalk.
BLODGETT HOSPITAL CAMPUS STRATEGY & PARKING
CLIENT: SPECTRUM HEATH; CONSTRUCTION COST: $60,000,000
The historic Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital encompasses a rich legacy in East
Grand Rapids, Michigan. From the original 1916 Hospital Building to the cutting
edge buildings of today, the services held inside multiple buildings on campus have
been at the forefront of health care for decades.
Spectrum Health selected Abonmarche to provide a campus master plan
addressing the need for enhanced wayfinding. The design discovery phase led
to the decision to create a main entrance to the south end of campus and a
secondary entrance to the north section. Two additional parking structure solutions
accommodate patient and staff throughout the campus.
Special care was given to seamlessly blend the new building and parking structures
with local residential neighborhoods and the larger town. Site-specific design
elements included using landscaping to enhance and buffer views of the parking
garages from the adjacent neighboring residential homes.
Throughout the planning phase, Abonmarche helped facilitate numerous public
input sessions and Planning Commission reviews with all relevant stakeholders.
JEFFERSON BOULEVARD, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
CLIENT: CITY OF SOUTH BEND; CONSTRUCTION COST: $4 MILLION
Abonmarche incorporated a complete street approach to create a corridor that
was conducive to bicycle and pedestrian traffic. We added on-street parallel
parking with landscaped bumpouts that defined parking areas. Landscape
planting beds, street trees, and street lighting were included as a buffer between
traffic and pedestrians, and aesthetically enhance the entrances of businesses.
Sidewalks were widened and pavement striping for one mile west and a quarter
mile east of the project were added to continue the complete street concept.
Permeable pavers were installed directly behind the new concrete curb to assist
in reducing the runoff collected by the storm sewer system allowing the storm
water to naturally drain through the subsurface soils while limiting the new pipe
sizes and reducing the amount of water leaving the site to the sewer.
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Proposal for CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
PROJECT EXPERIENCE: LFA
MICHIGAN STREET/MAIN STREET/MARION STREET ROUNDABOUT,
SOUTH BEND, IN
CLIENT: CITY OF SOUTH BEND
COST: $3.8 MILLION; KEY STAFF: MICHAEL GUZIK, JOE DUNBAR
LFA was selected as part of a design team to develop plans for the north confluence of traffic for City of South Bend’s Two-Way Streets
project for the Smart Streets Initiative. This location was the north boundary of existing one-way traffic that uses Michigan Street for
northbound travel and Main Street for southbound travel.
A roundabout was selected as the most efficient, safest means to move over 20,000 vehicles through this intersection daily, as well as
existing and anticipated increasing pedestrian and bicycle volumes. LFA collaborated with the City of South Bend’s Engineering staff
and Department of Community Investment to develop the preferred geometry and coordinate features within this corridor consistent
with substantial owner input.
The Department of Community Investment worked extensively with a city planning consultant to develop a master plan for the City.
This detailed and comprehensive plan aimed to ultimately make downtown South Bend more attractive to pedestrians, bicyclists, and
consumers, thus spurring revitalization in the City’s center.
LFA and the design team were tasked with translating the master plan into construction drawings complying with applicable standards
(City of South Bend, AASHTO, INDOT). Throughout the design process, the design team incorporated improvements requested by the
client, consistently improving the quality of both the construction documents and the final construction product.
This project was combined with four others for bidding and construction, thus LFA had the opportunity to coordinate project
boundaries, details, specifications and other related items with our project partner as well as at least four other consulting firms involved
in the combined project. As a local presence, LFA provided key support to the City through meetings with individual stakeholders, utility
coordination services, and assisted as needed during the land acquisition process.
IRONWOOD DRIVE, CORBY BOULEVARD, ROCKNE DRIVE INTERSECTION
IMPROVEMENT,SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
CLIENT: CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
COST: $3.5 MILLION; KEY STAFF: DMITRI ADAMS , JOE DUNBAR
LFA was selected for this intersection improvement project for a unique five-point intersection on the city’s northeast side. We
performed an engineering assessment to establish the preferred alternative — either a roundabout or signalized intersection. A
signalized intersection was identified as preferred primarily due to single-family home relocations required and context-sensitive
application in this arterial corridor. Beyond signal modernization, this project included a road right sizing application for Corby Blvd. LFA
addressed drainage with separation of the existing combined sewer for storm sewer network discharging to a screened retention basin
off alignment. We also included ornamental lighting, mast arm signals, numerous ADA ramps, sidewalk and driveway reconstruction,
among other amenities for a single-family home neighborhood context. LFA Project team services included topographic survey,
environmental documentation, geotechnical investigation, utility coordination, road plan development, right-of-way engineering, and
real estate services.
MICHIGAN STREET/CHIPPEWA AVE ROUNDABOUT, SOUTH BEND, IN
CLIENT: CITY OF SOUTH BEND
COST: $2.6 MILLION; KEY STAFF: MICHAEL GUZIK, JOE DUNBAR
The LFA-led team was selected to develop design plans for a roundabout at the south gateway as part of the City of South
Bend’s Smart Streets Initiative. This intersection was at the south boundary of one-way traffic that used Michigan Street for north-
bound travel and Main Street for southbound travel, handled over 20,000 vehicles daily. Therefore, design of this roundabout to
both diverge northbound traffic and combine southbound traffic was critical. LFA developed geometry that achieved these
requirements with minimal impacts to surrounding properties.
The design phase involved applying City policies to a concept plan developed for the City’s Department of Community
Investment by a city planning consultant. LFA elevated the concept plan into a design concept and developed three additional
concepts. The City of South Bend, represented by staff from the Departments of Engineering and Community Investment, joined
LFA in vetting alternatives, reviewing each of the four, identifying the controlling criteria, and distilling that information into a
decision matrix. Once complete, the decision matrix was refined into the preferred alternate, which was ultimately developed
into construction documents.
LFA coordinated with four other consulting engineering firms, most of which were located outside of the area. LFA leveraged
our local presence by providing key support to the City through meetings with individual stakeholders, performed topographic
survey, provided utility coordination services, and assisted as needed during the land acquisition process.
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