Professional Operations Management Services; Covington Central Riverfront Plaza

The City of Covington, Kentucky ("City" / "Owner") issues this Request For Proposals ("RFP") to solicit proposals from qualified, competent, knowledgeable, and experienced commercial providers of the goods and services outlined in this Request for Proposal ("RFP"), in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures.

The City of Covington is seeking a qualified organization to help shape the future operation, programming and management of the public plaza and green space planned as part of the Covington Central Riverfront (CCR) development. The project is intentionally structured in two phases.

Phase 1: Operating & Programming Plan and Design Advisory

The selected Respondent shall work with the City and its design team to translate the desired programming and operating model into clear functional requirements for the space. Phase 1 should be practical and implementation-oriented and should include, at a minimum:

• A draft operating plan describing the recommended management structure, staffing, hours of operation, maintenance responsibilities, security approach, booking process, vendor management and other day-to-day operating requirements.
• A draft annual programming plan and sample first-year calendar showing the anticipated mix and frequency of recurring programs, partner-led activities, seasonal programs and signature events.
• A draft annual operating budget identifying anticipated staffing, programming, production, maintenance, security, custodial and other operating costs, together with reasonable assumptions for sponsorships, rentals, concessions, vendor fees, grants, philanthropy and other earned or contributed revenue.
• Recommendations regarding the appropriate scale of programming and the level of recurring City support necessary to operate the space sustainably, including appropriate operating and lifecycle reserves.
• Operational input to the City and its professional design team regarding event layouts and capacities; stage or performance areas; loading and service access; power, data, lighting, sound and projection; storage and support spaces; restrooms; vendor hookups; waste handling; furniture; shade and weather protection; security and controlled entries; accessibility; and other features that materially affect operating cost or functionality.
• Participation in periodic design reviews to test the evolving design against realistic event, maintenance, vendor, security and load-in/load-out scenarios.
• A recommended pre-opening work plan identifying key activities, timing and responsibilities leading up to opening, including partner development, sponsorship cultivation, policy development, initial bookings and pilot programming, as appropriate.

The primary Phase 1 deliverable is the successful development and adoption of a concise Operating and Programming Plan, minimally incorporating the foregoing, and including:

• A sample calendar.
• A draft operating budget.
• Prioritized action recommendations to the City and its design team members.

Phase 2: Event and Operations Management

Phase 2 is envisioned to commence closer to opening and may include responsibility for management, programming and day-to-day plaza operations. Respondents should describe the operating role they would be prepared to provide and the compensation structure they would recommend.

**Submission:** Proposals shall be submitted sealed and plainly marked on the outside with "RFP261101 CCR OPS PROPOSAL – DO NOT OPEN WITH REGULAR MAIL" and physically delivered to and received by the City of Covington **NO LATER THAN 10:30 A.M., 2026 NOVEMBER 30** at Covington City Hall, Finance Department / 1st Floor Lobby, 20 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011. Proposal submittals received untimely and/or improperly will be considered non-responsive.

Proposals shall consist of one (1) complete hard copy labeled "ORIGINAL", one (1) complete, exact printed / paper duplicate labeled "COPY", and one (1) complete and exact electronic copy saved as a single .pdf-formatted file on a USB drive.

**Mandatory** site visit: Participation in a SITE VISIT prior to Proposal submittal is **MANDATORY**. Proposals submitted by parties that did not participate in a site visit will be rejected from consideration by the City.

**Evaluation:** The evaluation of Proposals shall be conducted using competitive negotiation. The City will consider and evaluate Proposal responses based upon the comparative preponderance of stipulated mandatory criteria without prescribed weighting factors.

**Insurance:** Commercial General Liability Insurance, Each Occurrence **$2,000,000**, General Aggregate **$3,000,000**. Professional Liability Insurance, **$2,000,000** each occurrence and **$2,000,000** annual aggregate. Worker's Compensation Insurance in compliance with KRS Chapter 342.

All interested parties are required to guarantee their Proposal as irrevocable, firm offer valid for the City's acceptance within ninety (90) days after the Proposal due date.