►
Description
City Manager John Klimm announces the City of Aiken's Request for Proposal for the proposed Downtown Revitalization Project.
A
Our
downtown
requests
for
proposals
are
now
out
on
the
street.
I
am
pleased
to
release
today
the
formal
request
for
proposal
for
our
downtown
revitalization
project.
The
request
for
proposal
will
allow
interested
development
teams
to
partner
with
the
city
to
improve
and
enhance
our
downtown
area.
We
want
to
increase
housing
opportunities
downtown.
We
want
to
alleviate
the
parking
problem.
A
We
want
to
consolidate
city
operations,
creating
a
one-stop
concept,
putting
unneeded
city
property
back
into
a
use
that
provides
for
more
retail
and
housing
opportunities
in
a
way
which
is
consistent
with
the
referendum
that
our
citizens
voted
on
back
in
2010.
The
request
for
proposal
requires
interested
parties
to
work
with
existing
tenants,
putting
together
a
plan
to
accommodate
their
needs.
It
requires
that
any
development
be
in
keeping
architectural
e
with
our
downtown
aiken
area,
and
it
does
so
in
a
process
which
allows
and
guarantees
maximum
public
input
before
decisions
are
made.
A
This
process
puts
the
city
in
our
citizens
in
charge
of
one
of
the
most
important
blocks
in
our
downtown
area,
which
is
going
to
impact
the
future
of
our
downtown.
We
encourage
any
interested
party
to
access
the
RFP.
It's
on
our
website
and
being
sent
out
to
many
interested
parties
for
more
for
the
more
general
competition
we
can
generate
the
better
the
end
product
will
be
so
we
are
issuing
our
request
for
proposals
today.
The
deadline
for
submission
is
februari
third
2017
in
all
of
you.
A
We
have
a
copy
for
all
of
you
for
your
records
and
I'd
be
more
than
glad
to
answer
any
questions
that
anyone
has
well
I.
Think
all
of
us
need
to
recognize
that
a
decision
has
been
made
by
property
owners
that
they
are
going
to
sell
their
property.
So
for
those
that
don't
want
any
change,
the
likelihood
of
that
happening
is
non-existent.
A
The
property
is
up
for
sale,
it's
going
to
change
hands
and
the
question
is
this:
is
the
city
in
the
citizens
of
Aiken
going
to
sit
on
the
sidelines
and
wait
not
being
involved
in
the
process
to
find
out
what
our
very
future
of
our
downtown
is,
or
are
we
going
to
get
into
the
driver's
seat
and
partner
with
a
development
team
so
that
we
can
make
sure
that
the
uniqueness
and
the
charm
that
all
of
us
love
about
downtown
aiken
is
maintained
and
even
fostered?
More
and
those
are
our
two
options?
A
We
could
either
accept
a
development
proposal
and
therefore
transfer
our
options
to
a
development
team
or
the
city.
In
its
wisdom,
the
City
Council
can
decide.
You
still
allow
their
options
to
lapse
either
way.
We're
really
allowing
an
opportunity
for
the
city
to
be
in
the
driver's
seat
in
a
process.
A
That's
going
to
guarantee
much
more
participation
by
our
citizens
than
would
be
the
case
if
the
property
owner
had
simply
sold
their
property
to
the
highest
bidder,
and
we
would
all
be
sitting
there
waiting
to
see
what
the
next
chapter
of
the
book
of
our
downtown
is.
No
because
we
want,
obviously
it
depends
on
how
many
proposals
we
receive
and
we're
in
the
process
of
developing
the
process.
I
know,
but
we
are
mindful
that
there
are
expiration
dates
on
our
option.
A
So
time
is
of
the
essence,
and
so,
if
we
choose
to
put
ourselves
in
the
driver's
seat,
it
needs
to
be
done
in
a
timely
fashion.
Yes,
yes,
I
mean
clearly
in
our
conversations
with
the
development
team.
We
have
and
will
continue
to
stress
for
those
developers
that
have
contacted
us
and
those
that
will
now
contact
us
that
we
want
to
continue
are
having
a
unique
downtown.
A
Really
what
we're
looking
for?
That's
exactly
what
we're
looking
at
with
the
with
the
addition,
possibly
of
a
solution
to
the
parking
problem
as
well.
Well,
they
have
to.
They
have
to
propose
something
that
is
within
the
the
confines
of
our
existing
ordinances.
Unless
they
propose
a
change
and
we're
not.
You
know
we
haven't
opened
that
door,
but
they
have
to
do
they
have
to
I,
not
only
live
within
the
confines
of
our
existing
ordinances.
A
They
have
to
be
proposing
something
that
is
in
the
realm
of
the
definition
of
unique
downtown
special
operations
in
what
have
you
I
mean?
If
you
can
think
about
what
makes
it
down
another
downtown
in
another
area,
special,
it's.
It
is
its
uniqueness
and
its
charm,
and
so
what
we're
saying,
although
there's
a
broad
term,
is
that
people
need
to
be
offering
proposals
that
enhance
our
already
terrific
downtown.
Well,
we
have
had
many
calls
over
the
past
month
or
two.
A
We
have
six
or
seven
development
teams
that
have
indicated
to
us
that
they're
going
to
be
it,
but
they
haven't
seen
the
RFP
yet
and
just
because
someone
suggests
that
they're
interested
doesn't
necessarily
mean
that
they're
they're
going
to,
but
we're
going
to
do
all
that
we
can
do.
This
is
going
on
a
website
today
we're
sending
it
out
to
the
world.
We
hope
that
all
of
you
will
pass
this
information
on,
because
we
want
competition.
A
We
think
the
more
development
teams
that
are
interested
with
a
unique
and
creative
ideas,
the
better
the
end
product,
will
be
and
we're
going
to
do
everything
we
could
do
night
and
day
over
the
next
month
or
two
to
try
to
create
as
much
interest
as
possible.
Well,
I
would
say
that
I
absolutely
agree
with
them.
We
don't
want
to
become
Charleston,
we
don't
want
to
become
Greenville,
we
don't
want
to
become
Columbia.
We
like
the
fact
that
we
rakin
we
just
want
to
improve
on
that
we're
not
trying
to
become
anything
else.
A
We
love
the
uniqueness
in
the
character
and
the
charm
of
Aiken,
but
the
fact
remains
that
you
can't
rest
on
your
laurels
and
think
that
the
downtown
will
always
stay
the
way
it
is
without
fostering
and
new
investment
in
new
ideas.
I
mean
if
you
walk
around
the
downtown
as
beautiful
it
is.
There
are
properties
that
are
in
disrepair.
There
are
open
shops
that
are
vacant,
and
this
is
the
time
for
the
city
and
the
private
sector
to
step
up
to
address
that.
A
You
know
this
isn't
any
different
than
20
or
30
years
ago,
and
I
see
I've
seen
pictures
of
Aiken
30
years
ago
and
without
the
revitalization
effort
that
took
place
with
leaders
like
mayor,
Fred,
Kavanaugh
and
John
Cunningham,
and
wait
Brody
and
others
without
their
efforts,
and
they
get
a
lot
of
criticism
when
they
did
it.
The
very
essence
of
what
we
enjoy
now
in
downtown
would
not
have
been
there.
A
It
was
a
very
different
down
down
20
or
30
years,
and
it
was
their
leadership
that
allowed
us
to
take
the
next
step
to
improve
our
downtown
area,
but
no,
we
don't
want
to
become
anywhere
else
there
are
there
are
there
is
language
in
four
different
locations
in
the
request
for
proposals
that
require
a
development
team
to
to
submit
an
accommodations
plan
for
all
of
the
tenants.
That's
why
most
of
the
tenants
that
are
existing
are
not
only
supportive
of
the
city's
involvement
there.