Riverside Park

The Daily Plant : Thursday, September 10, 2015

NYC Parks Issues Request For Proposals For Outdoor Café At The 79Th Street Rotunda In Riverside Park

Yesterday, NYC Parks announced it has issued a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for the operation, renovation, and maintenance of an outdoor café at the 79th Street Rotunda in Riverside Park, Solicitation # M71(79)-R-2015.

“The 79th Street Rotunda is a jewel of Riverside Park and its outdoor café has traditionally been a favorite gathering spot for New Yorkers,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “NYC Parks encourages prospective concessionaires to submit their vision for this open space and to take an active role in shaping the future of this popular amenity.”

Overlooking the 79th Street Boat Basin, the Rotunda is one of three current café spaces within Riverside Park, the other two being Pier I Café at West 70th Street and Ellington on the Park at West 105th Street. The current license agreement for the outdoor café at the 79th Street Rotunda expires in March 2016. Through an open, competitive Request for Proposals process, Parks is seeking a concessionaire for one three-year term, with three one-year renewal options, exercisable at Parks’ sole discretion. The term has been structured to accommodate a planned future renovation of the Rotunda by the NYC Department of Transportation.

The 79th Street Rotunda is a centerpiece of Riverside Park and is a popular destination for New Yorkers looking to take in the surrounding beauty of the park, boat basin marina, and river, while enjoying an outdoor meal. Patrons of the café and visitors to the park have enjoyed this spot for years and Parks would like to continue to provide this welcome amenity. Interested concessionaires are encouraged to submit proposals addressing the evaluation criteria of their operating experience; planned operations; proposed capital investment, improvements and design; fee offer; and financial capability.

All proposals for this RFP must be submitted no later than Thursday, October 22, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. Parks will hold a recommended meeting and site-tour on Friday, September 25, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. The meeting and site-tour will be held at the proposed concession site, which is located in Riverside Park at West 79th Street by the Hudson River, in Manhattan. All interested parties considering responding to this RFP are encouraged to attend this recommended meeting and site tour.

Hard copies of the RFP can be obtained, through Thursday, October 22, 2015, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays, at the Revenue Division of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, which is located at 830 Fifth Avenue, Room 407, New York, NY 10065.

The RFP is also available for download through Thursday, October 22, 2015, on Parks’ website. To download the RFP, visit www.nyc.gov/parks/businessopportunities and, after logging in, click on the “download” link that appears adjacent to the RFP’s description.

For more information or to request to receive a copy of the RFP by mail, prospective proposers may contact Eitan Adler, Project Manager, at (212) 360-3454 or at eitan.adler@parks.nyc.gov.

Know Before You Go

Riverside Park

West 79th Street Boat Basin

Riverside Park (79th Street)