Appraisal Services

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (“URA”) requests qualifications from a variety of firms (“Applicant”) to provide appraisal services to the URA, the Pittsburgh Land Bank (“PLB”), and the URA’s affiliated entities as-needed.

The URA is the City of Pittsburgh's (“City”) economic development agency, committed to fostering sustainable prosperity across all of Pittsburgh. Incorporated in 1946 as one of the first redevelopment authorities in the United States, the URA achieves this mission by assembling, preparing and conveying sites for major mixed-use developments; and by providing a portfolio of programs that include financing for business location, relocation and expansion, housing construction and rehabilitation, and home purchases and improvements.

Appraisals of vacant residential and commercial parcels, site assemblages, apartment buildings, shopping centers, office buildings, mixed-use buildings, and one- to four-unit residential structures. The majority of the URA’s appraisal assignments are commercial in nature.

The selected applicants must:

• Have a certified real estate appraiser license in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• Have a minimum of 3-5 years of performing appraisal services
• Have experience in appraising all types of property including, but not exclusive of, vacant lots, residential properties, commercial properties, industrial properties, special use properties, easements, and real property interests less than fee, i.e., reversions, remainders, easements, etc.
• Be qualified to testify before Pennsylvania courts of competent jurisdiction and Board of Viewers
• Have courtroom demeanor and a reputation for credibility; be articulate and possess strong written communication skills
• Be available to perform the work assigned within the time frame required in the agreement
• Have familiarity with the Pennsylvania Eminent Domain Code of Pennsylvania and real estate laws
• Possess knowledge of land values in the City of Pittsburgh
• Be qualified to appraise pursuant to the laws of Pennsylvania and should possess an active real estate broker's license

Additionally: Prior acceptable experience with the URA will be considered.

Each submission should include the following:

• Title Page - Include the Applicant’s name, contact person and contact information
  
  
• Table of Contents
  
  
• Primary Qualifications - Provide a brief narrative that explains why your organization is well qualified to provide the services for which you would like to be considered. Briefly describe similar work your firm or team has completed.
  
  
• Firm Profile - Provide a brief profile of your organization, including:
  a. Number of total employees; and
  b. Number and names of employees who will be dedicated to the work.
  
  
• Biography of Key Personnel - Identify the staff within the organization who will be actively working on this contract. Please include the individuals’ relevant experience and their work location.
  
  
• References - Provide three (3) references from entities that have worked with your firm on similar projects. Provide only references who have directly worked with one or more members of the firm’s proposed team. Include the reference’s name, title, address, direct telephone number, and email address.
  
  
• Minority and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Narrative - State as succinctly as possible your firm’s efforts to promote opportunities for women and minority professionals in your organization. MWBE participation can be satisfied by:
  a. Ownership/partnership of firm;
  b. Employment levels of minorities and/or women in the organization; 
  c. Staffing of minorities and/or women on URA work;
  d. Use of minority- or women-owned businesses as vendors for legal, printing, office supplies, travel, etc.; and
  e. Subcontracting with organizations owned and controlled by minorities and/or women. If this is to be done, that fact, and the name of the proposed subcontracting organizations, must be clearly identified in the proposal. Following the award of a contract, no additional subcontracting will be allowed without the express prior written consent of the URA. The
  URA has a long history of diversity and inclusion within all of its programs and other activities. The URA encourages the full participation of minority and women business owners and professionals in this effort.

**Any questions about MWBE requirements should be directed to MWBE@ura.org.**

• Fees - Describe your proposed fee structure (e.g., hourly, fixed fee per item, etc.) and include proposed rates.
  
  
• Other Information - Please provide any other information which you believe is pertinent to the URA’s consideration of your institution.

All inquiries related to this RFQ are to be submitted through Ion Wave Technologies, the URA’s RFP and RFQ platform, where the inquiry and the answer will be made public.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Thursday, August 17, 2023 at 5:00 PM

Applicants must submit their Response using Ion Wave Technologies. The Response should be combined into one file in PDF format. Do not send hard copies.

• The qualifications review committee (“Committee”) will consist of the members of the URA Real Estate and Legal Departments.
• The Committee will check responses against mandatory criteria. Responses not meeting all mandatory criteria will not be considered for review.
• Formal interviews of Applicants may be scheduled at the discretion of the Committee.
• During the evaluation process, the URA reserves the right to request additional information or clarifications from the Applicant(s) or to allow corrections of errors or omissions.
• The Committee shall recommend to the URA Board of Directors a list of applicants based upon firms’ responses to this RFP.

• Experience – The Applicant’s experience in providing services similar to those within the Scope of Services described herein; the quality of the applicant’s management, reputation and references; the applicant should have at least 3-5 years of experience providing the services specified in its response to organizations like the URA.
• Quality of Submission – The quality of the submission and the degree to which it demonstrates the team members’ full understanding of the ability to perform the services to be rendered; the content of the response should demonstrate the applicant’s full understanding of the Objectives, along with sample materials.
• MWBE Strategy or if the Applicant is a MWBE

• The Applicant, including any and all team members, must have no conflict of interest with regard to any other work performed by the respondent for the URA or any related entity.
• The Applicant must adhere to the instructions contained in this RFQ in preparing the Response.
• The Applicant must include an MWBE narrative.

The URA intends to select one or more Applicants based upon information in the Response, the Applicant’s performance in previous undertakings, and other pertinent factors. The selected Applicant(s) will be chosen on the basis of the selection criteria listed above.

1. The URA shall have the right to verify the accuracy of all information submitted by the Applicant, and to make such investigation as it deems necessary to determine the ability of each Applicant to perform the services set forth in the Response. The URA in its discretion reserves the right to reject any Response when the available evidence or information does not satisfy the URA that the Applicant is qualified to carry out properly the services set forth in the Response.
2. The URA shall be the sole judge as to which, if any, Applicant best meets the selection criteria. The URA reserves the right to reject any or all Response(s), to waive any submission requirements, and to waive any irregularities in any Response.
3. This RFQ is submitted subject to errors, omissions, and/or withdrawal without notice by the URA at any time.
4. All Responses, including attachments, supplementary materials, addenda, etc. shall become the property of the URA and will not be returned.
5. Applicant’s members must disclose any conflict of interest, or potential conflict of interest, with regards to any employee or staff of the URA or the City of Pittsburgh, and/or any work performed by the Applicant for the URA, the City of Pittsburgh, or any related entity.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh abides by all applicable laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and refrains from discriminating on the basis of age, race, color, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, political or union affiliation, and/or disability. No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination solely on the basis of any of the above factors under the loan and grant programs operated by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.