Partnering With A Developer

The Developer Procurement Process

There is a two-step process to bring a developer partner under contract with the city.  

Step 1 - Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

The RFQ begins our search process to obtain a developer partner to design and build the project. The RFQ process will evaluate the qualifications of proposed project teams and determine up to three top responders based on an evaluation of relevant experience and qualifications. 

Announcement of the List of Top Qualified Developer Teams

Step 2 - Request for Prosposals (RFP)

The top responders will be invited to submit a full proposal through a subsequent Request for Proposals (RFP) process that will be issued in early 2021. The city strongly encourages all potential respondents to elevate the participation and contribution of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and underrepresented voices as teams are formed. Respondent teams should reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of San Francisco and participation of underrepresented communities.

Project specific legislation

The City’s codes were written for typical public delivery of capital projects – like, the City budgets funds in its annual budget to pay for a project and contracts with a developer to build it. Because the Potrero Yard project needs a long-term agreement with a developer team to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the new yard, special legislation is needed to set rules around this type of agreement. The legislation also obligates the project to prevailing wages, a Local Business Enterprise (LBE) program, the City’s local hire policy and first source hiring ordinance.  The ordinance also allows payment of a design stipend to up to two unsuccessful respondent teams.