Downtown Historic Context

The Bismarck Historic Preservation Commission is looking to complete a historic context for Bismarck’s downtown. The main goal for this project will be to help understand how Bismarck’s original commercial area developed over time, including its social and cultural history, common building types, and architectural patterns. It should be written to encompass the whole of the historic downtown commercial core, including the Bismarck Downtown Historic District, so that it can be utilized in the future to evaluate properties beyond the boundary of the Downtown Historic District.

The Bismarck Historic Preservation Commission (BHPC) is seeking a qualified consultant to complete a thorough historic context study of Bismarck’s downtown commercial core.

The scope of services includes the following tasks:

• Historic Context. Applicable National Park Service guidelines and Secretary of the Interiors Standards should be used to guide content and format the historic context. A map showing the general historic commercial core that may utilize this context is attached. However, areas beyond those general boundaries, including the early medical places, may also contribute to or utilize the context.
• Formatting. Edit all documents for grammar, punctuation, and clarity prior to submission to the BHPC or SHPO.
• Document Submission. Submittal of the historic context for review and final submission must follow all applicable SHPO report requirements.
• Communications. Maintain regular communications with Planning Department staff through email, meetings, or phone calls throughout the process of developing the historic context, to include, at a minimum, monthly remote meetings with staff unless otherwise discussed.

The historic context is expected to include, at a minimum:

• Summary of what the context encompasses and its overall purpose;
• General historical background of the downtown including an overview of the built environment within the District, summaries of previous studies in the downtown community, and of the previous nomination and amendment;
• Explanation of the context’s parameters including descriptions of methodology of study and regulatory framework guiding the project;
• Information relevant to the development of the context’s theme(s) or area(s) of significance;
• Identification of the property types associated with the context;
• Determination of thematic categories to be used going forward in a National Register of Historic Places District amendment or nomination(s);
• Construction chronologies and discussions of the changing character of the District over time, using the thematic categories;
• A project summary and recommendations;
• Graphic depictions of a Timeline and Milestones;
• Relevance using each of the National Register Criteria; and
• Bibliography.

All final deliverables including, but not limited to, all required final hard and digital copies of the historic context, any applicable photographs, and GIS data must be submitted to SHPO no later than **September 1, 2028**.

**Submission:** Proposals must be received by the City of Bismarck no later than **5:00 P.M. on December 31, 2026**. Send proposals to Lauren Oster, Planner, P.O. Box 5503, Bismarck, N.D. 58506, laoster@bismarcknd.gov. Large files should be uploaded with a link to download files provided via email.

No proposal may be longer than 15 pages, excluding any attachments or linked documents. Any additional attachments or linked documents may not be longer than 5 pages.

**Budget:** A fixed fee contract of an amount to be specified in the proposal, not to exceed **$27,500**, will be used.

Scoring:

• Firm Qualifications (20%)
• Grasp of Project (25%)
• Project Approach (25%)
• Project Team (10%)
• Firm Reliability (15%)
• Project Cost (5%)

**Insurance:** Comprehensive General Liability Insurance (personal injury, bodily injury, and property damage to a combined single limit of **$2,000,000** for each occurrence and $500,000 per person) is **required**. This will need to be provided by the time of contract approval.

The City of Bismarck requires that any chosen firm needs to be registered with the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office to do business in North Dakota prior to contract approval.