Jefferson City officials agreed to solicit bids to develop the 32-acre Missouri State Penitentiary site during a meeting Friday at the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Missouri Office of Administration transferred land on the MSP property to the city in August under an agreement between the city and state.
At a Friday meeting of the Missouri State Penitentiary Community Partners - a board made up of Jefferson City, Cole County and local economic development officials - the group agreed to solicit requests for qualification.
Jefferson City Counselor Ryan Moehlman said an RFQ differs slightly from a request for proposals because in an RFQ the city seeks developers capable of building a project on the site before it solicits proposals for site uses. Moehlman said this pre-qualification process will allow the city to select a developer with enough capital and experience to pull off a project.
MSP Community Partners did not outline any specific guidelines for the RFQ.
"At a staff level, we're going to work to draft a document that will need the blessing of this body," Moehlman said. "If there's some minimum quantitative things that this body needs to have in that document, we'll have the opportunity to insert that."
The city plans to redevelop 31.28 acres between the historic site and Chestnut Street, including some right-of-way areas and the old shoe factory on the property. The redevelopment site does not include the historic buildings used for the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau's prison tours. The historic buildings remain in the state's possession.
Primary proposed uses for the site include hotels, entertainment venues, office buildings, museums and convention centers, according to the agreement between the city and state. Developers also could construct secondary uses like full-service and fast-casual restaurants, bars, coffee shops and retail establishments, as long as these features do not exceed 10,000 square feet each. Parking structures, green spaces and pedestrian plazas also could be built on the site.
Traditional fast-food restaurants, retail or restaurant establishments with drive-thru facilities, an enclosed shopping mall, and other residential uses other than condominium units and loft-style apartments will not be allowed.