Miami relaunches speciality retail tender

Gavin Lipsith

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The airport is offering eight packages covering a total of 27 outlets in its South and North terminals

Miami International airport is seeking proposals on eight retail packages covering 27 outlets in its North and South terminals. The outlets, covering news, gifts and speciality retail, total 20,400sq ft (1,896sq m) and developers, direct tenants and small businesses are eligible to submit proposals for different packages by January 18 2006.

The outlets included in the request for proposals (RFP) have been repackaged after Westfield Concession Management was the sole bidder the first time round earlier this year. Miami-Dade county commissioners rejected the bid on the grounds that the terms of the RFP had discouraged greater competition, and had not done enough to encourage small local businesses to participate.

The new document includes three outlets—bundled into two packages—that can only be managed by small businesses. A fashion and fashion accessories outlet in South terminal's concourse J is offered in one package, while the other features gift shops in both the North and South terminals. A further three packages, totalling four stores, are available only to direct operators and cover sundries, books, electronics and jewellery and watches. The remaining 20 outlets, covering news and books, electronics, gifts and fashion and accessories, are split into two packages and offered to developers who may then decide to sublease the outlets.

The contracts run for eight years with an option to extend for a further to years, and will be phased in starting from August 2006. Proposals will be judged on a technical submission (totalling 900 points) and a minimum annual guarantee proposal (maximum 100 points) and scored out of 1000 points.

The airport is hosting a pre-proposal conference for parties interested in submitting proposals on December 10.