Deadline for the recently released request for proposal is Aug. 15
The Dream Big Burnside Authority has released a request for proposals seeking a consulting firm to prepare a feasibility study and market analysis for developing General Burnside Island as a public-private partnership.
Specifically, the study will assess the long-term potential for adding lodging, restaurants, a conference center, and entertainment amenities to the island, part of the Kentucky State Parks system. It will be conducted with five goals in mind: (1) describing consumer demand for the project, (2) estimating economic impacts on the region, (3) providing details on similar projects, (4) estimating development costs, and (5) identifying potential funding sources and options to move forward.
The Dream Big Burnside Authority, a City of Burnside agency with representatives from the City of Somerset, Pulaski County Government and the Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA), has been working to launch this project since its inception in 2021.
“The release of the RFP for Burnside Island development is confirmation of the Dream Big board’s forward momentum in accomplishing our shared goals of progress with the City of Burnside,” Burnside Mayor Robert Lawson said. “I’m grateful to work alongside the Dream Big board of directors as they utilize gracious funding from the state’s representative body to execute this feasibility study. I’m eager to see the returns of the RFP release and am hopeful for the results found by a chosen vendor.”
The deadline for bids is Aug. 15. The Dream Big board will review submissions and select a candidate by the end of August and will commission the feasibility study to be complete by Nov. 22.
Developing General Burnside Island would accomplish what the late Gov. A.B. “Happy” Chandler set out to do in 1958 when the U.S. Congress transferred the title for Burnside Island to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to create a public park. According to the Congressional Record, following an initial development phase that included a recreation area with a swimming pool, picnic tables, grills, a group camp, tent/trailer area and golf course, Chandler envisioned the second phase of development would include “a central building, eating and sleeping accommodations, and the like,” according to a letter from the state’s commissioner of conservation at that time.
More than 65 years later, General Burnside Island continues to resemble the first phase of this vision, despite the creation of Dream Big Burnside and a 2022 directive from the General Assembly to develop a comprehensive statewide proposal to enhance Kentucky’s state park system through public-private partnerships.
“It is our honor to carry out what the late Gov. Happy Chandler first envisioned for this property more than six decades ago,” said Chris Girdler, president and CEO of SPEDA and chair of the Dream Big board. “We look forward to selecting a qualified firm to conduct this feasibility study and confirming from a third-party perspective what we already believe — that developing General Burnside Island will be an economic boon for this community, the Lake Cumberland region, and Kentucky as a whole.”
To obtain the official RFP document, contact SPEDA President and CEO Chris Girdler at (606) 425-5409 or chris@speda.org. Requirements and deadlines can be found at somersetkyleads.com/opportunities/.
“A private partnership for lodging and other accommodations on Burnside Island is an exciting possibility on the horizon and the citizens of Burnside will be direct beneficiaries of this positive change within our community,” Lawson said. “Once again, I extend my deepest gratitude to Chairman Chris Girdler and all Dream Big board members for collaborating on this release and keeping an optimistic outlook toward our end objectives.”