Business Opportunity Announced for Two Hospitality Contracts on South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga has announced the availability of two prospectuses for business opportunities in the park, to provide lodging, food services, grocery stores, retail, transportation, mule rides, an RV campground, a service station and other services on the South Rim. The two prospectuses released today outline these business opportunities, describe the existing businesses, and provide details on how to submit responsive proposals for either or both.

The services that will be provided under the two new contracts encompass the majority of the commercial visitor services on the South Rim and include services currently provided under concession contracts by Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. and Delaware North Companies at the South Rim, Inc. (also known as DNC). The new 15-year contracts implement changes to the alignment of services historically provided under the old contracts.

These contracts are two of the largest in the National Park Service (NPS) with combined gross revenues of approximately $100 million per year, 951 guest rooms, 13 restaurants and bars with over 1600 seats, 13 gift shops, two grocery stores, an RV campground with 70 sites, transportation including mule rides, etc. on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Over the 15 year term of the contracts, the successful bidders’ combined gross revenue could be approximately $1.5 billion.

The new historic lodging and hospitality contract (CC-GRCA001-15) will include lodging, retail and food service in the historic Grand Canyon Village including the El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Thunderbird and Kachina Lodges, Maswik Lodge and Phantom Ranch, as well as retail and food service at Hermits Rest. It will also continue to include transportation services such as bus tours, taxi service and mule rides.

This new historic lodging and hospitality contract will also introduce mobile food trucks to improve food selection and availability at peak visitation times and locations, as well as valet parking at the El Tovar to facilitate parking for guests. The new concessioner will replace the outdated Maswik South lodge units with a more modern and environmentally sustainable lodging facility, and renovate the historic motor lodge cabins near Maswik Lodge to return them to their original use as lodging.

The new general stores and hospitality contract (CC-GRCA003-15) will include grocery, food service and retail stores at the Grand Canyon Village Market; lodging, retail and food services at Yavapai Lodge; retail, food services, grocery and a service station at Desert View; operation of the public laundromat and showers known as Camper Services; and operation of the Trailer Village RV campground.

The new concessioner for the general stores and hospitality operation will also redesign the Yavapai cafeteria menu, and provide new quick food service at Camper Services.

The historic Watchtower, which is currently operated as a gift shop, will be transferred to the NPS and will remain open to the public.

In addition to the services and changes already described, the prospectuses invite all offerors to propose a new commercial use for the Powerhouse building, a National Historic Landmark structure located near the railroad within the Grand Canyon Village Historic District. The NPS will consider such proposals separately from the proposals for the main contracts.

Concessions contracts are developed and issued under the authority of the Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998, P.L. 105-391, and its attending regulations in 36 CFR §51.

All interested parties are encouraged to apply and submit a responsive proposal to these prospectuses. Parties interested in visiting the area to become familiar with the physical conditions and limitations of this business opportunity should contact Laura Shearin, Concessions Specialist, Grand Canyon National Park at 928-638-7351 as soon as possible to register for a site visit, to be held on August 28 and 29, 2013.

These new opportunities are being advertised on the Federal Business Opportunities web site, http://www.fbo.gov. Copies of the prospectuses will be available later today online at http://www.concessions.nps.gov/prospectuses.htm. To obtain paper copies of either or both prospectuses, please contact Jennifer Parker at 303-969-2661.

Responsive proposals must be received by the Intermountain Regional Office by Monday, November 25, 2013. For additional information, please contact Jennifer Parker, Chief of Concessions, Intermountain Region at 303-969-2661.