Eco-tents, perhaps like those in this conceptual drawing from the University of Miami Design Build School of Architecture, are being sought by the National Park Service for the Flamingo area of Everglades National Park.

In a bid to see lodging facilities established at Flamingo in Everglades National Park by September 2018, the National Park Service is offering a $5 million enticement to the concessionaire that wins the contract. The money would be used to pay for construction of lodging and visitor facilities at Flamingo.

There hasn't been any visitor lodging at Flamingo since 2005, when hurricanes Katrina and Wilma inflicted heavy damage to the motel units and cottages there. In 2009, the facilities were razed. While park officials came up with a plan to replace the lodge, that 2010 lodging proposal with its $78 million price tag was deemed too expensive by Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, especially in light of the park's history with storms and the short occupancy season (summer is too buggy for most Everglades visitors).

Since then, the Park Service has been busy trying to come up with a solution for lodging at Flamingo. In 2012 the park experimented with "eco-tents" that could be used for nightly stays. The next year, 2013, the Park Service issued a prospectus for lodging at Flamingo that called for construction of 24 cottages and the purchase of 20 relatively large tents and five 5 RVs. The winning bider would be required to pay for installation of the infrastructure to support it all.

There were no winning bids for that round.

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Now the Park Service has sweetened its offer, saying it will pay down "real property investments by the concessioner, up to $5 million upon completion and NPS approval of the cottages, restaurant, eco-tents and other concession facility improvements."

The contract just put out for bid calls for:

*  4 Studio Guest Cottages (approx. 300 square feet each)

*  12 One-Bedroom Guest Cottages (approx. 450 square feet each)

*  8 Two-Bedroom Guest Cottages (approx. 600 square feet each)

*  Cottage Area Utility Infrastructure

*  Cottage Area Site work (landscaping, roads, and trails)

*  20 Eco-Tent Platforms (frames and coverings will also be provided by Concessioner, but are considered personal property)

*  Eco-Tent Area Utility Infrastructure (electrical connections)

*  Eco-Tent Area Site work (landscaping and trails)

* An elevated concrete modular construction (not to exceed 4,000 square feet) family casual dining restaurant in the cottage area that will include limited retail space and lodging/campground check-in.

Guest Cottages will be located near the site of the former Flamingo Lodge (to the east side of the visitor center parking lot). Each guest cottage will have a deck, bathroom, kitchenette, and dining area. The elevated concrete modular construction cottages must be designed and sited to withstand hurricane-force winds (146 mph per Monroe County building code). They will be constructed on 10- to 12-foot pilings for protection from potentially damaging storm surges; the finished first-floor elevation would need to be approximately 16 feet above sea level based on available FEMA map data. Ground level at this site is approximately 4 feet ASL. They may be modular and potentially able to be re-located to a new site at such time as sea level or coastal conditions may warrant. They may be clustered in groups of two to four to take advantage of shared stairways and infrastructure.

Eco-tents will be located in the walk-in campground area. Each eco-tent will include beds (a queen/king or two doubles), chairs, a dresser, and an electric light and fan. The interior floor space must be at least 120 square feet and the total platform area (including a deck) must be at least 150 square feet).

The Flamingo District of the park is located at the southern tip of the peninsula and boasts magnificent water recreation in the backcountry and expansive Florida Bay. Long Pine Key is a popular camping area closer to the entrance station in Homestead.

"With an average of one-half million visitors entering the park through the Homestead entrance each year as well as several hundred thousand boaters in Florida Bay, this is a significant business opportunity," read a park release announcing the prospectus.

“We have heard from the community and our visitors for some time that they would like to see increased visitor services at the Flamingo area of the park. I am thrilled that we have the opportunity to expand these services with this call for proposals,” said Everglades Superintendent Pedro Ramos.

The prospectus outlines the package of visitor services that can be offered at Flamingo (38 miles from park headquarters) including small cottage and eco-tent lodging with food and beverage service, boat tours, canoe/kayak rentals, retail sales, skiff rentals, houseboat rentals, full service restaurant, marina services and slip rentals as well as a walk-in campground for both Long Pine Key and Flamingo.

The contract term for operations at Flamingo has been expanded to 20 years. The contract will require a minimum franchise fee of 1 percent of gross revenue for the first two years of the contract and 9 percent of the annual gross revenues for the remaining term of the contract.

Mindful of the trademark battle under way at Yosemite National Park, the contract for the Flamingo facilities explicitly notes that, "The unique nature of a National Park Service concession blends commercial enterprise with the treasured historic, cultural and natural assets that the Director is responsible for protecting. The Director hereby grants to the Concessioner a royalty-free, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the marks as listed in Exhibit K (“Marks”), for use solely to carry out the services described under this Contract in manner that promotes NPS goals and values as stated herein. ... This license shall cease upon termination or expiration of the Contract, or as otherwise determined by the Director or by law. This license does not constitute a compensable interest to the Concessioner."

The park will not hold an official site visit. If you would like an informal site visit, please contact Bill Stevens, Chief of Commercial Services Southeast Region at 404-507-5636 or [email protected].

The prospectus is available on the NPS website at https://concessions.nps.gov/ever001-17.html. Hardcopies are available upon request by sending a check or money order for $50 payable to the National Park Service at the address below. Please include a physical address (no post office boxes) and telephone number for FedEx delivery. Individuals obtaining a prospectus from the website should contact Mr. Stevens to ensure they receive future responses to questions or amendments to the prospectus.