Monastery
of the Angels
1977 Carmen Ave
Los Angeles, California
Table of
CONTENTS
Background on the Dominican Friars
Founded in 1850, the Dominican Friars of the Western Province (Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus) serve throughout the Western U.S. (and internationally) in a variety of apostolates, including campus and parish ministries, schools, seminaries, universities, media, and missions to the poor. There are four Dominican provinces in the United States: Western, Eastern, Central and Southern provinces, each with their own governance. The Western Dominican Province is headquartered in Oakland, CA and is made up of approximately 140 friars.
Background on the Dominican Nuns
St. Dominic established the first community of cloistered Dominican nuns in 1206 in Prouille, France. Over the centuries, communities of Dominican nuns have spread throughout the world and are a great source of spiritual strength for the Order and local communities. Free from the distractions of the world, the nuns dedicate themselves to a life of prayer and contemplation for the salvation of souls. There are many autonomous Dominican monasteries of nuns around the world. In North America, some of the Dominican monasteries are affiliated through the North American Association of Dominican Monasteries, of which the Monastery of the Angels was a member.
The Dominican Friars of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Western Dominican Province) and the Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of the Angels announced an exclusive agreement between their two organizations, and have launched a public process seeking future options for the restoration and use of the Nuns’ historic property at 1977 Carmen Ave, Los Angeles, CA.
Both the friars and nuns are part of the world-wide Order of Preachers (aka the Dominicans) founded by St. Dominic in the 13th century. Though independent in their operations and civil structures, the friars and nuns belong to the same extended Dominican family and collaborate in their shared mission to preach the Gospel. With the above in mind, the key objectives that will be used to evaluate proposals include, but are not limited to the following:
- Protect the legacy of the Nuns and the Monastery
- Provide for the ongoing financial support of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers;
- Constitutes a viable solution that would protect the Monastery from further decline and deterioration
- To the extent possible, keep the Property within the Dominican and/or Roman Catholic family;
- Preserve the monastery chapel as a Roman Catholic spiritual home for the surrounding neighborhood and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles;
- Constitutes a viable solution that would protect the Monastery from further degradation and destruction;
- Continues to make the pumpkin bread and candy business accessible to the community;
In addition to supporting the above objectives, proposals should:
- Proposals that are not strictly Dominican and/or Roman Catholic in nature should detail how their proposed use aligns with the four Dominican Pillars of community, ministry (service), study, and prayer;
- Provide evidence of the proposers professional qualifications and experience to successfully implement a multi-year strategy for obtaining any and all regulatory approvals for the proposed use and building permits, including the estimated timeline associated therewith;
- Provide a clear financial proposal for the purchase, lease (ground lease or building lease) and renovation of the property including its potential subdivision, master planning and/or phased development
- Provide documentation showing that the proposer has the ability to meet the financial obligations of their proposal.
- Provide evidence of the proposer’s knowledge and applicability of the land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc, et seq., protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws.
- Provide evidence of the proposer’s knowledge and applicability of SB 4 – Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act and other laws providing for exemptions, streamlining and other legal rights for development of properties owned by faithbased properties
Property
VIDEOS
Interested parties should submit questions and formal proposals to:
General Plan & Zoning
General Plan Land Use
Low Medium II: 18-29 dwelling units/net acre
Zoning
- RD1.5-1XL
- SEC. 12.09.1. “RD” RESTRICTED DENSITY MULTIPLE DWELLING ZONE – See Exhibit A
- GENERALIZED SUMMARY OF ZONING REGULATIONS – See Exhibit B
- ZI-2427 Freeway Adjacent Advisory Notice for Sensitive Uses – See Exhibit C
- ZI-2452 Transit Priority Area in the City of Los Angeles – See Exhibit D
- Transit Oriented Communities Affordable Housing
Incentive Program Guidelines (TOC Guidelines) – See Exhibit E
District
4th District
Councilmember: Nithya Raman
The land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc, et seq., protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws (for information on RLUIPA’s institutionalized persons provisions, please refer to the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section).
Religious assemblies, especially smaller or unfamiliar ones, may be illegally discriminated against on the face of zoning codes and also in the highly individualized and discretionary processes of land use regulation. Zoning codes and landmarking laws may illegally exclude religious assemblies in places where they permit theaters, meeting halls, and other places where large groups of people assemble for secular purposes. Or the zoning codes or landmarking laws may permit religious assemblies only with individualized permission from the zoning board or landmarking commissions, and zoning boards or landmarking commission may use that authority in illegally discriminatory ways.
To address these concerns, RLUIPA prohibits zoning and landmarking laws that substantially burden the religious exercise of churches or other religious assemblies or institutions absent the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling governmental interest. This prohibition applies in any situation where: (i) the state or local government entity imposing the substantial burden receives federal funding; (ii) the substantial burden affects, or removal of the substantial burden would affect, interstate commerce; or (iii) the substantial burden arises from the state or local government’s formal or informal procedures for making individualized assessments of a property’s uses. In addition, RLUIPA prohibits zoning and landmarking laws that:
(1) treat churches or other religious assemblies or institutions on less than equal terms with nonreligious assemblies or institutions; (2) discriminate against any assemblies or institutions on the basis of religion or religious denomination;
(3) totally exclude religious assemblies from a jurisdiction; or
(4) unreasonably limit religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.
The Department of Justice can investigate alleged RLUIPA violations and bring a lawsuit to enforce the statute. The Department can obtain injunctive, but not monetary, relief. Individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions can also bring a lawsuit in federal or state court to enforce RLUIPA.
Site Plan
Floor Plan
Floor Plan
Property
REPORTS
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE
Seismic Risk Assessment
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE
Sales Comps
SUMMARY
1977 CARMEN AVENUE
LOS ANGELES, CA
The Monastery of the Angels is a 3.77-acre property that contains an impressive 52,572 SF monastic structure dating from 1947.
It is located between the iconic “Hollywood” sign and the Hollywood Boulevard -Sidewalk of the Stars.
Location:
Hollywood, California
Demographics
Selection
PROCESS
- Financial statements for the past three (3) years.
- A letter of reference from a major bank or lending institution.
- A statement describing any and all litigation in which the entity and its principals have been involved during the past five (5) years, as well as any litigation which is pending or threatened against the entity and principals, and known to the entity based on its reasonable inquiry.
- A statement regarding any past or current bankruptcies involving the entity, the principals, or any sub-entity.
- All documentation of financial responsibility shall be submitted with the proposal at the same time as the proposed lease terms.
- The Owner reserves the right to perform a background or credit check on any entity or principals.
- This proposal is made directly to interested parties. All responses must be net of any broker’s commission. The Monastery of the Angels shall not pay a real estate commission to a party’s principal’s broker.
This RFQ is open to prospective Respondents who seek qualification to develop a project on the subject property. Qualifications will be based upon a determination by the property owners, in its sole discretion, that the Respondent meets the requirements and criteria outlined in this RFQ/P. Upon receipt, all RFQ/P submissions will be reviewed for completeness and compliance with the submission requirements stipulated herein.
After verification of compliance, the evaluation team will assess each Respondent’s qualifications in the areas of technical capability and financial capability in accordance with the standards and criteria set forth in this RFQ.
Respondents are sought that have the demonstrated experience and financial capability to deliver a high quality development project.
DELIVERY OF RESPONSES
- Each Respondent must submit:
Ten (10) bound hard copies of the proposal. The original set of documents must be signed by a person with the authority to bind the Respondent to a legal document; andOne (1) electronic file containing the proposal (It is the responsibility of the Respondent to ensure that the file is readable and not corrupt).
- The RFQ must be submitted in a sealed envelope prior to 10:00 am (PST) and emailed to ddutra@3DStrategies.com, marked as follows:
Monastery or the Angels
Statement of Qualifications and Proposal
Attn: Dominic D. Dutra
3D Strategies, Inc.
539 Barcelona Drive
Fremont, CA 94536
REQUIREMENTS OF THE RESPONSE
Respondents must include all information stipulated in this RFQ. Responses should follow the format outlined herein. Responses should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward and concise description of the Respondent’s relevant experience and qualifications.
In order to ensure a uniform review process and to obtain the maximum degrees of comparability, the Response should be organized in accordance with the following:
1. Cover Letter (2 page maximum)
2. Table of Contents
3. Executive Summary
4. Description of Respondent Organization
a. Description of Respondent: Includes a description of the Team, including a description of all Team Members and the anticipated legal relationship (governance and capital structure). All anticipated equity investors and shareholders should be indentified, as should key contractors and service providers.
b. Basic Information: Basic information regarding individual Team Members, such as legal structure, service offerings, financial standing, etc.
c. Role of Team Members and identification of Key Personnel: Please ensure that all the requirements addressed in the “Evaluation Criteria” section are addressed.
d. Controlling Interest: Identify the individuals or companies who hold a major or controlling interest in each Team Member, as well as the anticipated controlling interest in the Team.
e. Lead Member: Identify the Lead Member of the Team, identifying its experience in successfully leading Teams on projects similar to that envisioned for the project
f. Expected Advisors: Identify the companies and individuals who are expected to act as legal, financial or other advisors for the Team.
g. Designated Representative: Provide a single contact person for all future communications relating to this procurement. Please identify the contact person’s name, title, organization, address, telephone number, and email address.
h. Provide evidence of the proposer’s knowledge and applicability of the land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc, et seq., protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws.
i. Provide evidence of the proposer’s knowledge and applicability of SB 4 – Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act and other laws providing for exemptions, streamlining and other legal rights for development of properties owned by faith -based organizations
5. Past Performance on Comparable Projects
Respondent’s qualifications should demonstrate expertise, experience, and financial capacity in the delivery of projects that compare to the project elements outlined in the ‘Development Vision’ section. Respondents should provide illustrative materials for comparable projects of the last 10 years. For each project, Respondents should include, at a minimum:
Project timeline, ranging from initial planning to land acquisition to construction completion; Summary of the marketing strategy and specific results of those efforts, including names of entities attracted;
Site plan, photographs, project renderings; Evidence of design excellence and inclusion of sustainable design features; and
Statement of how the project compared to the Development Vision contemplated herein.
a. Name and location of project;
b. Development Team members, including lead private entity(ies), project architect, general contractor, lender(s) and equity provider(s);
c. Development scope (land area, gross square footage by program/product type, construction type(s);
d. Development costs (hard costs soft costs, fees), excluding land costs;
e. Development Financing;
f. Project timeline, ranging from initial planning to land acquisition to construction completion;
g. Summary of the marketing strategy and specific results of those efforts, including names of entities attracted;
h. Site plan, photographs, project renderings;
i. Evidence of design excellence and inclusion of sustainable design features; and
j. Statement of how the project compared to the Development Vision contemplated herein.
Respondents should provide the status of any current projects that may compete with the Brooks Senior Living project.
6. Financial Criteria
Respondents should address the following areas with respect to financial capability:
a. Financial Capacity: Respondents must demonstrate their financial capacity to finance a similar senior living project. Team Members should provide enough financial information to demonstrate that they have the financial resources required to successfully execute a project of this nature and scope.
b. Ability to Raise Financing: Respondents must state whether they have the ability to attract equity financing for this project, or if they plan to co-develop the project with the BDA. If the Respondent will raise their own financing, the Respondent must provide specific evidence demonstrating their ability to raise financing for a project of this nature and scope. Specific factors that should be assessed include.
I. Capability of raising debt and equity in the current capital/credit market;
II. Experience financing recent transactions;
c. Statements regarding the Respondent’s financial credit worthiness and past development experience which can
be verified, including the names and addresses of at least three commercial or institutional credit references and a letter authorizing each credit reference to respond to inquiries from Dominic D. Dutra, 3D Strategies, Inc.
GENERALITIES
A Qualified Respondent must have direct experience with the successful delivery of the proposed project.
The property owners aspire to work with diverse and inclusive development teams that have a clear understanding of the evolving demographics of the Hollywood District 4 market as well as the region, state, and nation, and who can demonstrate this understanding in the assembled Team.
In the event that a Respondent is a Team, said Team must evidence that it satisfies all evaluation criteria. The capabilities of each Team Member shall be assessed to determine whether their combined qualifications meet the eligibility criteria set forth herein.
PAST PERFORMANCE
The evaluation of past performance will address whether the Response adequately demonstrates:
a. Ability to successfully plan, finance, and construct development projects as proposed;
b. Delivery of high quality design standards that create distinctive and unique places; and c. Ability to integrate high quality public design and development features
FINANCIAL CAPABILITY
The evaluation of financial capabilities will address whether the Response adequately addresses financial capability requirements with respect to the following areas:
a. Financial capacity;
b. Ability to raise financing; and
c. Verification of credit worthiness and past development experience
EVALUATION PROCEDURES
The Responses to the RFQ/P will be reviewed and evaluated by an Evaluation Team according to the requirements and criteria outlined in this RFQ/P. Each Response will be reviewed to determine whether it is responsive to the submission requirements. The property owners reserve the right to reject any or all proposals and reserves the right to issue a subsequent RFQ/P or cancel the entire RFQ?p process. The property owners reserve the right to contact any Respondent for clarification after responses are opened and/or to further negotiate with any Respondent if such clarification is deemed desirable by the property owners. The property owners reserve the right to evaluate responses submitted, to waive any informalities and irregularities therein, or to reject any or all submittals should it be deemed in the The property owners’ best interest. The property owners
reserve the right to negotiate with any, all or none of the Respondents.
NOTIFICATIONS
Short-listed Qualified Respondents could be invited to participate in further due diligence and to respond to a RFQ/P for Development of the subject property, if issued.
The property owners reserve the right to modify or terminate this solicitation at any stage if it determines this action to be in its best interests (as outlined above). The receipt of proposals or other documents at any stage of either the RFQ/P or the RFQ/P process will in no way obligate the property owners to enter into any contract of any kind with any party.
CONDITIONS FOR RESPONDENTS
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
All Proposals and any related documents received in response to this RFQ/P shall become the property of property owners without any restriction on usage and are non-returnable. Respondent may maintain a copy of any such material for their records. The property owners shall own the entire copyright of whatever nature or extent and in all media whatsoever to any documents (records) produced through the submittal.
Respondent acknowledges that all information submitted to the property owners in response to this RFQ shall become the property of the the property owners upon receipt and will not be returned. Any information deemed to be confidential by the Respondent should be clearly noted on the page or pages where such confidential information is contained; however, the property owners cannot guarantee that it will not be compelled to disclose all or part of said information.
All confidential information, which is clearly identified as such, shall to the extent permitted by law, be held in confidence and used only in the evaluation process for the RFQ/P, except as the property owners is otherwise permitted by written instructions from the Respondent. Respondent shall be solely responsible for protecting their own trade secrets or confidential information and will be responsible for all costs associated with protecting such information from disclosure. The property owners have no duty to defend proprietary information from any public records request.
RIGHTS OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND 3D STRATEGIES, INC.
In connection with this procurement process, including the receipt and evaluation of Responses and any eventual transaction, the property owners reserves to itself (at its sole discretion) all rights available to it under applicable law, including without limitation, with or without cause, and with or without notice, the right to:
a. Cancel, withdraw, postpone, or extend this procurement, in whole or in part, at any time prior to the execution of the transaction, without incurring any obligations or liabilities.
b. Modify the procurement schedule.
c. Waive deficiencies, informalities and irregularities in a Response.
d. Suspend and terminate the procurement process or terminate evaluations of Responses received.
e. Hold meetings and interviews, and conduct discussions and correspondence, with one or more of the Respondents to seek an improved understanding of any information contained in a Response.
f. Seek or obtain, from any source, data that has the potential to improve the understanding and evaluation of the Response.
g. Seek clarification from any Respondent to fully understand information provided in the Response and to help evaluate and rank the Respondents.
h. Reject a Response containing exceptions, additions, qualifications or conditions not called for in the RFQ /P or otherwise not acceptable to the property owners
i. Conduct an independent investigation of any information, including prior experience, included in a Response by contacting references, accessing public information, contacting independent parties, or any other means.
j. Request additional information from a Respondent during the evaluation of its Response.
OBLIGATION TO KEEP RESPONDENT TEAM
Intact Respondents are advised that all firms identified in the Response shall remain on the Team for the duration of the procurement process. If extraordinary circumstances require a change, it must be submitted in writing to the property owners and 3D Strategies, Inc. The property owners may, at its sole discretion, determine whether to authorize a change, recognizing that certain circumstances may occur that are beyond the Respondent’s control. Unauthorized changes to the Team at any time during the procurement process may result in elimination of the Respondent from further consideration.