At about 2:30pm on Friday, October 22, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department formally released a Request For Proposals for restaurateurs to utilize the vacant Lake Merced Boathouse.

According to the press release by Lev Kushner, Assistant Director for Strategic Partnerships with SF Recreation and Park Department, “The City is looking for an operator who will transform the current building into a thriving restaurant, community hub, and center for recreational and naturalist activity that befits a location as beautiful as Lake Merced.”

The 24-page Request For Proposals (RFP) describes the facility and surrounding lake area, details the financial terms of the lease, and clarifies the criteria to be used in selecting the ultimate tenant for the Lake Merced Boathouse.

Also included is a timeline for the process:

RFP issued: October 22, 2010
Pre‐submittal conference and tour: 2:00pm on Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Deadline for submission of written questions: 5:00pm on Friday, December 17, 2010
Proposal deadline: 5:00pm on Friday, February 4, 2011
Recreation and Park Commission consideration of selected respondent: March, 2011
Lease negotiations: April – May, 2011
Recreation and Park Commission approval of lease: June, 2011
BOS and Mayor approval, if required: July, 2011
Lease commencement: July, 2011

On Tuesday, October 19 the Bulletin published a story on the history of Lake Merced as a lead-up to the RFP.

You can read the full text of the RFP by going to the Recreation and Park Deparment’s website, and downloading a .PDF file of the document.