2025-011-E-DEAPR Dept-Gensler-County Trails Plan

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Gensler | 32 Gensler | 33 f.OCNC Experience & Qualificationsf.OCNC Experience & Qualifications Marbles Kids Museum Expansion Feasibility Study & Community Engagement Raleigh, NC Gensler worked with Marbles Kids Museum to provide strategy services to determine the demand, feasibility, and sustainability of opening spoke locations or programs in Wake County through meaningful community engagement and research. Completed 2023 Services Provided Community Engagement Feasibility Study The approach was to utilize an engaging and equity-driven process that honors and reflects the invaluable commitment Marbles demonstrates to the community as they extend their impact. Gensler gathered and analyzed several data points to understand Marbles Kids Museum’s operations, challenges, visitor perceptions, and vision for the future to support recommendations for the potential satellite experience(s). Throughout the discovery process, the team engaged with the internal Marbles team, visitors, and partners, in addition to analyzing the sites. Over the course of this study, Gensler visited and become aware of 11 potential locations for the Marbles satellite experience. Each of these sites was analyzed as it relates to Community Assets and our Site Urgency / Selection Framework. Using feedback from Marbles leadership and staff, five categories were developed to evaluate each potential satellite location. These evaluations are based on nearby demographics within a 15-minute drive of the proposed site. Based on the five site selection criteria categories, which were defined by staff and leadership in the early phases of the project, there is immense opportunity for several parts of Wake County to meet the needs for a Marbles satellite experience. In general, with the exception of areas close to the existing downtown museum, there is high urgency within the 15-min drive-shed area of proposed satellite locations. Gensler developed a six-step process to help Marbles prepare for the expansion and bring the satellite experience to life in Wake County. 1. Outreach & Partnership Development – Connect with cities, program partners, and other stakeholders in high-need areas to understand potential partnership capacity and funding or resource alignment. 2. Business & Operational Due Diligence – Refine business plans and operational considerations for the four typologies to inform priorities, implementation needs, and staffing capacity. Explore service models that might support the different typologies / satellite formats. 3. Pilot – Explore Minimum Viable Product pilots that leverage existing resources to implement and test market need. For example, Pilot Outdoor Experiences using existing context at a low-investment location (e.g. community center, elementary school, etc.) Expand mobile programming to test new formats, locations, and audience potential. Build organizational capacity of Museum through training, testing, learning, and partnership engagement. 4. Fundraising / Capital Campaign / Design & Development – Select location & typology concept(s) to further conduct design due diligence. Depending on the typology, select design partners to begin developing initial planning and design concepts. Launch fundraising campaign to support expansion, leveraging collateral from the design process (after schematic design). Engage in site-specific community engagement and stakeholder /partnership development. 5. Implementation – Assumes typical building planning and development process for typologies that require a brick and mortar footprint. 6. Evaluate & Refine – Plan for a test and learn period that can support evaluation of impact against key objectives and evolution over time. Docusign Envelope ID: EA417244-1B08-4F71-884E-045B78625FB7