City Tavern, with roots to the Founding Fathers, is available for a new lease at Independence Hall National Historical Park/NPS file

National Park Service authorities, reluctant to see facilities be vacant when they can bring revenues to parks, are offering commercial leases on operations at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Independence Hall National Historical Park that include a golf course and a restaurant.

At Delaware Water Gap, the Cliff Park Inn and Golf Course, just south of Milford, Pennsylvania, along State Route 2001, is offered under a lease term of up to 60 years while Dingmans Dutch Reformed Church, in Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania, along U.S. Highway 209, is offered under a lease term of 10 years.

“Leasing is a preferred use of historic buildings and properties in the park because it provides for occupancy, upkeep, and preservation and can also generate revenue that is put back into maintaining the historic properties and managing the leasing program,” said Water Gap Superintendent Doyle Sapp. “It is, however, a complex process that requires substantial oversight by the NPS and often a substantial commitment from the lessee.”

The Cliff Park lease includes a hotel, restaurant, 9-hole golf course, and associated outbuildings across 50 acres. NPS will accept proposals to lease the entire property; to lease the golf course and outbuildings alone; or to lease the entire property plus an additional residence and garage on an adjacent 2-acre parcel. Lessees may use the property for commercial or residential purposes, provided the use is in accordance with federal, state, and local law. The lessee must maintain and operate Cliff Park Golf Course as a golf course. The lessee will be responsible for the cost and implementation of all repairs, replacements, and improvements needed to occupy the buildings including items such as roof replacement, septic replacement, carpentry repairs, and addressing fire and life safety code issues. 

The Dingmans Dutch Reformed Church lease includes a church and carriage shed on 0.5 acres. The church is currently used as a residence and may continue to be used as such. The carriage house, currently used as an antiques store, may be used for commercial or storage purposes. The lessee will be required to pay for all utilities and perform routine maintenance, and NPS will maintain responsibility for repair or replacement of major components of the buildings and property such as roofs and heating systems.

Lease proposals will be evaluated on overall merit. Evaluation criteria include compatibility of the proposed use of the property with respect to preservation, protection, and visitor enjoyment of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; how well the proposed use would protect the historic qualities of the property; and the bidder’s financial capability of carrying out the terms of the lease. 

Lease proposals will also be evaluated on the amount of rent offered. Federal regulation requires that the lessee pays, at minimum, fair market value rent which has been determined through a local market analysis and is identified in the RFP for each property. Certain repairs or replacements performed by the lessee may be used to offset the amount of rent paid. Any repair or rehabilitation work must be done in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties. Those standards can be found here: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1739/secretary-standards-treatment-historic-properties.htm.  

Information on the properties, leasing terms and conditions, and information on submitting proposals can be found at https://www.nps.gov/dewa/learn/management/leasing-of-buildings.htm. Proposals for Cliff Park must be submitted by March 25, 2023, and proposals for Dingmans Dutch Reformed Church must be submitted by March 25, 2023. Appointment-only site tours will be held on February 7 at Cliff Park and February 8 at Dingmans Dutch Reformed Church. To request an appointment for a site tour, or to ask questions about the leasing process or properties, email e-mail us.

At Independence Hall, the Park Service is seeking a lessee for the City Tavern at 138 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia. The tavern is a 15,100-square-foot restaurant facility located in the park.

The original City Tavern was a favorite meeting place of the Founding Fathers and unofficial meeting site for the First Continental Congress. Originally built in 1773 and razed in 1854, the National Park Service built a replica of the building in 1975 as a working tavern.

City Tavern was operated for many years by Chef Walter Staib and provided a colonial themed restaurant and tavern atmosphere, with American Colonial style foods. The RFP does not require a continuation of an 18th century dining experience. However, the operation should have character, attract diverse visitors, and serve the surrounding community as well as visitors to the park.

You can find details on the opportunity at this site. All proposals under this RFP must be received by 4:30 p.m. on March 27, 2023.

Four historic Gettysburg battlefield houses are available for lease/NPS file

Also in Pennsylvania, there are a number of opportunities at Gettysburg National Military Park. There the National Park Service (NPS) Historic Leasing Program offers an innovative approach to preservation by leveraging private funds to preserve historic buildings for future generations. Gettysburg National Military Park has four historic structures on the battlefield available for lease for the purpose of short-term vacation rentals (AirBNB/VRBO style).

These properties are located within the heart of the battlefield, near iconic destinations such as Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, and the Wheatfield. They offer a unique opportunity to provide visitors with an immersive overnight experience while remaining accessible to the general public and creating revenue to support preservation efforts across the park. The structures include:

• Bushman Farmhouse: Located within sight of Little Round Top, the division of Confederate Major General John Bell Hood occupied the property on July 2, 1863, with as many as 7,000 Confederate soldiers moving through the farm on their way to assault the Union position at Little Round Top, Devils Den, and the Wheatfield.

• Slyder Farmhouse: Located just south of Devil’s Den, the property was occupied by elements of the Second United States Sharpshooters on July 2, 1863, who transformed it into a formidable defensive position. These Union soldiers held their position until that afternoon when a deadly battle ensued with Alabamians and Texans of Evander Law’s and Jerome Robertson’s Confederate brigades and Union troops were driven back.

• Rose Farmhouse: Located along Emmitsburg Road, the Rose farm gained tragic notoriety as the “bloodiest farm” in American history when, over the course of three hours on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, as many as 20,000 men battled across the fields, woods, and ridges surrounding the house. As many as 6,000 men were killed, wounded, or captured, transforming the once peaceful property into a scene of “devastation, desolation, and death.”

• Althoff Farmhouse: Located just east of Devil’s Den, this farmhouse was constructed just after the battle. On July 2, 1863, the log home present at the time was occupied by Confederate troops who harassed Union soldiers until six members of the 6th Pennsylvania Reserves volunteered to take the house and drive out the Confederates. In 1897, these six men were awarded the Medal of Honor for their heroism.

This lease opportunity is open to all interested persons and businesses on a competitive basis. The proposal judged best under the proposal selection criteria will be given an opportunity to negotiate a final lease agreeable to both the selected offeror and NPS. Those interested in this opportunity may obtain the Request for Proposals and other required information online at https://www.nps.gov/gett/getinvolved/do-business-with-us.htm.

Proposals must be submitted electronically no later than March 27, 2023, to Deanna Harrison (e-mail us) and should include “Gettysburg RFP” in the subject line.

Site tours may be scheduled by appointment only between January 30 and March 6, 2023 and must occur Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 am and 4 pm. Offerors must submit questions no later than March 6, 2023. All responses will be provided in writing and made available to all offerors by posting on the above website. Please contact Deanna Harrison (e-mail us) to schedule site visits and submit questions. We anticipate that evaluation of proposals and negotiation will require 6-8 weeks and that the effective lease date will be on or about June 1, 2023.

The Request for Proposals can also be found at https://sam.gov/opp/397a7c94b3e149ce82b6d3947f5c3c8b/view and information on Gettysburg National Military Park can be found at https://www.nps.gov/gett. Information related to travel and tourism in the Gettysburg area can be found through Destination Gettysburg at https://destinationgettysburg.com/.