PROVIDENCE — In advertising for a consultant to craft a plan for the land uncovered when a section of Route 195 is torn down, the state hoped that the highway project was high-profile enough to attract some big out-of-town names.

Turns out, Providence’s project is very much on the national radar: every one of the nine firms that applied are from outside Rhode Island, and state officials said they are big names in the consulting industry.

“We’d hoped that we would get national attention, and we’re quite pleased with what we’ve got,” said Saul Kaplan, director of the state Economic Development Corporation, which is overseeing the process. “These are really first-class players that bring experience and know-how to this important development question.”

Four firms are out of New York, three are from the Boston area, and two are based in Annapolis, Md.

They all have a Rhode Island boost, however, having hired local companies to assist their projects. Among the names included as partners include hired Providence engineering firm Fuss & O’Neil, Providence architecture firm Durkee, Brown, Viverios, and Werenfels, and Lincoln engineering firm the Pare Corporation.

Moving a section of Route 195 south of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier will open up 36 acres between downtown and the the Jewelry District. Eight acres are set aside for two waterfront parks on the Providence River, potentially linked by a pedestrian bridge, while eight more acres will be for new streets where the highway used to be. The rest, 19.2 acres, can be sold for development, with the land itself opening up in 2011 and 2012.

Before any transactions can take place, many of the most basic sale details must still be settled, and the consultant will be the one to hammer out those specifics.

A triumvirate of officials from the EDC, the city , and the state Department of Transportation will decide the future of the highway land. Kaplan said that he, DOT Director Michael Lewis and Providence Planning Director Thomas E. Deller will choose a consultant from these nine by early next month.

Work on the plan should start soon after, and they hope it will be complete by December, Kaplan said.

The nine firms submittingproposals are: AKRF, New York; Basile, Baumann, Prost, Cole, and Associates, Annapolis, Md; Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, Cambridge, Mass.; Colliers Meredith & Grew, Boston; Costas Kondylis and Partners, New York.; Economics Research Associates, New York; GLC Development Resources, Boston; HR&A Advisors, New York; and W-ZHA, Annapolis, Md.

“We’re really excited about the response,” said Kaplan. “It’s a class-A group of organizations, and it demonstrates real interest in the project and the potential of the game-changing development that can happen at the top of the Bay.”

dbarbari@projo.com