Rediscovering the Waterfront – Ogdensburg, NY

In 2011, Vita Nuova helped the City of Ogdensburg to move beyond its BOA Step 2 requirements. Vita Nuova designed a redevelopment process to identify strategic areas of investment through the selection of catalytic projects that would drive interest in building Ogdensburg as a destination. Such project selection included a review of site opportunities and constraints, including environmental conditions, financial feasibility based on a variety of engineering, market, and economic conditions, and stakeholder interests including but not limited to citizens, local elected officials, regional and state officials, private development interests, and non-profit stakeholders. Other specific action steps taken by Vita Nuova include:

  • Supported the requirements for completing the BOA Step 2 Work Plan.
  • Completed a Market Analysis and Economic Trends Analysis of the market area and identifying potential uses for the sites within the BOA district.
  • Conducted an Economic Feasibility Analysis of the development scenarios to present economically viable and attractive development projects.
  • Developed redevelopment vision designs for the waterfront sites and supported Public Design Charrettes to seek feedback and input into the redevelopment visioning process.

Project progress has been communicated through a project marketing website to reposition Ogdensburg waterfront called www.ogdensburgwaterfront.com.

Accomplishments and Benefits:

  • Reorganized the Ogdensburg Growth Fund from a loan fund to a redevelopment agency capable of managing redevelopment projects for the City.
  • Prepared the Diamond site for disposition, wrote the Expression of Interest, and are releasing it on behalf of the Growth Fund on February 1, 2014.
  • NY State awarded Ogdensburg and the Fort La Presentation Association $700,000 for downtown revitalization and $350,000 for interpretive trails to help attract people to the waterfront.
  • Facilitated the investment of a Canadian developer in 75-150 units of waterfront housing.
  • Encouraged a recalcitrant owners to move forward in the due diligence process in preparing their site for sale.
  • Facilitated the sale of a former school for a bed-n-breakfast next to the BOA area.