Located at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Oswegatchie Rivers with six miles of shoreline along the St. Lawrence, the City of Ogdensburg has a long history as a commercial and industrial center of northern New York State. The City today hosts a vibrant contemporary waterfront, attracting tourists for fishing, boating, and a variety of water-related activities, but lacks an information and activity center to assist visitors.

In the conceptual plan developed by Synthesis, the focus of the Ogdensburg Waterfront would be construction of a Visitor Center to provide a focal area for tourist information and activities and a link to the waterfront and boat docks with a boardwalk, pedestrian trail, and green space.