The property is being actively sought by developer Nick Wright who plans to build a mini-golf and family fun center there, but due to a variety of complications the city opted to seek proposals on the property rather than sell it to Wright through a direct sale.

That decision came following an executive session at the advice of the city attorney and after the majority of council said they'd support a direct sale if it was a legally viable option.

City officials have indicated that the RFP process could expedite the sale to Wright, but it also presents other developers with an opportunity to secure the property.

Although he did not elaborate, at a recent city council meeting Mayor Michael Tooley noted that another developer had expressed interest in the property.

"The City of Ogdensburg would like to invite all interested parties to prepare a submission in response to this Request for Proposal (RFP) for the 17 Main Street site. The City will review and evaluate all submissions to determine completeness with the intent of inviting one or more parties to present more specific project details. The City may elect to enter into negotiations for the disposition and redevelopment of the property upon the completion of this review," the RFP says.

The lengthy RFP which can be found at 

 ( https://ogdensburg.org/DocumentCenter/View/3590/17-Main-Street-RFP_JAN-2024pdf )

 provides a host of facts about the character of the city and the waterfront area surrounding the property.

Demographic trends identified in the RFP paint a real look of some of the problems facing the city as follows:

• Over the last ten years, the City of Ogdensburg has lost population at a rate of 3.7%. The County also lost population during this period, although at a lesser rate of 0.7%.
• When looking at the region as a whole, the North Country has seen slight population growth at a rate  of 0.1%.
• The City’s average household size of 2.62 in 2022 has remained relatively unchanged from the 2020 average household size of 2.37.
• Median age has grown across each geography to 41.9, 38.9 and 39.1 years in the City, County and Region, respectively. While the City has the highest median age among the three areas, since 2010 its rate of growth has been less than that of the County and Region.
• There is a higher proportion of residents earning less than $34,000 per year in the City than in St. Lawrence County or the North Country region.
• Approximately 44.5% of households in the City earn more than $50,000 annually.
• The City of Ogdensburg median household income is projected to grow 12.8% by 2025 to $49,739.

Those interested in submitting proposals to the city can reach out to Interim City Manager Andrea Smith at asmith@ogdensburg.org  for the required response form.

Submissions should be sent in PDF format to the same address.