Moshe Safdie conceived the Beit Clal Conference Center as a building bridging the water. The site for the project was located in a naturally wooded area with a pond, formed from an existing stream in Pomona, New York. The overall complex was an "L-shape" with the north-south spine contoured along the pond's edge and the east-west spine spanning the pond as a bridge structure. The center was designed to serve as a "think-tank" - a meeting place for the exchange of knowledge in training and leadership for the Jewish community.

Located along the Hudson River not far from the former World Trade Center, the project was envisioned to solve the city's housing shortage. The master plan accommodated affordable housing for approximately 400,000 people. Safdie's proposal included 14,100 apartments, several schools, a library, a hospital, and other amenities covering 91 36.4 ha. The prefabricated modular construction system was also explored for this project.