Talk Bronx New York

Short Trip On Internet Highway For South Bronx Businesses

Tenants in the Harlem River Transportation and Distribution Center have easy access to the Major Deegan and Bruckner expressways - but when it comes to the information superhighway, sometimes there’s no entrance ramp.

“I’ll be working during the day, and for a period of maybe 10 minutes, the Internet system goes down,” said Tony Ricchio, senior vice president of the management company that runs the large industrial park in Port Morris.

Lack of reliable high-speed broadband Internet access is bedeviling many businesses in the South Bronx industrial zones. Most are far from residential areas wired by Cablevision or Verizon for cable and DSL.

While the city is studying the issue and companies are coming up with alternatives, Bronx business owners say they are wallowing in a digital divide.

“To be competitive, you need fiber optic,” said John Mullane, head of Transcon International Inc., a company in the industrial park that moves and stores fine art.

He wants to expand to serve museums, but can’t without state-of-the-art Internet service.

“It’s like years ago when we started, people would ask if you had a fax, then e-mail, and you’d be embarrassed to say you didn’t,” he said.

Experts say part of the problem stems from franchise agreements with cable companies.

“Cable doesn’t have to go to places where there aren’t residents,” said David Birdsell, dean of the Baruch School of Public Affairs and a member of the Broadband Advisory Committee created by the City Council. “So there’s very little incentive for … Verizon … to go and provide high-quality copper and local stations that will multiply the DSL signal.”

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 Lewis Gold, owner of New York Beverage.

Using development fund, Bronx business goes off grid with solar panels

Sometimes it can be easy being green.

But environmentally safe power still takes a lot of, well, green.

Lewis Gold, owner of New York Beverage, found that out when he wanted to take his Bronx warehouse off the electric grid.

“At first I looked at using wind power,” said Gold, “but found out that would be very difficult to do in the Bronx.”

He finally opted to go with rooftop solar panels, because the building’s location - just north of the Bruckner Expressway in an area with low-rise zoning - assured maximum exposure to sunlight.

“We actually have the perfect location for solar power,” Gold said.

But the price of a rooftop solar array was sky-high.

Even taking off about $50,000 in tax credits offered to businesses going solar, the 72 panels Gold needed would cost $100,000 out of pocket.

“That’s a lot of money,” said Gold, “especially for a small business.”

Despite being one of the largest retail and wholesale drink warehouses in the city, New York Beverage - which has been forced to add a fuel surcharge for deliveries - just didn’t have the green to go green.

That’s when the Bronx Initiative on Energy and the Environment stepped in. The green development fund is part of a broad push by Borough President Adolfo Carrión to make the borough a model of sustainable development.

The BIEE provided about $100,000 in grants to make sure the plan went ahead.

“Now we hope to have them up and running by early 2008,” said Gold.

Work will soon begin on installing the 15-kilowatt solar array atop the warehouse at 515 Bruckner Blvd. between E. 149th St. and Austin Place.

An analysis by the company installing the system estimates the first year’s energy savings at just $3,197. But over the 25-year life of the panels, the savings will be nearly $168,000.

“When you think about it long-term as a businessman,” said Gold, “it’s a smart thing to do.”

That’s not only true for one local business’ bottom line.

The annual environmental impact of an array the size New York Beverage plans will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 30,089 pounds, according to the maker.

That’s the equivalent of planting 38 trees each year - or recycling 290,384 12-ounce cans like the ones the sun will soon chill for New York Beverage.

ENERGY ASSISTANCE

Businesses interested in getting funds from the Bronx Initiative on Energy and the Environment program can contact the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp. at (718) 590-3498.

SOURCE: NY Daily News

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