Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation amongst Recipients of Bronx River Restoration Grants 
Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation amongst Recipients of Bronx River Restoration Grants
The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC) was awarded $269,500 by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s Office to develop a green roof that will absorb rainfall and reduce stormwater runoff pollution into the Bronx River.
BOEDC, the economic development arm of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., partnered with ABC Carpet, a warehouse outlet located on the shores of the Bronx River to submit an application for a 10,000 square foot green roof installation. The project will place four inches of soil plus drought-resistant, water-absorbing vegetation on the roof of the commercial space to capture and treat stormwater. Each year, the roof will retain an estimated 140,000 gallons and filter approximately 300,000 gallons of stormwater which would otherwise flow untreated into the Bronx River. In addition the roof will reduce the energy usage of the building, add fresh oxygen to the air and create a small green oasis in this industrial zone of the South Bronx.
“We are very pleased to be able to contribute toward the improvement of the water quality of the Bronx River,” stated Marlene Cintrón, President of BOEDC. “I thank Paul Chapman of ABC Carpet for working with us on this public- private partnership as well as the Attorney General for the work that has gotten us here.”
The award is part of the Bronx River Watershed Initiative, which provided $2.5 million in grants to green infrastructure projects along the Bronx River this year. The funds for the initiative were provided by a $7 million settlement in 2007 between the Attorney General’s Office and the cities of Yonkers, White Plains, Scarsdale, and Greenburgh, and Yonkers Raceway.
Each year since 2008, these funds have been redistributed to communities in the Bronx and West Chester County for projects that will reduce the stormwater pollution flowing into the river and improve its overall water quality. This year, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced an additional $2.5 million in matching funds.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said, “The organizations receiving this funding will be able to continue the restoration of a jewel of our borough, the Bronx River. But this is about more than just cleaning up a river, this is about building community around our natural resources. Our neighbors, our families and our future generations should be able to enjoy this treasure of the Bronx, and these projects are making the idea a reality. I thank Attorney General Cuomo for his leadership and my colleagues for working together to bring these worthwhile projects to fruition.”
Additional Bronx-based grantees include: Gaia Institute; GrowNYC; New York Botanical Garden; New York City Department of Environmental Protection; New York City Parks Department; Rocking the Boat and Trees for New York. Projects ranged from wetlands restoration and mussel habitat development to rainwater harvesting.
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